The muscles in his shoulders visibly tensed. “I watched you battle against the worst memory of your life and I watched you win. Make no mistake, Echo. I battled right beside you. You need to find some trust in me … in us.”
Noah inhaled and slowly let the air out. His stance softened and so did his voice. “If you’re scared, tell me. If you need to cry and scream, then do it. And you sure as hell don’t walk away from us because you think it would be better for me. Here’s the reality, Echo: I want to be by your side. If you want to go to the mall stark naked so you can show the world your scars, then let me hold your hand. If you want to see your mom, then tell me that, too. I may not always understand, but damn, baby, I’ll try.”
I stared at him and he stared at me. The air between us grew heavy with the weight of our next unsaid words.
“Okay,” I said.
He closed his eyes for a second, the tension draining from his face. “Okay.”
My heart pounded in my chest. Did this mean we were back together? I wanted it to mean that, but the ground beneath me felt unstable. Maybe we’d be okay if we could just be us again. “Stark naked?”
“We all have dreams, Echo.” The right side of his mouth tipped up. “You know, there’s a bed here and the door’s already closed. It’d be a damn shame not to take advantage of the situation.”
I laughed and the action took me off guard, but, oh, it felt good.
Noah didn’t walk, he stalked and I loved the mischievous glint in his eye when he stalked me. He placed his hands on my hips and nuzzled my hair. “I love the way you smell.”
“Thanks.” Heat flushed my cheeks and I blew out a breath. So much had changed in twenty-four hours. “Why did you give up your brothers?”
Noah stroked his fingers through my curls, gently pulling on them in tantalizing movements. “Because they love Carrie and Joe and living with them is what’s best.”
Unable to stop myself, I caressed the rough stubble on his cheeks. “But you love them.”
His smile became forced and a muscle clenched in his jaw. “I’ll still be a part of their lives. A big part. I’m not going to lie, it hurts like hell, but I’m honestly relieved. I can go to college. I can decide my own future.”
I swallowed and tried to reign in the mutant pterodactyls having a roller derby in my stomach as I dared to think about a future for the two of us. The moment Aires’ car rumbled beneath me, I’d known that I needed Noah in my life. Aires’ death had left a gaping hole in my heart. I thought all I needed was that car to run. Wrong. A car would never fill the emptiness, but love could. “I hope your future includes me. I mean, someone has to continue to kick your butt in pool.”
Noah laughed as he snagged his fingers around my belt loops and dragged me closer. “I was letting you win.”
“Please.” His eyes had about fallen out of his head when I’d sunk a couple of balls off the break. “You were losing. Badly.” I wondered if he also reveled in the warmth of being this close again.
“Then I guess I’ll have to keep you around. For good. You’ll be useful during a hustle.” He lowered his forehead to mine and his brown eyes, which had been laughing seconds ago, darkened as he got serious. “I have a lot I want to say to you. A lot I want to apologize for.”
“Me, too.” And I touched his cheek again, this time letting my fingers take their time. Noah wanted me, for good. “But can we hash it all out some other time? I’m sort of talked out and I’ve still gotta go see my dad. Do you think we can just take it on faith right now that I want you, you want me, and we’ll figure out the happy ending part later?”
His lips curved into a sexy smile and I became lost in him. “I love you, Echo Emerson.”
I whispered the words as he brought his lips to mine. “Forever.”
Echo
Noah held my hand and my bag as he escorted me to the third floor—the Women’s Pavilion. The elevator bell rang and the doors opened.
“Jesus, Echo, circulation in my hand would be a good thing,” said Noah.
“Sorry.” I tried to let go, but Noah kept his fingers linked with mine.
We walked down the hallway and passed women strolling slowly with their husbands, balloon-and flower-filled rooms, and the nurse’s station. At the end of the hall, I paused right outside the room I’d been told was Ashley’s.
“Do you want me to come in?” he asked.
I shook my head. “She might be breast-feeding.” Plus I didn’t need an audience for this.
Noah tensed. “Too much information. I’ll be in the waiting room.”
“All right.”
He kissed my lips softly. “Text me and I’ll be here in a heartbeat, breast-feeding or not.”
“Thanks.”
Noah waited until I stepped into the room before he retreated. No ordinary room for Ashley. My father had upgraded to the private room with full spa bathroom, leather couches, wood floors and flat-screen television. He and Ashley were giggling over something when I stepped inside. “Hi.”
Ashley stretched out on the inclined hospital bed with my father right beside her. His arm was draped over her shoulder. There was no sign of the constant worry lines on my father’s face. His gray eyes shone as he looked down at the bundled baby she held in her arms.
They stopped laughing and Dad sat up on the bed. “Echo. Are you okay? Do you need me?”
My foot tapped against the floor. Nausea roiled deep inside. I’d had no idea how badly seeing the replacement child would hurt. “I’m fine. Am I interrupting something? Because if so I could go, because I know that you just had a baby and all …”
“No.” Ashley’s blue eyes softened. “You’re not interrupting anything, Echo. Please come in. I’m sorry I couldn’t be with you last night, but … well … I was sort of preoccupied.”
“Yeah. It’s fine. You had a baby. I think that sort of trumps—” Watching me have a breakdown.