Just Pretend

Chapter 40 - It's You

Noah quickly pulls off his shirt stuffing it between my legs to stop the liquid from getting everywhere.

"Fuck baby." Noah chuckles sitting on the bed, he then pulls me up towards him seating me between his legs. I lean back onto his bare chest his arms still firmly wrapped around me.

"Yeah fuck." I sigh crossing my legs as Noah kisses the top of my head.

"I love you Margo." He whispers into my ear.

"I love you Noah. You have no idea how fucking much."

                                               *

"Margooo, will you take me to school!" Isla bolts into my childhood bedroom waking me up instantly. Noah's arm is wrapped around me holding me to his bare chest.

I pull the duvet up around us covering our naked bodies as Isla jumps onto the bed.

"Shhh Isla, Noah's asleep. Go downstairs and grab some breakfast with Granny and Grandad then I'll take you to school baby." I whisper as Noah slowly peels open his eyes.

"Noah's not asleep anymore." He grumbles making Isla giggle.

"See ya at breakfast sleepyheads." She squeals jumping down off of the bed and running out the bedroom slamming the door behind her.

"You can stay in bed babe you don't need to get up yet. Enjoy a last day lay in." I kiss Noah quickly as I get out of bed pulling on a pair of joggers and an oversized night top.

"No I'll come, it's our last day let's get breakfast." Noah replies as he pulls himself out of bed quickly getting dressed into some shorts and a hoodie.

We head down for breakfast where Isla, Rowan, Rose and my Grandparents are already seated eating eggs and toast.

"Morning you two. How are you?" My grandad asks as I gesture for Noah to take a seat whilst I fill up two mugs with tea and a dash of milk bringing it back to the table for us.

"Good thank you. Yourselves?" I reply brushing my hair out of my face as I take a seat at the table next to Noah and Rose handing Noah his tea.

"Very well. I thought we could head out for some lunch while Rose and Isla are in school today. What do you think?" My Grandad asks kindly.

"Sure, that sounds great." Noah replies with a smile.

"Lovely. We might need to take the two cars if your friends fancy coming along but I'm sure Margo doesn't mind being designated driver." My grandad winks at me from behind his glasses.

"We can figure something out. I said I'd take Isla to school this morning so I'll drop Rose off at nursery on the way." I smile swiping a slice of toast off the plate in the middle of the table and hand it to Noah, then grabbing a second slice for myself.

"Och, that'd be lovely. Noah can see your old school." My grandma smiles at Noah as he bites into his toast.
"Right girls come on, let's go get ready for school." My grandma stands shooing the girls out the kitchen following them out of the room.

"Margo love, will you be back to visit soon?" My grandad asks his voice small.

"Hopefully grandad. Maybe Christmas time." I tell him sipping my tea. I hear Noah huff next to me as he rests his hand on my thigh. I can't help but notice the look of disappointment on my grandads face at my reply.

"Mar..." Noah whispers and I know that he's reminding me about their Europe tour in the Summer.

"Right we better go and get ready for taking the girls to school." I say then draining my mug of tea then leaving the kitchen, Noah following closely behind me.

"Why didn't you say you'd come back?" Noah asks closing the bedroom door behind him.

"I might not in the summer. I already said Noah..." I gently remind him. "I don't want to take advantage of your kindness. It's not fair on you or the boys. Also you know what I'm like when we go away I always put my work on hold and I don't want to fall behind schedule."

"Margo that would be over a month of us not seeing each other." Noah tells me as I start to get changed. "Mar..." he wraps his arms around me spinning me around to face him. I look up at him, his eyes pleading me. "Please." He whispers before kissing me so lightly on my forehead.

"Maybe..." I mutter back a reply.

"But no longer a no?" I can hear the hope in his voice.

"No longer a no but it's not a yes."

"I can do with no longer a no."

                                                 *

"Right come on girls. Let's go." I say parking the car outside the school.

"I hate school." Isla mutters to Noah as I open my door and run around to open the door for the girls, picking up Rose out of her car seat with Isla sliding out the car right behind her. "Come on Noah you need to see my school." Isla tells Noah and he reluctantly gets out the car Isla immediately taking his hand in hers.

I listen as Isla tells Noah about her school and what classes she likes and what ones she doesn't as we walk up to the nursery. I ring the buzzer for the door and it opens almost instantly.

"Good Morning Rose! Are you excited for today?" Her nursery teacher asks, Rose quickly nods back. "Lovely! Go and hang up your things and change your shoes. Today is going to be a fun day!" She winks at Rose who waves goodbye then runs through to her classmates. "It's nice to see you Margo. How are you doing?" Roses teacher asks kindly.

"I'm good thank you. Yourself?" I reply keeping it short knowing her teacher is the village gossip.

"I'm very well. How's L.A treating you?" She presses quickly glancing at Noah making me laugh at her poor attempt of subtleness.

"Good, we actually head back on a super early flight tomorrow morning. Well, I better get this one to school. It was lovely to see you." I smile and join Isla and Noah as we begin the walk to the other side of the school for Isla.

"She seems... nice?" Noah questions his answer and I suppress a laugh.

"Yeah. Nice. She's a wee gossip so it's best to not tell her too much." I explain to Noah who nods. "You'll be village news by tomorrow morning." I tell Noah earning a laugh as we reach Isla's school playground.

"Bye bye guys!" Isla squeals hugging us quickly then running off into the playground to hang out with her friends without giving us a second thought.

"So you went to school here?" Noah asks taking my hand as we walk back to the car.

"I did, yeah. It's a lovely school but I hated growing up in the village. Every tiny bit of information spreads like wildfire. I swear some people knew I got my period before I fucking did." I say making Noah laugh.

"So L.A has one over on your village?" He confirms.

"Definitely. I won't be moving back here any time soon." I giggle as we get into the car.

"It is beautiful here though." Noah tells me and I shrug.

"Yeah it's gorgeous but it's not home."

"Where's home?" Noah asks cautiously and I need a minute to think it over. He looks out the car window as I start up the car.

"I don't think it's a place anymore... at least not a building or even an area code. I think you're my home Noah. Where ever you are is where I feel safe, where I feel comfort, where I know I'm protected... it's you."