-Noah-
Present time. Manhattan, New York.
I wake up to the beaming sunlight seeping through my curtains.
"Good morning." I hear Bella say beside me. "Good morning." I say back.
"How did you sleep?" She asks. "The real question is how did you sleep after last night?" I let my fingers move around her naked body.
I hear her take in a deep breath as I lower my hand.
Her hand stops mine before I have the chance to touch anywhere else.
"I'm hungry." "You're also boring." I say. I lift myself off the bed
I lock the bathroom door and freshman myself in the mirror.
I open the bathroom cabinet under the sink and see a pregnancy test fall from behind.
Is this Bella's? No. I've always used protection between us and she's on birth control.
The test has 2 red lines displaying in front of me. No. Please no.
I quickly open the bathroom door and rush out. Bella is no where to be found in my bedroom.
The door to my bedroom is open, meaning she must've left.
I run downstairs, making me feet make huge thumps against the floor.
"Calm down you monster!" I hear her voice yell.
I lock eyes with Bella while she drinks a glass of water.
"Is this yours?" I frantically ask while I told up a positive pregnancy test.
Her eyes switch between the test and me. "Do you really think that's mine?" "Who else could it be Bella?" "One of your hoes." She drops her cup in the sink and stands in front of me guarded.
"Cut the bullshit." "I wouldn't doubt it, especially with the kind of history you have." Ouch. No ones ever done that. Not even... never mind.
"Is it yours or not?" I ask again. "It's not mine Noah! Go ask that bitch you used to sleep with if you wanna be a dad so much!" She yells.
I grab Bella's wrist and hold her in place. "I don't care what you say about anyone, but calling Maya a 'bitch' will never come out of your mouth again. Do you understand me?" I say directly to her face.
"After 2 years, nothings changed." She pulls her wrist away and walks upstairs.
I throw the pregnancy test on the kitchen island. I don't want to be dad. Liar. You do, just not with her.
I smack my head from the ridiculous thought in my head.
"Who did you knock up this time?" Elena asks while she looks at the pregnancy test. "I don't know." "It's not Bella's?" I shake my head.
"Maybe it's..." Elena's voice fade away. "Maybe it's who's?" "Never mind it was stupid." She says. "Elena tell me!"
"Maybe it's Maya's." That isn't possible, right? Well you did stop using condoms with her after a while. But she would've told me. She also left you so what do you expect?
"It's just a thought, don't think too much of it." Elena says while she flicks a finger against my forehead. "Right." I slowly say, rubbing my head.
I spend the rest of the day working in my office. As much as I hate it, I can't get the thought out of my head.
I hear my phone ring beside me. "Hello?" I answer. "Hello handsome." I hear Santiago say into the phone.
"How have you been?" I ask. "Life's been okay, but that's not why I called."
I look around the room to focus on his words. "Me and Chloe moved our wedding to Saturday. This Saturday." I tap my pen against my desk. "Isn't that a bit early?" I ask.
"No! I'm ready to marry her now." I chuckle at Santi's eager response.
"Okay man. I'll be there." "I hope so." The way Santiago says his words make me question. Stop it, he's just being weird.
"Is Bella coming?" Santiago asks me. "More than likely." I say low. "That didn't sound very convincing."
I lean back in my chair and take in a deep breath. "I don't know man. Being with her doesn't feel right." "So you're saying for 2 years you've been faking it?"
"No... I don't know." I rub my forehead as a headache slowly comes over me. "I think you forced yourself to like her. Have you ever told her you love her?"
Hell no!
"Not yet." "Yet?" I stay silent for a minute before I speak again.
"I don't think I do." "Then that answers your question."
"I guess." I say. "Maybe it wasn't right. I need to go but don't keep forcing yourself to love someone who you know you can't."
Santiago hangs up the phone call and I sit in the silent office.
He's right. I shouldn't be forcing myself to this. I did this to myself but I did it out of desperation.
I was desperate. I needed a distraction. I know it was wrong but I can't change the past, only the future.
Alone or not, Bella isn't going to be there.
Thank you for reading today's chapter.
I can't wait to write Noah and Maya's meet soon! It'll be so cute but also very frustrating and you'll all probably hate me! <3
I hope you enjoyed today's chapter. Stay healthy and safe, I love you babes. -R. <3