Chapter 252

Hannah

“It… It’s true,” I said, my heart pounding so hard I was sure Noah could hear it. “Last year, I died, and… When I woke up, it was three months before the event of my death. I think it was a gift from the Moon Goddess or something. I don’t know.”

There was a long, agonizing silence as Noah stared at me, his green eyes wide and unblinking.

The gentle lapping of the river against the shore seemed deafening in the quiet between us. My palms began to sweat, and I resisted the urge to wipe them on my dress, holding Noah’s gaze instead.

What was he thinking? Did he believe me? Or worse, did he think I had finally lost my mind completely? I could almost see the gears turning in his head, probably wondering if he should call for a straightjacket and a nice, cozy trip to the mental institution right then and there.

But then, to my utter shock, Noah threw his head back and began to… laugh. It started as a chuckle, a low rumble in his chest, and then it grew into a full-bodied guffaw that echoed across the water.

“Oh, Hannah,” he gasped between fits of laughter, smacking his knee with his open palm, “that’s hilarious! I didn’t know you were taking comedy classes lately.”

I blinked at him, shocked into letting out a tiny chuckle of my own. Did he really think…?

“Noah…”

He nudged me with his elbow, tears of mirth streaming down his face. “You really had me going there for a second. ‘Died and came back to life,’ that’s rich!”

My face burned red hot with embarrassment. Of course he wouldn’t believe me. Who would, aside from Viona? It sounded insane, even to my own ears, and the only reason why my best friend even believed me was because she was just as nuts as I was.

I forced another laugh, hoping it didn’t sound as hollow as it felt.

“Yeah, just an attempt at some drunken humor,” I said, trying to keep my voice light despite the agony churning in my gut. “I guess I need to work on my delivery, don’t I?”

Noah wiped his eyes, still chuckling. “Maybe stick to your day job, Alpha.”

I smiled and nodded, but inside, I was kicking myself on repeat. Idiot, idiot, idiot! Why was I so afraid to tell him the truth? He needed to know eventually. I felt like a coward, hiding behind a veil of false humor instead of being honest with the man I loved.

But I couldn’t tell him now. Not tonight. Not after… that.

In an attempt to salvage the moment, I cleared my throat. “Um… Actually, Noah, there is something serious I need to tell you about. Not a joke this time.”

His laughter subsided, his expression growing concerned as he looked over at me. “What is it?”

I took a deep breath and launched into the story about WhiteRabbit and Alvin. I told him everything—the conversation with WhiteRabbit, who was now known as Jen, the political asylum, the truth about the contraceptives ultimately boiling down to my very own cousin.

With each word, I could see Noah’s expression darkening, his jaw clenching in anger.

“That bastard,” he growled when I was finally finished. “I always knew Alvin was good for nothing, but I never expected him to do something like this.” He shook his head, dark hair falling into his eyes. “Was he working with Zoe and Scott? He had to have been.”

I shrugged, feeling utterly drained by now. “It’s possible. We don’t know for sure yet, and he asked for a lawyer right away. He’s in custody now, though, and the truth will come out eventually.”

Noah nodded, turning to face me fully. I was shocked when he suddenly gripped my hands in his, his expression intense.

“We’ll handle it together. The whole legal battle—everything. I want us to be allies in this matter, despite… everything that happened in the past.”

His words warmed me, chasing away some of the chill that had settled into my bones. “Thank you, Noah. That means a lot.”

“Of course,” he said, giving my hands one more squeeze. “I’m just glad we can have open communication about these sorts of things now.”

I nodded, guilt gnawing at my insides. The irony of those words certainly wasn’t lost on me. “Yeah... me too.”

As the waxing crescent moon rose higher into the sky and the air grew colder, Noah finally suggested we call it a night. He walked me back to where my driver was waiting, our hands brushing against each other with every other step. When we reached the car, I found myself reluctant to let the evening end.

Noah smiled softly, his eyes reflecting the amber color of the streetlights. “I had a wonderful time tonight, Hannah.”

“So did I.” I clutched the roses a little tighter to my chest with one hand. “And thank you for these.”

“You’re welcome. Goodnight, Hannah.”

He started to turn away, but before I could stop myself, I reached out and grabbed his wrist. Noah looked back at me, surprise evident on his face. My heart raced as I pulled him closer, surging forward to press my lips against his.

For a moment, Noah froze, and I feared I had made a terrible mistake. But then both of his hands came up to cup my face, and he was kissing me back with an equal passion, dipping his head for better access. His lips were soft and sweet, tasting faintly of the wine we had shared earlier.

Goddess, how I had missed this.

We kissed deeply, passionately, reverently, and the need for air was ultimately the only thing that forced us apart. Even then, we stayed close, our foreheads pressed together as we caught our breath.

“Hannah,” Noah whispered, his voice husky, “I’ve missed you more than you can know.”

I closed my eyes, savoring the feeling of his cool hands on my flushed skin. “I’ve missed you too. More than I let on.”

We stood there in silence for a few moments, Noah’s fingers gently stroking across the shell of my ear and down the back of my neck. The attraction between us was palpable, electric. Part of me wanted to throw caution to the wind and invite him back to my place, desperate to feel his body against mine, but I knew we weren’t ready for that yet.

Soon, but not tonight.

As if reading my thoughts, Noah smirked. “Even if people are calling us the ‘true star-crossed lovers’ now, I guess we should still probably take things slow.”

I chuckled. “Probably a good idea.”

“But,” he added, pulling back a bit to look at me, “I was hoping we could have another date next weekend. Maybe one with Melody this time?”

My heart swelled at the thought. “I… I’d like that.”

We shared one last, lingering kiss before I reluctantly climbed into the back seat of the car. As we pulled away, I watched Noah standing on the sidewalk, hands in his pockets, until he disappeared from view.

I bit my lip, clutching the roses to my chest, my heart skipping a beat.

…

“So you still didn’t tell him?!”

Viona was practically irate, her face red. The steaming cups of coffee between us felt like a potential weapon, like she might splash me in the face with the hot liquid for my stupidity at any moment.

I winced, knowing that I deserved every bit of her ire. “I tried, I really did!” I insisted. “But he thought I was joking, and then…”

“And then you chickened out,” Viona finished for me, shaking her head.

“I promise I will this weekend! Really!”

Viona rolled her eyes, clearly unconvinced. “Yeah, right…”