Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she scrambled to retrieve it. When she saw the text from Noah, everything stopped.
Why didn’t u tell me you had a daughter? I heard from my ex, of all people. The only thing I asked for was honesty.
She didn’t know what to say back in a text, so she called him instead from the kitchen. Her pulse quickened. What if he picked up? What was she going to say? Her throat closed, hearing it go right to voicemail.
“Hey, it’s Noah. You know what to do.”
She heard the beep and took a deep breath. “Hi, it’s me.” She paused. “I’m so sorry, Noah. I know there is no excuse for not telling you about Daisy sooner. I was going to tell you the other night. I don’t know why I didn’t. Being with you made me feel things I’ve never felt before. And I was afraid …” She heard a single beep, alerting her that the recording time had expired.
Panic set in, and an overwhelming sense of dread washed over her. She had more to say, but wasn’t sure if she should call back andleave another message or if the last one had actually been recorded. “Ugh,” she whisper-shouted. The linoleum floor was getting a workout the last few days. She paced and bit her cuticle, trying to decide if finishing her thought was more important than looking like a stalker.
It most certainly was. She dialed his number while saying a silent prayer. She wasn’t a desperate person, but the fear of being misunderstood sent her into a tizzy.Please pick up, please pick up, Noah.It clicked, then an automated message filled her ears. “This mailbox is full and cannot accept new messages.”
A stifled scream gurgled in her throat. Then she centered herself with a few deep breaths and texted him.
Noah, I’m sorry. All I can say is I was going to tell you. I guess a part of me was afraid it would scare you off. Call me back and I’ll tell you why. Your voicemail is full.
What more could she say? He was either going to forgive her or walk away. It felt like a game of chess, and it was his move now.
CHAPTER TWENTY
July 21
Dahlia sat on the porch, waiting for the time to pass until she drove to meet Kara in East Hampton. Ready to go in her floral strapless maxi dress, she still questioned whether going out was the right thing to do. But another night at home would feel like a prison sentence since she still hadn’t spoken to Noah or heard from Charles Halston. So here she was, in a pair of wedge sandals in hopes of a happy distraction.
Lil’s wicker chair rocked her back and forth. There was a tightness in Dahlia’s chest that could only come from bearing responsibility for someone else’s pain. She glanced at Noah’s text for the twentieth time, which still felt like a dagger to her heart.
Despite having solid reasons for withholding the details of her daughter, she still felt like an awful human. She cared about Noah in a way that was unique from every other relationship in her life. He felt like a kindred spirit tethered to her soul. Their connection was raw and organic, like it came from the earth. Or maybe it was thesky, she didn’t know. All she knew was that this was unlike anything she had ever felt before. And this couldn’t be how it would end.
A few gnats hovered in the stagnant air as Dahlia hung onto every detail of the bathroom incident with his ex. If she had to do it over again, she would have still stood up for herself, even if it came at a price. Josie had obviously done a little digging herself and wanted one thing: revenge. You only go to those lengths if you’re ripe with envy. She watched the speck-like insects, wondering what else Josie was capable of and if Dahlia should walk away. Despite having all morning to stew about it, her jaw was still clenched. Her heart, on the other hand, was hollow. Being misunderstood was the worst feeling. In her fifteen-year marriage to Spence, she’d often thought they spoke different languages, she English and he a fictional language to suit his larger-than-life ego. After a while, she stopped trying to communicate her feelings because it never changed anything. She didn’t want that fate for her and Noah, but in the back of her mind, she heard a faint whisper. And it said,You’re undeserving.
Dahlia glanced at the new screens and couldn’t help but think of Noah fixing them. How hot it had been that day, and how incredibly sexy he’d looked in his tight jeans dancing to Springsteen. She felt like a coward and, in hindsight, should have told him sooner. What was she so afraid of? He’s been the best thing about this summer. All her reasons for withholding the truth suddenly seemed selfish.
Dahlia looked up at the ceiling fan, trying to dry her wet eyes. She dabbed the corners with her fingers. She’d actually put on makeup and mascara, and there was no way she would ruin that, not even for Noah Sterling.
And with that, she reached for her phone and called Kara.
It rang a few times before Kara picked up. “Kara’s party hotline. Is there someone in need of a good time? If so, I’m your girl!” Kara said in a bubbly phone operator tone.
“Ha, very funny.”
“I may have missed my calling. What’s your ETA?”
“I was going to leave in a few,” she said, letting out a long breath.
“Are you Ubering?”
“No, I’m driving Betty.”
Kara groaned.
“What? Are you embarrassed or something?” Dahlia’s voice flattened.
“God, no. I don’t care what these rich people think of me or you. But I don’t want a last-minute call saying she won’t start. Ya hear me?”
“Yeah, yeah.” Kara knew her so well.
“Any word from McHandy?” Kara delicately asked.
