Page 25 of Noelle's Secret Admirer

“Eve, I’m sure. Maybe we should just focus on sneaking out of here instead.”

As if summoned by our rising tension, Mom appeared, her maternal senses alert to the brewing storm. “Make sure you say goodnight to your father.”

“He hasn’t said two words to me all day,” I mumbled, my frustration seeping into my tone.

“Maxwell,” Mom’s voice adopted a stern tone, “Be the bigger man here. You’re fighting for your forever.”

Noelle managed a small smile at Mom’s words. The gravity of the situation had us clinging to any scrap of reassurance. We exchanged hugs and words of farewell with my mom, then we made our rounds through the house. I found Dad out back, his broad shoulders silhouetted against the porch light, Nick and Kane at his side. They all seemed to be immersed in a deep, likely bourbon-fueled conversation.

“Hey, we’re heading out,” I announced, trying to keep my voice steady.

“Noelle too?” Kane asked, although it was clear he already knew the answer.

“Yeah. She’s inside if you want to say goodbye.”

“I’ll do that.” Kane moved past me, leaving me alone with Nick and my dad.

Nick was as fiery and impulsive as ever, a volcano barely contained. Only Ansley and their daughter seemed capable of softening his rough edges. But my dad was different. He was always kind but quiet, a gentle soul, and right now, the disappointment in his gaze cut through me like a knife.

“Okay, so I’ll see you guys for New Year’s then?”

“Yeah, man. Listen, I don’t agree with what you two are doing, but you need to know I respect your decision to come forward about it,” Nick’s comment startled me. He offered his hand, and I shook it, surprised by the genuine respect in his eyes.

“Thanks, Nick,” I said, my surprise morphing into gratitude.

Turning to my dad, I swallowed hard. “Love you pop. I’ll be in touch later this week.”

The disappointment in his gaze hadn’t waned, but I met his eyes head-on. Our silent exchange was filled with the weight of years and understanding. I watched as Noelle came outside and gave him a hug. My sweet girl gave him no option to turn her away and he never would have. She was his little girl and in his eyes I was the fuck up, or at least it felt that way right now. I’d give mom some time to work her magic on him. The fear that always plagued me when it came to Noelle and I was more about her relationship with them than my own. I could survive without family, she couldn’t. It was part of who she was at her core. I called her Elfie since she was always the one running around helping mom with anything anyone needed in our family. She was the person who gave more than she should have, but she loved every minute of it. It wasn’t until we got older that I saw the effect it had on her.

I held her hand on our way out to the car, opened her door, and buckled her in. She was quiet on the way home, not her typical bubbly self after getting recharged by family, but I understood why. When we got back to my place, she stripped out of her clothes and crawled into bed.

“Are you okay?” I asked, the words gently floating in the soft, dim light of the room. I was looking at her, my gaze tracing the exhaustion etched subtly on her face.

“Yeah,” she answered with a sigh, the weight of the day sinking in her voice. “Just tired, I think. It was a long day.”

I crawled into the bed next to her, the warmth of her presence a comforting contrast to the chill of the sheets. “Heavier than a usual holiday, I suppose,” I said, trying to inject a bit of levity into our conversation. “Do you regret leaving early?”

“No, not really.” She turned her face to look at me, her eyes mirroring the conflict within her. “I hated the space between us while we were there, but I hated the weird underlying tension even more. It was suffocating.” She paused, her gaze dropping to our intertwined fingers. “Do you think it will get better?”

“It will,” I assured her, squeezing her hand gently. “I trust mom will handle dad and everyone else will fall into line. It’s just a matter of time.”

She was silent for a moment, her eyes searching mine. “You’re sure about this, aren’t you? I mean, about us, right?”

I pulled her body closer to mine, encasing her in a tight embrace. “Of course I am. I’ve never been surer of anything in my life. What would ever make you doubt that?”

Her lips parted as she began to answer, but then she hesitated. “I don’t know. I just... I struggle sometimes with self-esteem and I get bombarded by these thoughts that I’m not good enough for you.”

As I opened my mouth to interrupt her, she placed a finger over my lips to stop me. “I know it’s crazy,” she admitted with a soft sigh. “I get that. I’ve just never been with anyone who doesn’t have some alternative agenda or changes their mind about me after a couple weeks. I can be... a lot to handle.”

“You are not a lot, Noelle. You’re far from it,” I assured her, cupping her face gently with my hands. “You are amazing. You are the most important thing in my life and you always have been. I regret...” My voice faltered slightly, choked by the intensity of my truths. “I’m so sorry I didn’t take the time to tell you that sooner. Maybe if I had, I could have saved you from some of the assholes that tore you down sooner rather than later.”

Silence fell between us, punctuated only by our soft breathing. I held her tighter, my resolve strengthened by our conversation. I was certain, more than ever, that we were going to weather this storm together, no matter how long it took.

I leaned forward, and the second our lips touched, my already hard cock pulsed with need. The fire she ignited in me was more than anything else I had experienced before. I tangled my fingers in her hair and pulled her head back, exposing her neck. She moaned when I sucked on the delicate flesh behind her ear and shifted her body until she was straddling me and grinding her pussy into my hardened shaft.

“Fuck Elfie, I can feel your juices coating me already. How are you so ready for me all the time?”

She lifted her head and smiled down at me. “Have you seen yourself? I spent most of my younger years closing my eyes and picturing your hands on my body. Now, every minute I spend with you, another fantasy comes true.”

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