Page 55 of Love is a Harmony
16
Melanie
Waking up with a kid in her arms wasn’t something Melanie ever envisioned for herself. But now it was here, and she couldn’t let go.
Sunlight streamed into the room, casting rivulets of light across the bed. She shielded her eyes to look down at the dark hair splayed over her arm.
Something was under her head. Her eyes widened when she noticed she’d been sleeping on Noah’s arm. Her gaze skittered down to her hand and the pressure she felt there. It sat intertwined with Noah’s over Stella’s stomach.
This. Wasn’t. Good.
Then, why did it feel pretty darn great?
Alarm bells rang in her mind. Abort. Abort. Her eyes fell on the box of letters to Justin.
This isn’t what it looks like,she thought, imagining he could hear her.
You said you wouldn’t fall in love with him.
I haven’t.
Pushing Justin from her mind had never been an easy feat, but with Noah there, she managed to focus only on him and Stella. On the feel of his hand in hers.
But this kind of morning didn’t belong to her. Not anymore. Pulling her hand free, she lifted her head to make sure he was still asleep. Long lashes rested against his cheeks.
In sleep, Noah looked so different from the intimidating and charming rock star she’d known for years. There was a softness to his face, a beauty. The world was in love with this man and his looks, but they didn’t get to see him curled up in bed with the girl he’d taken in.
They didn’t know how beautiful he was.
With a sigh, she slid from the bed and grabbed the box of letters, putting it in her closet before stepping out into the living room. Coffee. She needed coffee.
Or wine.
But that would be frowned upon.
She didn’t know how long Noah and Stella would be sleeping because jet lag hit people differently, but she didn’t want to wake them up with her loud grinder. Slipping back into her room, she changed into a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt before throwing her hair into a ponytail and yanking on her shoes.
With one final glance at the sleeping pair, she left the apartment for the wilds of L.A. In her previous life, one where the only thing that mattered to her was work, she’d never have left her home looking like she’d just rolled out of bed.
Maybe it was the jet lag or the fact that she couldn’t stop thinking about Noah’s hands, his eyes, but a smile curved her lips. She didn’t care anymore.
She walked the short distance to the cafe she’d never had the time to visit.
It wasn’t normal to be out of work at ten on a Monday morning, but nothing about this situation was normal.
“Morning.” An older woman in a green apron smiled from behind the counter.
Melanie smiled back. “Hello. I need coffee. Lots of it. Two, please.”
“Two larges coming up. Anything else?”
“Yes.” Melanie scanned the glass case in front of her. In France, Stella ate breakfast with the Martins, in part, because Mari always cooked. “Do you have kid food?”
“You mean a children’s menu?”
Melanie nodded. “Whatever they eat.”
The woman shook her head with a laugh. “Dear, we are a coffee shop. The only thing we have specifically for kids are the cake pops, but I don’t recommend those this early in the morning. Order what you’d like, and I’m sure this child will eat it too.”
