Heartbeat

Chapter 13.

— Aria's POV —

Noah met my mom soon after my appointment - we got Tacobell like planned and with how emotional the day was I invited him home rather than staying out any longer - and to say they hit it off would be an understatement.

I'm convinced my mom loves him more than she does me, and although I'm not ready for my siblings to know about us or the baby, he's been around my house almost every day since, my mom constantly pestering him with something new each day.

I try my hardest to keep them apart, I don't trust my mom in the slightest. I feel like if I leave for even a second she'll bring out the family picture album, and I just find it so unnecessary for him to see me sat in the sink naked as a child with a bowl cut that could kill.

So, when I hear him in the kitchen with my mom when I didn't even notice he'd arrived, I panic.

"Noah, would you like me to fix you a sandwich? I bet you're starving." I hear my mother in the kitchen as I step downstairs, and my eyes instantly widen as I stop in my tracks.

"Mom!" I rush into the kitchen and there they are together in front of me. Noah's sat at the island, and mom is looking through the kitchen cabinets. "Can you please not force feed him? We're about to grab dinner."

"Fine, fine." She mumbles, and I smile at the guy that sits in front of me.

"Hello, you." I look down at him, his hands instantly resting at my hips. "You look handsome."

"And you look..." He's speechless, and I can't help but smile at that. He's so cute when he's flustered. "You look beautiful."

"You ready to get some food?" I check, and he hums, getting up from his seat. "Mom, I've got my key, don't wait up."

"Be careful, and Noah." Mom says, and he stops in his tracks, turning round to her. "Be good to my daughter, don't hurt her."

"Oh, jesus christ." I mumble under my breath. I cannot believe her sometimes, she's unbelievable. "We're leaving."

It's been two weeks since I told mom about my pregnancy, she's been really good, and even though I've told her not to, she's started getting some little bits for the nursery. Me and Noah have yet to even discuss living plans once peanut gets here, I think it's far too early since we've only just started dating, so it was an awfully awkward topic to hit us at full speed when mom showed us a rocking chair she'd seen.

Since the scan, I have felt much better mentally. I have a slight scare every now and again, worrying that something could go wrong, but with Noah by my side, he's made it so much easier. He's so easy to talk to and he knows exactly what to say when I'm panicking - he knows exactly what I need to calm me down.

I couldn't have thanked him enough for what he's done for me the past few weeks, so I invited him out on a date to just show him exactly how grateful I am for him.

Tonight, we're going to a restaurant. It's far from fancy, but it definitely isn't casual, so I was more than happy to come down to the kitchen, seeing Noah in a suit, this time wearing the matching pants to the jacket rather than jeans.

I'm wearing a white skin tight dress which if people looked closely hugs my bump perfectly, and I paired it with some silver heals. I know by the time the night is over, I'll be walking barefoot, but I wanted to wear my heels out one last time before my ankles swell too much that I can't wear them.