Page 137 of Beauty
Nervous energy radiates through me. After last night, I don’t know how to act.
Fortunately, he gives me a soft smile, putting me at ease. “Have a minute?”
I stand and motion for him to come in. “How did Beth let you by without alerting me?”
He grins. “I came to see Beckett, but I saw you sitting at your desk and thought I’d pop in.”
“Oh.” I suppose that makes sense. And it’s a relief, really, to know he didn’t come to search me out specifically.
“About last night,” I say. At the same time, he murmurs, “Nice office.”
Cheeks warming, I shrug. “Thanks.”
We’re silent then, and awkwardness grows as we stare at one another, neither knowing how to move forward.
Finally, he clears his throat. “Does your brother know?”
I frown. “Does Beckett know what?”
“About Noah.Sienna’s Noah.” His lips quirk in amusement as he uses Noah’s words from last night.
I sit back, thrown by his reaction, my protective instincts flaring to life. “There’s nothing to know.”
Eyes narrowed, he tilts his head. “We dated for two years, Sienna, and you didn’t once look at me the way you look at him.”
My cheeks heat in earnest this time. I shouldn’t be surprised that he noticed. The way I feel for Noah is unlike anything I’ve ever felt for another person. “I’m sorry if I hurt you.”
His expression grows serious. “It’s okay. Honestly, you showed me what I’ve been missing in life. I’ve been so focusedon repairing our family business that I didn’t even notice our relationship was missing such an integral part. I enjoyed our time immensely; I hope you know that. Seeing you like this, lit up and glowing,happy—despite how bad things have been for you professionally—is all I could hope for. It’s good to see you smile. Don’t let him go.”
I tip my head back, fighting back tears. He’s right. Despite everything, I’ve never been happier than when I’m with Noah. Even if I never got to design another piece, I think I’d still be happy. Because of him.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
With a nod, he heads for the door. Halfway there, he turns around, holding up a small package, and strides toward my desk. “I forgot to give you this last night.”
The blue paper the package is wrapped in is familiar, as are the gold stitching and the name of the bookshop imprinted on it. “I stopped at that shop you always loved after my meeting regarding your settlement. The shop owner told me you’d want this.”
My chest tightens and my breathing goes shallow. There’s no way.
Though I feel as if my soul has left my body, I manage to thank him. Once he’s gone, I turn away from the door, not wanting to share this moment with anyone, and tear into the paper.
As it flutters to the floor and the cover of the book in my hand is revealed, I gasp. The black background is one I recognize, and I’ve memorized just about every detail of the gold font and the simple design.
I run my thumb along the worn cream-colored edges of the pages and close my eyes. For a moment, I just breathe. And when I finally work up the nerve to flip open the cover and scan the title page, my legs nearly give out. Because there, right belowthe block letters, is Noah Harrison’s name, and there’s a number below it, along with a message.
One day you’ll fly back to me, butterfly, and I’ll never let you go again.
FORTY-FOUR
NOAH
Thighs burning and pulse pounding,I fold in half and set my hands on my legs. As sweat drips down my face, I heave in a deep breath. Fuck, I’m getting too old for this.
As I straighten, my best friend howls with laughter. “Trouble keeping up, Beauty?”
“Fuck, how are you barely winded?”
War and I are the same damn age. How the hell does he look like he’s only taken a lap around the ice after multiple rounds of suicides and the hours we’ve spent running through plays with Aiden Langfield, the most competitive player I’ve ever met?
