“Teya?” I smile. “Yes, absolutely.”
I reach over and twist the faucet off. My eyes drift around the space, taking in the design of the tub—wide, luxurious. A faux-wooden ledge wraps around the back edge, giving it a warm, spa-like feel. Above it, a rectangular window lets in the last blush of late afternoon light.
That’s when something shiny catches my eye near the far corner.
I reach for it without thinking, coiling the cool platinum chain into my palm—until I see the pendant.
It’s Gabriel’s.
The necklace slips from my hand, clattering against the ledge and falling silently to the floor.
I lean my hip against the tub, trying to gather myself, because I had one-hundred percent forgotten all about Gabriel.
I dip my fingers back into the water—maybe to calm down, maybe to wash away the guilt of touching something that wasn’t mine.
Someonewho wasn’t mine.
My hand accidentally brushes against Noah’s inner thigh, and I jerk back instinctively, but he’s faster. He catches my wrist and places my hand right back where it was.
“Don’t ever be afraid to touch me,” he says, firm but tender.
I squeeze my eyes shut, leaving my hand resting against his smooth-muscled thigh. The air is thick with steam and the warm, spicy scent of coconut. Noah hums in quiet contentment.
“She’s not a bad person,” he murmurs, shifting his hips just enough to send a ripple of water sloshing over the edge of the tub.
“Who?”
“Meera. She saved me, Alex. And she found you.”
I exhale sharply, jaw tightening. Frustration surges through me—I can’t let that slide.
“She never told me about you, Noah.”
“She couldn’t,” he says quietly, breathing through the heat. “It was too dangerous.”
That doesn’t sit right. Not even close. Because if she was coming to find me, then why the hell not tell me about him? Where’s the danger in that?
I yank my hand out of the water.
“Are you fucking kidding me? She’s not the good person you think she is. Did you know that she blackmailed Gabriel? Your boyfriend?” I snap, throwing the word at him like a reminder—of him, of us, of everything.
“And what about Ana? I had no idea she even existed. I didn’t even know Meera was pregnant. I had to piece together a goddamn puzzle just to learn the truth. And your sister? Shewalked out on Emilee—and on me. She left us, Noah. Without a word.”
My voice cracks, raw with anger. I slam my palm against the side of the tub, the sound echoing in the silence that follows. My anger is back.
“Is that your definition of a good person, Noah? Is it?!”
He tips his head to the side, pinning me with those clear baby blues. But they do nothing to cool the fire burning in my chest.
“A good person doesn’t walk away from their family!” I shout. “They don’t hide a pregnancy from someone they claim to love, then leave a damn treasure map of puzzle pieces just to find the truth! I didn’t even know what the fuck I was looking for!”
I pause, breath hitching. But the anger won’t stop—it’s too big now. Too heavy.
“And a good person sure as hell doesn’t blackmail the family who adopted their daughter! Elijah and Gabriel loved that little girl with everything they had. And they loved each other—deeply, fiercely. But your sister destroyed that. She ended their marriage, Noah. That’s not just a mistake. That’s not noble. That’s not what a good person does!”
Before I can say anything more, he shoots to his feet, water sloshing over the tub and soaking my pants. He barrels into me as he climbs out, reaching for a towel before stomping out of the bathroom gloriously naked. Even with fury in his step, he still manages to sway his hips like it’s second nature.
I let him go. I give him a minute to cool off. And I give myself a minute more.
