Chapter 129

Hannah

I hesitated for a moment before sinking into the chair across from Noah. His eyes followed me the entire way, his jaw clenched tight. The tension in the room was palpable, and I could feel my heart racing in my chest.

“So,” Noah began, his voice low and surprisingly controlled, “do you want to explain to me why you thought it was okay to trick Zoe like that?”

I swallowed hard, my fingers fidgeting in my lap. “Noah, I—”

“A job opportunity, Hannah? Really?” he blurted out before I could finish. He leaned forward, his green eyes blazing with a fiery intensity that made me shrink back ever so slightly. “Do you have any idea how hurt she is?”

I bit my lip, guilt churning in my stomach despite myself. “Look, I know it wasn’t right, but—”

“But what?” Noah snapped, cutting me off. “What could possibly justify this? Zoe has never said or done anything to hurt you.”

My mouth hung open. For a moment, I wanted to say what was on my mind: that she had. Just by trying to steal my husband away—

But no. I stopped myself in the middle of that thought, knowing that it wasn’t the full truth. Maybe she was trying to steal my husband away, but Noah was just as much to blame.

Taking a deep breath, I decided to come clean about the real reason behind why I had done what I had done. There was no point in hiding it now. “I promised Drake I would help him get a date with Zoe in exchange for his training,” I said. “He wants her back.”

Noah’s eyes widened for a moment, then narrowed dangerously. “You did what?” he hissed, his voice barely more than a whisper. “So not only did you trick Zoe, but you’re also scheming with Drake behind my back?”

“It’s not like that,” I protested, feeling my own anger rising. “Drake has been a good friend, and he wants to get back with Zoe. In exchange for training—and everything else he has done for me—I promised to set up a date.”

“And you thought that would justify the way you manipulated Zoe?” Noah stood up abruptly, pacing the room. His footsteps echoed in the tense silence, each step causing me to flinch. “I can’t believe this. I’m furious with both of you, but I’m more furious with you. I can’t believe you would trick Zoe into going on a date with someone.”

Those words gave me pause, and as I watched him pace, a thought struck me then. His reaction seemed... excessive. Almost personal. The pieces started to fall into place in my mind, taking root like a seed.

“Noah,” I said slowly, carefully choosing my words, “why are you really so upset about this? Is it because you’re worried about Zoe, or…” I paused, steeling myself for his reaction. “Or is it because you don’t want her to date someone else?”

Noah whirled around instantly, his face flushed. “That’s ridiculous, Hannah. You’re being absurd. And vindictive.”

“Am I?” I stood up and pressed my hands into my hips, meeting his gaze. “Because it seems like you’re awfully invested in Zoe’s love life.”

Noah’s jaw clenched, a muscle twitching in his cheek. He stared at me incredulously for a moment before shaking his head and muttering, “I’m leaving. This conversation is over. Throwing around baseless accusations like that…”

But as he tried to brush past me, I stepped in front of him and blocked his path. My heart was pounding beneath his towering form, but I stood my ground and curled my upper lip back ever so slightly. “My accusations aren’t baseless, Noah,” I said, my voice barely more than a growl. “I know what you two have been up to.”

Noah’s eyebrows raised, a challenge in his eyes. “Oh yeah? And what would that be?”

I took a deep breath, knowing that what I was about to say could either reveal something that I didn’t want to know or just piss him off even further. “I saw you and Zoe talking after the pageant,” I finally muttered. “You seemed... intimate. And you lied about being with her that day. You said you were mingling, but you weren’t.”

The color drained from Noah’s face. He took a step back, his eyes darting away from mine. “It... it was nothing. You misunderstood.”

“Did I?” I pressed, feeling a mixture of anger and hurt bubbling up inside of me. “Because it sure didn’t look like nothing. What were you really talking about, Noah?”

For a long moment, Noah was silent. I could almost see his whirling thoughts playing out on his face. The silence stretched between us, thick and heavy. Finally, he sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

“It’s not what you think,” he said, lowering his voice as though not wanting to be overheard, even though we were home alone. “Zoe is in a difficult situation. Her parents... they won’t return Adam to her unless she gets a job.”

I blinked, confusion replacing my anger. “What? Why?”

Noah ran a hand through his hair, a telltale gesture I had seen him do countless times before when he was stressed. “They think she’s not responsible enough to care for Adam on her own. That’s why she’s been looking so hard for work lately. And that’s why…” he trailed off, shaking his head.

When he finally regained his voice, his eyes met mine. “And that’s why she’s in so much pain after what you two did—why she came to me to tell me what happened. She thought she might finally have a lead on a job, a chance to get her son back. And it was a trick.”

The weight of his words hit me like a punch to the gut. I sank back into the chair, my head spinning. “I… I had no idea,” I whispered, suddenly feeling like the biggest, most royal asshole to have ever walked the planet.

Noah nodded, his expression softening slightly—but only slightly. “I know you didn’t, because you never think to ask about stuff like this,” he said with a sigh. “And now, because you did this, Zoe is hurt and humiliated.”

I buried my face in my hands. To think that Zoe had her son taken from her, and I had twisted the knife in the proverbial wound... “Goddess, I’m such a jerk,” I muttered into my palms. “I never meant to cause her more pain. I just thought that if she and Drake could go on one date, then…”

My voice trailed off painfully; I couldn’t bear to utter the truth.

That if she and Drake went on a date and reconciled, then maybe, just maybe, Noah wouldn’t leave me for her like I knew he would.

Noah was silent for a moment, then said, “You should go apologize to her. In person.”

I looked up at him, seeing the seriousness in his eyes. He was right, of course. I had royally screwed up, and Zoe deserved a face-to-face apology. Despite everything, she was in a tough situation—and I had only made matters worse.

“You’re right,” I said, my voice hoarse. “I’ll talk to her tomorrow.”

Noah nodded, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. “Good. She deserves that much.”

With that, Noah turned on his heel and left. I didn’t move a muscle until I heard the front door open and shut followed by the rumble of his car pulling out of the driveway, and even then, I only sank even further down into my chair.

He was right; I had to apologize to Zoe.