Chapter 0407 Hannah The evening air was cool and refreshing against my heated skin as I walked Noah back out to his car. The setting sun was particularly vibrant tonight, the sky awash in almost blinding shades of pink and orange and red. It was a beautiful sight, but I found my eyes drawn to Noah instead, no matter how hard I tried not to.
He looked different somehowâsofter, younger, as if the revelations heâd had recently had added more than a few years to his life.
The lines around his mouth had softened, his eyes were more vibrant, and his hair was gently tousled, leaving behind his usual slickedâback appearance.
Relaxedâthat was what he was. At ease. Somewhat.
A bit ironic, given how the real battleâthe one involving putting Scott and Zoe behind bars and dealing with the aftermath of everything they had done over the yearsâhad only just begun.
As we reached his car, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small paper bag. âHere,â said, holding it out to him without quite meeting his eyes. âFor the drive.â
Noahâs eyebrows shot up as he took the bag from me and peered inside. The scent of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies wafted out, making even my own mouth water. âHannah, you didnât have to make these just for me...â
I felt fresh heat rise to my cheeks and quickly shook my head, pursing my lips. âI didnât bake them just for you. I made them yesterday.â It was a lie, and we both knew it. âBut I canât have the father of my child driving home on an empty stomachâit might make you drive dangerously. So just take them.â
A ghost of a smirk tugged at the corners of Noahâs lips, and I felt my blush deepen.
Obviously, I was just saying that to justify the baking, and we both knew the truthâI had wanted to do something nice for him. The cookies were fresh, probably still warm from the oven. Iâd secretly pulled them out while he was chatting with Drake and Viona in the living room, when I had said that I was taking Melody back to her crib.
âWell... Thank you, Hannah,â Noah said softly, his eyes meeting mine. âReally.â
We stood there in silence for a few moments, neither of us making the first move to speak or move away It felt awkward, yet neither of us seemed eager to say goodbye. A soft puff of white air, from the chill of the evening, escaped Noahâs lips and lingered between us for a moment before dissipating into the sky. Finally, Noah was the first to speak. âWhatâs going through your head right now?â
I sighed, wrapping my arms around myself. âI just... I still canât believe that after all this time, you were being manipulated by Zoe. I keep thinking about everything that happened, wondering how things might have been different if we had known.â I shook my head, feeling a fresh wave of anger bubble up inside of me. âI hate her for what she did. Her and Scott both. Scott especially, I canât believe-â
âTrust me,â Noah growled. âI know.â Zoe was one thing but Scott... How could he do something like that to his Alpha? To his brother?
Noahâs expression darkened then, his jaw clenching. âWell, theyâre both in custody now. Iâll be questioning them personally first thing in the morning.â His voice was low, dangerousâa stark contrast from the levity +25 BONUS Chapter 0-407 heâd been exhibiting since his revelation. âDonât worry, theyâll face justice. Neither of them will see the outside of a jail cell for a long, long time.â
I nodded, feeling a grim sense of satisfaction at his words. Any empathy or guilt Iâd felt about either of those bastards was long gone by now, and I hoped I could be there for the moment that they both officially realized that they were truly, wholly screwed.
But then Noahâs face softened, and he ran a hand through his hair.
âBut Hannah, I... Iâm to blame, too,â he said quietly. âI was cruel to you over the years. Zoe manipulating me is no excuse for how I treated you.â He reached out, hesitating for a moment before gently taking my hand. I startled slightly at the warmth of his touch, but didnât pull away.