𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝

Chapter Twenty-Two

"Ok, I won't. We...yes, we had sex," I replied, sitting back in my chair and looking around the restaurant to see if anyone overheard me. I wasn't going to mention that the bruises didn't come from hickeys though.

Maria sighed, chewing on the inside of her cheek. "But Bella—"

"It was just sex," I interrupted her, knowing full well that I was lying to her and myself. No matter how much I wanted to ignore it, there was something between me and Noah. Something that probably had been bubbling under the surface, disguising itself as hate and loathing.

"Well, this is perfect," she said, clapping in her hands.

"Uhm..."

"You can use him to break his heart for a change."

I swallowed hard, wondering how the fuck I was going to change her image of Noah. Because mine had already been altered, making a full one-eighty.

"I guess," I mumbled, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Finally, some payback. Make him fall in love with you, and then—" she snapped her fingers, "—you'll break him."

I forced out a chuckle, grateful for our waiter when he came to collect our plates and ask if we wanted a dessert.

"Oh! Yes, I need chocolate," Maria moaned, completely distracted as she received a menu.

We didn't stay long after we finished dinner, and with nerves swarming my stomach, I unlocked the front door when I came home.

It would be the first time Noah and I would see each other after last night, and I had no idea what to expect. Would he regret it? Tell me it was a one-time thing?

I jumped when the door opened, and my brother appeared.

He seemed equally surprised to see me—almost like I caught him doing something illegal—but he gave me a quick smile and walked away.

"Uhm..." I trailed off, watching him get in his car.

He gave me a final wave while he drove off, and I shrugged before getting into the house. He's a grown man, he can do whatever he wants.

"Hi," I heard softly when I walked into the living room, and I looked up at Noah. He was sitting on the couch, nursing a cold beer and staring at the television.

"Hi," I replied, dropping my keys on the dinner table and getting a glass of water from the kitchen.

I didn't have to look to know that he followed me, and I slowly turned around, placing my water on the counter behind me.

"I just wanted to say—" Noah started, and I already didn't like where this was going.

"It meant nothing?" I filled in, my voice calm but my heart thumping loudly in my chest. Some part of me didn't expect it, the rest did. But I was still disappointed.

However, he surprised me. "No, it did."

I quickly looked up, staring into those mesmerizing green eyes. "But..."

"It can't happen again." He shifted on his feet, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Why not?" I questioned softly, looking at my shoes because I knew for a fact that my face had turned bright red.

Noah sighed, leaning back against the wall. "I just can't do it. I don't want you to get hurt, and—"

"I won't," I quickly said, taking a step in his direction. I had no idea what I was doing but I was like I had no control over my body anymore.

"You won't?" He closed the distance between us and gently grabbed my jaw, turning my head to the left to reveal my neck. "Look what I did to you."

I placed my hand over his, feeling an ache in my chest because of the painful look on his face.

"I...did people hurt you in prison?" I blurted out, asking the question that had been on my mind for weeks now.

He frowned, letting me go and taking a step back.

"No."

It was a very firm answer, and if I wasn't so intoxicated by him, it would've scared me. No, what scared me was that he got hurt another way, maybe a worse way.

He slouched back against the wall, and I walked up to him, placing a hand on his cheek.

"Whatever it is," I said softly, tracing the contours of his face. "It will get better."

He didn't respond. His eyes dropped to the floor, or my neck—I couldn't tell.

When he looked back up, I leaned in, ready to take what I had been craving all day, but before our lips touched, the doorbell rang.

I huffed, quickly letting Noah go. "I'll get it."

As I turned to the front door, I saw him run his hands over his face.

Who would be at the door at this hour?

When I opened it, I came face to face with a woman I had never seen in my life. Her green eyes were surrounded by fine lines and they looked tired, yet I could still see a little sparkle in them.

Brown locks were cut into a long bob, and her lips were painted a bright pink.

"Uhm, hello," I said, wondering what this total stranger was doing at the house in the middle of the night.

"Hi, is this Noah's house?" she asked, tucking her hair behind her ears.

"Leah?" Noah said from behind me, and I frowned.

So did the woman, who narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh, don't call me that, I'm your mother."