Jyn

I’m outside this door, but I still haven’t knocked. I don’t want to knock, but I know I have to. Noah needs me to, and I’m a strong woman. I can do this.

“Are you going to stand out here all day?” Darcy asks, swinging the door open.

“Maybe.”

“I’m not evil, you know.”

“She is! She just hides it well,” Brayden yells from behind her.

“Shut it, Crown!”

“Just being honest.”

“Is this a bad time?” I manage to ask.

“No.”

“Can I come in?”

“Does Noah know you’re here?”

“Nope.”

“The plot thickens,” she says, stepping back and gesturing for me to step inside.

“We took Cari to see your mom today.”

The smug smile drops from her face. “What happened?”

“She recognized Noah, and then all of a sudden, she didn’t. She thought the baby was you, and he was trying to steal you.”

“God, no.”

“He’s a mess, Darcy, and I don’t know how to help him. He hasn’t let go of Cari, and it’s almost time for her to eat. But, I don’t want to take her from him. He won’t let me comfort him. Please help.”

“Let’s go.”

“I’ll bring dinner over once it’s done since the recipe I made could feed an army,” Brayden tells her, coming out of the kitchen to hug her. “It’s going to be okay, Cat.”

“He might need you more than me.”

“I’ll be there if he does.”

“Thank you both,” I tell them.

Darcy reaches for my hand, and squeezes it. We hold hands through the hallway, and down in the elevator. When we get to my apartment, she squares her shoulders, and uses her other hand to open the door.

“Darce? What are you doing here?”

“Can’t I just drop in to see my niece?”

“Oh yeah. Sure,” he tells her, and then sees me behind her. “Or not.”

“I didn’t know what to do,” I tell him, hating the way he’s looking at me.

“I guess I should be happy my heartache is bringing the two of you together.”

“Really, Noah? I didn’t know you liked to play the pity card so well.”

“Yeah well, we both know you don’t really know me, Darce.”

She opens and closes her mouth a few times, trying to come up with a reply. For a moment, I think she might leave, and I wouldn’t blame her one bit if she did. Instead, she blows out a breath, and looks him in the eye.

“I thought we were past this, but apparently, you’re still holding onto your anger at me leaving you. Regardless, you need me right now, and I would like to be here for you. No one else understands what you went through today.”

“I’m sorry,” he tells her, standing up, and pulling her into a hug. “Please stay.”

“I’ll feed Cari, and put her down for a nap,” I say, moving to the carrier on the couch.

Noah was rocking her when we walked in, but I can tell she’s getting ready to yell. She hasn’t been fed for a couple of hours, and she might need to be changed, too.

Darcy gives me a smile as I walk out of the room, but Noah won’t look at me. I’m not sorry I brought Darcy here, because he needs to talk to someone. If he’s going to be mad at me now, so be it.

Once we’re in her room with the door closed, I set her carrier next to the rocking chair, and pick her up. She’s wet, so changing her is my first priority. Feeding comes next, and after a good burp, I rock her to sleep. Putting her in her crib, I finally let myself feel the exhaustion I’ve been keeping at bay, and curl up on the chair for my own nap.

I don’t know how long I’m asleep for, but I come awake to soft kisses all over my face. “Hey, beautiful. Bray brought over dinner if you’re hungry.”

“I could eat.”

“I’ll grab Cari if you want to wash up.”

“Okay.”

I stretch my body, and twist my head back and forth to get the crick out of my neck. I’m almost out of the room when his voice stops me. “Thank you, Jyn.”

“You’re welcome.”

I splash some water on my face, and straighten out my ponytail, before joining everyone in the dining room. The lasagna on the table looks delicious, and my stomach rumbles a little just from the smell.

“Thanks for bringing dinner, Brayden.”

“My pleasure.”

Noah stands, and holds out the chair next to his for me. As I sit, he leans down, and places a kiss on the top of my head. It’s sweet and tender, and gives me hope we’ll be okay. I want him to be okay, but I also want that for us.

* * *

Noah

Darcy and I had a talk I needed to have with her. We’ve talked about her leaving, and hiding our mother from the man who wanted to destroy us all, but I’ve never been totally honest with her. She hasn’t been honest, either. Both of us have been hurting for years, but trying to spare each other the pain we know our words would cause.

Today was about being honest, and wounding each other, then putting ourselves back together. She now understands how angry and confused I was to lose my family, and be thrust into a royal household I knew nothing about. And I know how jealous she still is of the time Bray and Jen had with me while she was trying to save us all. We both sacrificed so much, and today we realized holding on to hurt and anger was going to keep us from truly being happy in the future. We have the present, and the future; that’s what’s important.

Bray, Darcy, and I joke with each other throughout dinner, but Jyn is quiet. She speaks when spoken to, and she cleans her plate, but I know she’s feeling left out.

“I can’t wait to show you the island, Jyn.”

“I’m sure it’s beautiful.”

“It really is,” Darcy agrees. “And the people are so wonderful.”

“Sounds great.”

“I rented an apartment for us,” I tell her.

“You don’t have a house there?”

“No. I was using Jen’s, but she’ll want to stay there with Wayne. I didn’t think you’d want to stay at the castle, but if you do, there’s room.”

“It’s up to you.”

“We’ve been telling too many inside jokes tonight, haven’t we?” Bray asks, and I shoot him a grateful smile.

“A little, maybe.”

“Why didn’t you tell us to shut up?” Darcy asks her.

“That wouldn’t exactly be polite.”

“You don’t need to be polite around family.”

“Around mine, I do.”

“Are they coming for the Christening? I’m sorry Mari had something come up, and couldn’t be here for Cari’s birth.”

It was a weird situation, because I know Mari was excited to come back for the birth, and all Jyn would tell me is that she an obligation she couldn’t get out of. That, and her parents were also obligated to be somewhere else. I have so many questions, but I don’t feel comfortable asking her about them. I should, but I don’t.

“Um, no. I didn’t invite them.”

“Even Mari?”

“If Mari came, my parents would come as well, and I’m not ready to see them.”

“Were they abusive?” Darcy asks, and I love seeing her angry on Jyn’s behalf.

“Not physically, but they tried to make me into something I don’t want to be. When they realized I wouldn’t give in, they cut off all contact—and support. Mari was allowed to still talk to me, but I don’t think that’s the case any longer.”

“Allowed?”

“Yes.”

“Your family is wealthy?” Bray asks her.

“Extremely.”

“You’ve never told me any of this,” I remind her.

“There’s no point, as I won’t change my mind about what they want, and they won’t accept me unless I do.”

“They wouldn’t even want to see Cari?”

“Oh, they would, but only to try and mold her into what they couldn’t make me become.”

“You know I’m here to protect both of you. No one’s going to force you to do anything you don’t want to do.”

“I know, and I appreciate it.”

Darcy and Bray leave soon after. Jyn feeds Cari again, and I change her, and put her down again. I’m hoping dinner wiped her out a little, but if not, I’ll at least have a couple of hours with her mother.

“I stopped to see Kenny when I was at C&C to meet with Matt yesterday,” I tell her, moving her ponytail aside so I can nibble on her neck as she picks out a nightgown from her dresser.

“About?”

“What I could safely do to you while we wait for it to be okay for me to be inside of you again.”

“Oh?”

“Let me show you.”

I toss her nightgown to the floor, and pick her up. Once she’s laid out on the bed, I drink in the sight of her for just a moment. We’ve both been so busy with adjusting to our new life, and I haven’t just looked at her like this in a long time.

“You’re make me self-conscious.”

“You’re beautiful, and I’ve neglected you.”

Before she can say another word, I brace myself on my forearms over her, and kiss her until we’re both breathless. I trail my mouth over her jaw, and down to her neck, nudging aside her t-shirt to suck on her shoulder.

“Noah,” she breathes out, as I suck harder, leaving a mark.

“Let me take care of you tonight.”

She nods, and I sit back so I can undress her. I look at her full breasts, and resist the urge to suck on her enlarged nipples. I’m not into having a mouthful of breast milk, so I settle for kissing all around the nipples, before moving lower down her body.

She’s been doing some Kendrick approved exercises, but her stomach is still slightly rounded, and I love it. I kiss across it, from one side to another as she arches under me.

Pausing with my mouth above where she’s now neatly shaved, I inhale the scent of her arousal, and then I dive in. I want to be slow and romantic, but I can’t. I lick and suck at her like a man who’s been starved for over a month, because that’s exactly what I am. I focus on her clit, because I know she’s still tender lower, but I kiss and lick lightly at her opening as well.

It doesn’t take long to bring her to the edge, and I suck a little harder, taking her over. She turns her face into a pillow, and bites down to muffle her scream. I want to hear my name on her lips, but I know this will all be over if we wake up Cari. I work her through the orgasm and into another, before she pulls my head off her, and slides down to kiss me.

“That was magnificent.”

“I’ve missed the taste of you, and how you look when I make you come.”

“Your turn,” she says, reaching for my jeans.

“No. You don’t have to.”

“Oh, believe me, I want to. I love having you in my mouth, but I didn’t know how to ask.”

“Ask? You don’t have to ask to do that.”

“Now that we’re on the same page, get those jeans off.”

The next two hours are spent pleasuring each other over and over again, culminating in an epic shower session. I can’t wait for the green light to be able to make love to Jyn, but this is definitely not a bad consolation prize. We’ve been through so much in such a short time, and we both needed a night of pleasure.