Page 4

ADRIAN

A fter what happened last night, I didn’t want to leave home. I wanted to stay and maybe take Noelle out for dinner and get to know her better because God knows we did it backward.

It all happened so fast, and I had to double and triple check with her if she regretted it. I know I don’t, but she came here for a job, and not even one night passed before I was fucking her senseless. Okay, she fucked me, but semantics, semantics, semantics.

But how could I let her go back to her room, knowing she might use that god-awful pink thing instead of my cock? I am nothing if not a pleaser.

I spent the whole day going back and forth between three sites—one was nearly finished, the second half-done, and the last had just been demolished. Even as tasks piled up and I was needed pretty much everywhere, my mind kept straying to Noelle.

Tomtom doesn’t take easily to people, especially those he has just met, but he must have felt something about Noelle because he didn’t even spare me a glance when I said goodbye. He was busy laughing at something she said. Not just laughing but holding her hand as he did so.

Watching that moment made my chest expand. Something thick lodged in my throat, and I had to turn away because it was too much. My feelings tangled in aching knots, and while I waited for the truck to warm, I replayed the scene over and over in my head.

Noelle at home with Tomtom. It was like the last piece of a puzzle slotting into place, as though we’ve always had a place for her at our table, at our home, in our hearts.

It’s past five when I get home, rubbing the exhaustion from my eyes, ready to collapse after the longest day imaginable. But then I see it, and it stops me in my tracks.

Tomtom.

Riding his bike.

On his own .

Not even just that. He’s riding and laughing out loud, clearly having a grand time.

I freeze, barely able to process what I’m seeing. The same kid who’s thrown a fit every time I tried to teach him, who swore up and down that bikes were evil and he’ll never touch one even if it’s the end of the world , is now pedaling across the driveway like it’s the easiest thing in the world.

And Noelle is by his side, clapping, laughing, whistling.

“Look at you, champ!” she calls, pure pride in her voice. “I told you you could do it!”

Tomtom laughs again, wobbling slightly before righting himself, his face shining with excitement. He pedals toward me, his face beaming. “Dad! Dad, look!”

I don’t even realize I’m moving until I’m meeting him halfway and standing at the edge of the driveway, my chest tight with something big, something overwhelming.

Pride. Happiness. Love .

For my son, for his stubborn determination.

And for her .

Not even twenty-four hours with us, and she already did this. She has already changed our lives in the best way.

She turns then, meeting my gaze, her hazel eyes still sparkling, and my throat goes dry. Noelle fits seamlessly into our lives.

“You’re home,” she says, breathless. Home. Yes. Home. “Surprise.” She lifts her arms in the air, and my heart stutters with an unnamed emotion.

I exhale a laugh, shaking my head. “How did you do it? I’ve been trying to get him to learn how to ride a bike, but he hated it.”

Noelle looks at Tomtom, her eyes softening. “I saw a neat trick online and thought I should try it. It worked.”

“Nono, did you see that?” Tomtom yells, his fist in the air. “So cool, right? Am I cool?”

Noelle runs to him and scoops him into her arms. She twirls them around, and they both laugh.

Something warm unfurls in my chest, the feelings I’ve been burying the whole day unspooling inside me.

I really am in trouble.

At dinner that night, it feels different.

Not in a loud, obvious way, but in the quiet moments.

The way she passes Tomtom his favorite piece of chicken (thigh part with the skin on) without him asking, the way she listens to his endless stories with real interest (“I had no idea! I thought T-rex was the biggest dinosaur!”), the way she glances at me across the table, her eyes catching mine as we share a knowing smile.

My son chatters away between bites, swinging his legs under the table, completely at ease. I knew he liked her last night, but now? Now he’s comfortable with her. Like she’s been here forever with us. Like she belongs in our small family .

I swallow a sip of my drink, forcing myself to stay grounded, to not get carried away by the way she looks sitting across from me. But it’s impossible.

Because she’s right there , smiling, laughing, fitting .

The ache from earlier hasn’t left. If anything, it’s settled deeper in my chest, stubborn and unrelenting.

I want this. I want her . Not just for tonight. Not just for moments like these.

I want her here. Always.

And judging by the warmth in her gaze when she looks at me, maybe, just maybe, she wants that too. A man can hope.

Dinner is halfway done when Tomtom points his fork at her, chicken grease on his chin. “Did you know my dad doesn’t like asparagus?”

She gasps dramatically, setting her fork down as though this is breaking news, widening her eyes at me. “No way . That can’t be true. Adrian always ate the veggies my mom prepared, even broccoli.”

My son nods eagerly, pointing his asparagus at me. “It is! He always makes me eat them, but he never does. I saw him eat once, and his face looked almost green. He didn’t chew, just swallowed it.”

She turns to me, raising a teasing brow. “Interesting.”

I sigh, shaking my head, wondering if this will be my life from now on. “I eat them when I have to.”

“Mm-hmm.” She smirks. “Let’s test that theory.”

Before I can protest, she spears an asparagus off her plate and holds it to my lips. I stare at her, unamused. She stares back, challenging. I never thought I’d see the day Noelle would one-up me, my own son egging her on.

Tomtom is practically bouncing in his seat. “Do it, Dad!”

I narrow my eyes. “This is bullying, and it’s about to stop being funny.”

She grins. “Come on now. Veggies are good for you. Didn’t you know that kids learn by example?”

I could refuse. I could remind them both that I am the parent here. That I am the head of this family. That my words are the law. That what I say goes.

But she’s looking at me with that playful glint in her eyes, and my son is watching like this is the most important moment of his life. I’d hate to be the party pooper. Like I said, I’m kind of a pleaser.

With a roll of my eyes and a heavy sigh, I take the bite.

Tomtom erupts into cheers. “We got him, Nono!”

Noelle laughs, clapping along with him, her smile so wide it makes my chest tighten again and again.

And just like that, I know this isn’t just dinner. This isn’t just another night.

This is home . Our home. Me, Tomtom, and Noelle. Our little family has grown overnight.

The house is quieter now, except for the low sound of the movie playing on the screen.

The little guy crashed halfway through, worn out from all the excitement, and after hours of learning to ride a bike, and now it’s just us.

We’re too invested in the movie to change it, so here we are, Noelle and I, watching a movie about weird little yellow creatures who love bananas and their boss, who’s apparently the ‘greatest villain on the planet’.

Noelle is on the opposite end of the couch, legs tucked under her. It’s not her first night here, but she might as well have been living here for years.

I try to focus on the movie, but it’s impossible when she’s right there.

“So,” she drawls, stretching her legs out until her foot nudges my thigh, “what’s it like being old watching cartoons?”

I don’t even look away from the screen, even as the side of my mouth twitches. “I wouldn’t know. Early thirties is still young. But you tell me, what’s it like being annoying since the day you were born?”

She laughs. “I mean, I used to see you and my brother hanging out when I was, like, ten . Back when I had butterfly clips and wrote in my notebook with a glitter pen.”

I glance at her now. “Girl, I was just seventeen at the time. And you were a menace at ten, by the way. And I remember that glitter pen with the unicorn keychain. Peter brought it to school, and when I asked to borrow a pen, he gave it to me. I realized too late that I answered our math exam in pink.”

“You stole my favorite pen?!”

“I didn’t. Peter did.”

“But you didn’t return it. I know because I spent an entire weekend turning my room inside out to find it.”

“Oops, sorry.”

She gasps, pressing a hand to her chest. She has always been dramatic. “You bastards.” Then, she flips her hair over her shoulder. Like I said, dramatic. “Also, I was never a menace. I was adorable.”

I huff a quiet laugh, shaking my head. “You followed us around everywhere.”

“I did not.” Her red cheeks say otherwise.

“You did. You used to hide behind the couch when we played video games so you could spy on us.”

She scrunches her nose. “Okay, maybe. But in my defense, you guys were loud, and I had no choice but to listen.”

“Uh-huh. Sure. That’s totally reasonable.”

She grins, nudging me with her foot again. “Besides, I grew up having a huge crush on you, so of course I needed to be wherever you were.”

The memory makes me smile. “I knew that.”

“Well, I did tell you that last night.”

I bite the inside of my cheek and laugh softly. “No, I knew it before you told me.”

Noelle gasps and squeezes my bicep. “No way. How did you know?”

I tip the bottle of orange juice to my lips, enjoying her intrigue. “Peter told me. Of course, I didn’t really believe it back then. He liked to pull my leg.”

“Peter?!” She slumps on the sofa, a look of pure disbelief on her beautiful face. “That asshole. How did he know?”

“I imagine it was after he saw my name on your notebook surrounded by purple and pink hearts.”

“Oh God. I remember doing that.” Noelle hides her face in her hands and groans. “And here I thought I was good at hiding it.”

“You were. Peter was just adept at being nosy.”

“Right? That was why my diaries had locks on them, and I kept the key around my neck!”

I try hard not to smile and pretend to be engrossed in the movie. Noelle notices immediately, and she turns me to the side so I’m facing her.

“Adrian, I need you to tell me the truth. Did Peter read my diary?”

“Yes.”

“Oh my God. That bastard. When I see him, I swear?—”

“He didn’t read everything when he realized you were just obsessively recording the pupa you saw on your way to class and hatching a plan to put gum in your classmate’s hair.”

“Brie. That’s right. She was mean to me. And the pupa also didn’t become a butterfly. Something ate it.” Noelle realizes something, and she touches my forearm. I forgot how big she was on touching. “Was that why my entire pack of gum disappeared right before the weekend camp?”

“Yes. He gave it to me.”

“Oh, that. When I see him, I’m going to kill him.”

I smirk. “No, you won’t because you’ll be on the defensive.”

“Oh, right.” Noelle quiets, and I sense a shift in her mood. I mentally curse myself for reminding her of the elephant in the room. We had a good thing going, and I had to go ahead and destroy it with a few words.

Still, we can’t escape the confrontation. Sooner or later, Peter will know.

I take her hands in mine and kiss her lips softly. “It’s fine, Noelle. I’ll talk to him. Your brother can be annoying sometimes, but he listens to reason, and he genuinely cares about you. I got you, okay?”

“What if he doesn’t approve?” Noelle scrunches her forehead, and I kiss it away.

“We don’t need his approval, do we? As long as I don’t hurt you, then I’m good. I have nothing to worry about. And we’re both adults. He doesn’t ask for your permission who to date, so why would he demand the same from you?”

Noelle chuckles. “You know, I always admired your confidence. I always wanted to be like you when I grew up.”

“I’m not that old, Noelle.”

She makes a face, and I can’t help but pull her in for a kiss. It’s supposed to be a light, playful kiss. Just a tease. But in seconds, my body lights up, and it deepens. So deep she rakes her nails along my scalp and sucks my bottom lip between her teeth.

We spend the next few hours learning more about each other’s bodies, my universe whittling down to the constant need to please her and remind her of who she belongs to now.

That’s right.

Noelle belongs to me. And despite my earlier bravado about Peter understanding reason, I’m not a hundred percent sure he’ll get it.

Then again, the moment Noelle and I touched last night, something changed in me.

I should care about what Peter would think, but that requires more fucks than I’m currently willing to give.