Chapter 0405
Hannah
When my sobs finally subsided, Noah sat up with me still in his arms, his hands deftly brushing my tear-soaked hair back from my face. I sniffled, trying to regain my composure as I smoothed down his shirt, now wrinkled and damp from my outburst.
“I’m sorry,” I hiccuped weakly. “For hitting you, I mean. I shouldn’t have lost control like that.”
Noah shook his head, a sad smile playing on his lips. “I think I deserved it after everything I put you through.” He sighed heavily and looked away for a moment. “I wish I had realized what was happening sooner. You didn’t need to suffer for so long because of my blindness.”
I swallowed hard, unsure of how to respond. Part of me wanted to tell him it wasn’t his fault, that Zoe had manipulated him. But another part, the part still raw and bleeding from months of pain and rejection, couldn’t quite let go so easily.
When I remained silent, Noah took a deep breath, his hands finding mine. His touch was tentative, as if he feared I might pull away at any moment.
“Hannah, I… I want to make everything right. I love you, and I want us to be together again. Properly this time.” His eyes searched mine, hope and desperation mingling in their green depths. “Will you marry me again? Or at least move back in with me? I’ll do whatever you want, just please… give us another chance.”
My heart raced at his words, a dizzying combination of longing and fear coursing through my veins. I wanted nothing more than to fall into his arms and forget everything that had happened, to pretend that the last few months were nothing more than a terrible nightmare. But caution, as always, held me back.
“Noah, I… I can’t just jump back in like nothing happened,” I murmured. “Regardless of the apologies and explanations, we did get divorced for multiple reasons. You said and did some horrible things while we were married.”
I paused, gathering my thoughts, trying to find the right words to express the tangled mess of emotions inside me. “Even though you were manipulated, those words, those actions of yours when we were married… they still hurt.”
Guilt flashed across Noah’s face, and he clenched his teeth. Instinct caused my body to tense, as if he might bite out some scathing retort, just as he used to do. It would take time to overcome that instinct, even knowing his behavior hadn’t really been his.
But instead, he simply nodded slowly. “You’re right. I know I have a lot to make up for. My behavior was inexcusable, manipulated or not.”
“I know I’m not blameless either,” I added, thinking back on our tumultuous relationship. The arguments, the pettiness, the schemes. I made mistakes too. “I think… I think we both need time to heal and rebuild trust. We shouldn’t just pick up where we left off and pretend that nothing happened.”
Noah’s shoulders slumped slightly, but he nodded again. “I understand. You take all the time you need, Hannah. I’ll wait until you’re ready. I love you, and I’ll never want anyone else. So no matter how long it takes, I’ll be here.”
My cheeks burned at his words, and I looked away, suddenly feeling… shy. This version of Noah, so open and affectionate, was incredibly foreign to me. Aside from those blissful couple of weeks leading up to the baby shower and our letters all those years ago, I wasn’t sure if I had ever heard him say such sweet things to me.
Suddenly, I didn’t feel quite so much like an Alpha anymore, but rather a lovestruck teen.
“Could I at least take you on some dates?” Noah asked. “I want to be a good man for you, Hannah, and a good father to Melody. I want to spoil you both and… and rekindle what we had. To show you the man I should have been all along. So at least let me take you out.”