CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Standing in the back of the Kids Zone playroom at the children’s hospital, Noah watched while Jessica held a group of young kids enthralled as she read them a story. She sat on the floor with her young audience, her entire demeanor animated as she gave each character in the book a distinct voice and personality. Even Noah was captivated by her storytelling ability.
Or maybe he was just mesmerized by the woman herself, along with her generosity and selfless, giving heart, both of which he’d seen in spades the past couple of hours. After spending the last few days rekindling their romance, this morning Jessica had invited him to join her at the children’s hospital, to see for himself how his charitable donation would benefit one particular recipient of her Wishes Are Forever organization. He hadn’t been able to resist being a part of something she was so passionate about, and he was grateful for the invitation to this glimpse into her private life.
Jessica lowered her voice to imitate the sound of the gruff giant in the story, and Noah’s own chuckle mingled along with the giggles and laughter erupting from the little people sitting around her. The children allowed in the Kids Zone were the healthier ones who were on the road to recovery and would soon be released from the hospital to be with their families again. But there were other young patients who weren’t as fortunate and were confined to their rooms and beds because they either were too weak or lacked the immunity to mingle with the other sick kids.
For those more unfortunate children, Jessica had already paid each one of them a special visit in their room, where they had her undivided attention and she did her best to bring a smile to their face. Upon request, she had sung one of her most popular songs to a young boy suffering from leukemia, then shown him how to play her guitar. In another private room, she had braided the hair of a little girl who was awaiting a kidney transplant, and somewhere from the bag of gifts that Jessica had brought with her she had withdrawn a sparkly princess crown, a small tea set, and a pretty new doll. The little girl’s pale eyes had brightened with delight as the two of them enjoyed an impromptu tea party with graham crackers and apple juice. There were many more, and Jessica had treated them all as if they were friends. She had an easy, sweet way about her that drew out even the shyest of personalities—and it didn’t hurt that Jessica came bearing presents for every single child. Toys, puzzles, books, videos, and even electronic games for them to pass the time.
As she turned the page on the book, she glanced up and met Noah’s gaze from across the room. Then she sucker-punched him with a slow, intimate smile just for him before she continued her story. She looked so happy, vibrant, and beautiful—so reminiscent of the girl who’d been his high school sweetheart. The girl he’d fallen head over heels in love with.
The more time they spent together, the more comfortable they became. And as long as he didn’t bring up the past and her reasons for leaving him, everything remained fun and flirty, and very, very sexy.
It was becoming increasingly clear to Noah that for Jessica this was a temporary fling with an old flame until her concert tour began in a few weeks and she was back on the road. But for him, every moment they shared was heartfelt and real and made him crave more of her. He didn’t want a casual sexual relationship with Jessica and refused to settle for anything less than her whole heart and the truth of what had torn them apart.
Only then, with the past resolved, could they work on building a future together.
“She’s amazing with the kids, isn’t she?”
A female voice pulled him from his deep thoughts, and he glanced at the smiling nurse standing beside him, who obviously appreciated Jessica as much as the patients did.
“Yes, she is,” he agreed, not at all surprised that Jessica was so at ease with the younger ones. Way back when, he and Jessica had talked about having children when they married, and he’d always known she’d be a wonderful mother someday. Her doting nature and affectionate interaction with the sick children today proved she possessed those maternal instincts.
The nurse smiled as the kids laughed at something Jessica said to them. “Whenever she drops by the hospital, she’s like a bright ray of sunshine for those kids in an otherwise quiet and lonely day filled with shots and chemo and surgery and other unpleasant procedures. The kids absolutely adore her.”
“It’s hard not to,” Noah said, and grinned.
“True,” the woman agreed, then tipped her head curiously at him. “Jessica has been coming here for years, and she’s never brought a guy before. Are the two of you dating?”
Noah didn’t know if Jessica would classify what they were doing as dating, but he definitely did and he didn’t mind saying so. “Yes, we are.”
The nurse appeared pleased to hear that bit of news. “Well, good for her. That certainly explains the extra sparkle in her eyes and the flush on her cheeks every time she glances your way. She looks very smitten with you.”
He liked the way that sounded. And hearing it from an impartial bystander gave him hope that Jessica was letting down her guard, and her emotions, with him.
A soft beep pierced the air, and the nurse checked the pager on the waistband of her uniform, then sighed. “Duty calls. Enjoy your time with the kids today.”
“Thanks. I already am.”
The woman left the area just as Jessica finished the storybook—much to the kids’ disappointment. She spent a few more minutes giving them hugs and ruffling their hair before grabbing her guitar case and a colorful gift bag, then making her way to the back of the room, where Noah was waiting for her. He smiled as she neared, because her green eyes were bright and joyful and her complexion seemed to glow with a happiness that radiated from the inside out—just as the nurse had observed.
Today Jessica was wearing a yellow summer dress and flat white sandals. Her auburn curls fell softly down her back, and she’d applied minimal makeup to her features. Without all the flash and fanfare of being Jessica Morgan the pop star, she actually looked very young and a lot like the girl he’d known in high school.
Before everything had changed between them.
As soon as Jessica reached him, she hooked her free arm through his and guided him down a hallway and away from the Kids Zone. “Before we leave, there’s someone special I want you to meet. His name is Timmy, he’s eight years old, and he has Batten disease.”
Noah had never heard of the condition before. “What’s that?”
“It’s a disorder that affects the nervous system of a child, usually between the ages of five and ten,” she explained, her voice more somber than it had been all day. “Timmy has been in and out of the hospital over the past few months because of increasing seizures, and now he’s starting to show signs of mental impairment, too, so they’ve been putting him through a battery of tests to see how far the disease has progressed.”
“Is there a cure for this Batten disease?”
“Unfortunately, no. Statistically, the disease is often fatal by the late teens or early twenties. So, since Timmy’s condition is worsening, I decided that it’s time to grant him a wish.” She came to a stop in front of a closed door and looked up at Noah. “I know it sounds bad, but despite what Timmy is going through, he’s a cheerful, happy kid. And he’s so excited about having his wish granted.”
“What did he ask for?” Noah asked curiously.
Jessica gave him a secretive smile. “I’ll let Timmy tell you himself, since it’s the donation you made to Wishes Are Forever that’s going to fund his wish. Are you ready to meet him?”
Noah grinned back at her. “Absolutely.”
She pushed open the closed door, and he followed her into a hospital room that was situated farther away from the children’s ward. Inside, a young boy was sitting up in his bed, watching the Disney movie Toy Story on the TV mounted on the wall in front of him. At first glance, he appeared to be a perfectly normal eight-year-old, wearing blue pajamas and wire-rimmed glasses and giggling at something Woody had just said to Buzz Lightyear.
“Hey, Timmy,” Jessica said.
As soon as the little boy saw her, his eyes lit up with excitement and a big lopsided grin split across his face. “Jessica! You c-c-came to s-s-see me!” he stuttered.
“Of course I came to see you, silly boy,” she chastised in a fun-loving tone. “Today, I saved the very best visit for last. And that’s you.” After setting her guitar case and gift bag down on a nearby table, she went to Timmy’s side and gave him a warm, affectionate hug that he returned with equal adoration, though a bit clumsily.
Once the embrace ended, Jessica motioned for Noah to move closer to where she was standing by the side of the bed. “There’s someone I want you to meet,” she said, speaking slower than normal. “This is my friend Noah, and he’s the one who helped to grant you your wish.”
Up close, there were subtle things about Timmy Noah noticed that were most likely part of Batten disease. While the boy seemed physically healthy, behind the thick lenses of his glasses his eyes tended to roll back, and he twitched occasionally, as if he couldn’t control the neurological disorder.
“Hey, buddy,” Noah greeted Timmy, with a smile. “So, what did you wish for?”
Timmy’s eyes widened behind his glasses, his face expressing his enthusiasm. “I g-g-get to g-g-go to Disney World,” he said, struggling to get the words out around his stuttering. “I g-g-get to have b-b-breakfast with B-b-buzz and Woody!”
Noah chuckled at Timmy’s growing excitement. The best part for Noah was feeling a sense of pride and satisfaction that his donation had helped to give this sick boy something that meant so much to him. “Wow, that’s quite an adventure. You are so lucky!”
“Isn’t he, though?” Jessica agreed. “He gets to go with his mom and dad and his other brothers and sisters for a weeklong vacation to the happiest place on earth.”
“With B-b-buzz and W-w-woody!”
Jessica laughed and picked up the colorful gift bag she’d brought into the room with her and placed it by Timmy’s side on the bed. “So, guess what I brought for you to take to Disney World with you?”
“Toys?” Timmy asked guilelessly.
Pulling a wrapped present from the bag, Jessica placed it on Timmy’s lap for him to open. “No, something much better,” she promised.
When the boy struggled with the task of tearing off the paper, Jessica helped him unwrap the gift. Once it was uncovered, Timmy stared at the box with a confused frown, and Jessica immediately explained what it was.
“It’s a video camera,” she said, pointing to the image on the box. “That way, your mom and dad can record a video of you meeting Buzz and Woody and having fun at Disney World, and when you come back home, you can show it to me so I can see what a blast you had.”
Understanding now, Timmy grinned. “C-c-cool!”
“And this other gift is all for you.” Jessica retrieved another item from the bag, and this time she placed her hands around Timmy’s and helped him through the motions of tearing the wrapping paper away, then opening the box until the present inside was finally revealed.
Timmy released a squeal of glee as he pulled out a replica of Woody’s hat, along with the rest of the entire cowboy costume—a vest, a bandana, boots with spurs, and a shiny sheriff’s badge. Jessica settled the cowboy hat on Timmy’s head and pinned the badge on his pajama top.
Beyond happy, Timmy gave Jessica a hopeful look. “Will you guys st-t-tay and watch the r-r-rest of Toy Story with m-m-me?”
“We’d love to.” Jessica helped Timmy move over so she could sit on the bed beside him while Noah sat in a nearby chair.
They finished watching the Disney movie together, and while Noah had never seen the animated flick before, he was truly amused by the story line and laughed right along with Jessica and Timmy. But during the quieter moments Noah found himself casting surreptitious looks at Jessica, drawn to her warm and caring spirit and the ease with which she interacted with Timmy and the rest of the children in the hospital.
When the movie ended, Jessica brought out her guitar and sang a few of her songs to Timmy, until he began to yawn and his eyelids started to droop. She fluffed his pillow and tucked the bedcovers around the little boy and told him to have the best time ever in Disney World before she and Noah left Timmy’s room and headed to the parking structure where Noah had parked his car.
What amazed him the most was while many people would have walked away from a similar experience feeling sad, or despondent even, she was smiling and appeared cheerful and content. Obviously, she chose to make her visits a joyful thing and creating a fun, playful atmosphere for the children, even for a few hours, made her extremely happy.
Once she and Noah were both in the car, she reached across the console separating them and placed her hand on his arm to get his attention before he backed out of their parking spot. He met her gaze and lifted a curious brow.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
“For what?”
“For coming with me today.” She trailed her fingers along his forearm, her sensual touch raising the level of awareness between them. “There’s not many people I’d share this part of my life with because it’s very personal and it means so much to me, but I knew you’d appreciate seeing up close everything Wishes Are Forever does for those children.”
Her strolling fingers reached the back of his hand, and he turned it over so her palm slid over his, skin to skin. “Actually, what you do for them,” he corrected her, and entwined his fingers through hers.
She gave a modest shrug. “I’m just the spokesperson for the organization.”
Jessica was so much more than that, especially when it came to the kids. He loved that she’d trusted him enough to allow him to be a part of something that meant so much to her. It was a step in the right direction, a definite sign that she was gradually letting him become a part of her life again.
He glanced at the clock on the dashboard and realized that they’d been at the hospital for nearly four hours and it was past lunchtime. “I have about three more hours before I have to be at work for tonight’s shift. Would you like to grab something to eat somewhere?”
A slow, sexy smile curved her lips. “I can eat anytime.” Her voice dropped to a husky note, and she leaned across the console and nuzzled his neck. “I’d rather spend the time alone with you, at your place.”
Noah wasn’t about to turn down such a provocative invitation. He couldn’t drive home fast enough, and every excruciating mile of the way Jessica continued to seduce him with her hand stroking his thigh, her fingers grazing along the solid bulge in his pants, and her breathing hot and heavy in his ear.
By the time they arrived at his place, he was beyond aroused. Once he had her inside the house, they pulled eagerly at each other’s clothes, leaving a trail of haphazardly tossed garments all the way to his bedroom. Light laughter mingled with sultry groans as their mouths and hands touched and teased, and as soon as they were completely naked she pushed him back onto the bed and climbed on top of him, taking control.
Straddling his hips, she grasped his erection in her hand and guided it between her legs. She slid the sensitive head through her wet folds so he could feel how turned on she was before slowly, leisurely, taking every hard inch of him deep inside her body. When he was in her to the hilt, her lashes fell half-mast and a moan of utter bliss escaped her parted lips as she savored the sensation of fullness.
Splaying her hands on his stomach, she started to move, circling her hips as she slid up and down his shaft. The position afforded him the luxury of watching her and touching her…everywhere. He took her full, firm breasts in his palms and plucked at her nipples, rolling them between his fingers, lightly pinching them until they were rock hard. He skimmed his hands down her slim torso, tracing the curve of her waist with his fingers, caressing her belly, then slid his thumbs into the soft, wet flesh at the apex of her thighs.
She stared down at him, her face flushed and her eyes dark with desire as she rode him hard while he stroked her intimately, escalating her pleasure. She took him without inhibition, holding nothing back. Not her need for him and not the strong, powerful emotions he saw reflected in her gaze.
“Come for me, sweetheart,” he urged, his voice low and deep, his own body tightening and drawing closer to release with every slick slide of her sex against his. “Come for me, Jessie.”
He increased the pressure and friction of his thumbs on her clit, increased the timing of his deep, upward thrusts, and felt her start to unravel and let go. Her head fell back, and her wild spiral curls spilled over her shoulders like a cloud of silk, making her look like a stunning goddess. The hot core of her gripped him tight, then pulsed around his cock as she gave herself over to an unbridled climax.
“Noah…,” she said on a long drawn-out moan.
His name on her lips as she came was the sweetest thing he’d ever heard and sent him over the edge right along with her. Grasping her hips in his hands, he held her in place and drove into her one last time, high and hard, and growled deep in his throat as his own release ripped through him.
She collapsed on top of him in a boneless heap, soft and warm and sated. Welcoming her slight weight, he wrapped his arm around her and held her close, feeling the wild beat of her heart against his chest and the gradual slowing of her breath along his neck.
The moment was sublime, absolutely perfect, and he didn’t want to let her go.
After a while, she moved off of him and stretched like a lazy, content cat. He rolled to his side and grinned down at her, enjoying the flush of satisfaction on her skin and her lack of modesty with him.
When she was done, she blinked up at him and caught him watching her. “What are you smiling about?”
Unable to help himself, he skimmed a finger over one of her nipples, which immediately puckered at his touch. “I’m just thinking about what a lucky guy I am to get to sleep with the Jessica Morgan.” He waggled his brows at her.
She laughed, the husky sound soft and intimate between them. “Yeah, well, don’t let it go to your head, mister.”
He’d been teasing her, and he suddenly grew serious, because he wanted her to know that what she did for a living made no difference to him. “The thing is, you’re not the Jessica Morgan to me. You’re still just Jessie, the girl I met in high school. That won’t ever change.”
“I don’t ever want it to.” Her eyes shone with an unmistakable honesty. “It’s hard to know who your real friends are in this business, and you’re one of the few that knew me before I became this international pop star.”
He didn’t miss her reference to them being friends and decided to pick his battles carefully. “But there’s a lot I don’t know about you now.” He knew he was traveling into dangerous territory, the past, but it had to be done.
Deliberately, he traced the thin white line of a five-inch scar where it marred her otherwise-perfect skin across the top of her pubic bone, and felt her stiffen in response. He’d seen the mark before, but there had never been a good time to ask about it…until now.
“Like this scar right here. That’s new to me,” he said gently as he stared down at her, thrown off by the rise of panic he saw in her eyes. But it wasn’t enough to dissuade him. “What happened, Jessie?”
“It’s nothing.” Visibly upset, she pushed his hand away and rushed off the bed.
Judging by her reaction, the reasons behind the scar were anything but insignificant. Calmly he said, “If it’s nothing, then tell me what happened.”
When she realized that her clothes were scattered somewhere in the other room, she went straight for his dresser and rummaged through his drawers until she found one of his gray T-shirts. She pulled it over her head, and once she had all her curves covered up she turned to face him again, her chin lifted defiantly. “Don’t you need to get ready for work?”
Clearly, she wanted to avoid the discussion. He didn’t. “Not for another hour,” he said, and slid from the bed.
Warily, she watched as he crossed the room, her entire demeanor now guarded. “How about lunch, then? Are you hungry?”
“I can eat anytime,” he said, using the same words she had just a while ago.
Besides, since he knew they were on the precipice of something huge, something that would possibly explain her past behavior, the last thing on his mind was food. And if there was any chance of them having a real, lasting relationship, he wanted everything out in the open so they could deal with it and move forward.
Finding a pair of cotton sweatpants, he pulled them on and faced her again, prepared to pursue this issue until he got the answers he needed. “This is more important, Jessie.”
“It’s really none of your business.”
“Yeah, well, I’m making it my business,” he said with just as much determination.
Arms crossed over her chest, she glared at him. For a moment he fully expected her to storm out of the bedroom in her refusal to talk, but instead a combination of resolve and purpose flashed in her gaze.
“You’re right,” she stated, her tone still tinged with anger. “This is important.”
Despite their being only feet apart physically, emotionally Noah felt as though a mile separated them. Something in her eyes went cold, and even before she spoke his gut tightened with a sense of unease.
“The scar is from an ectopic pregnancy,” she said, her tone flat and perfunctory, as if she were discussing something as mundane as the weather. “The fetus ruptured the fallopian tube, and I had an emergency hysterectomy to remove my left ovary and uterus, and that’s what left a scar.”
The only word his mind latched onto was pregnancy. She’d been pregnant. His mind reeled at the revelation, even as his heart squeezed at the loss she’d suffered.
“When?” he asked, already tormenting himself with thoughts of Jessica being with another man, getting pregnant by another man. But he’d started this conversation, and he knew he wouldn’t be satisfied until he had all the excruciating details. “When did this happen?”
She swallowed hard. “A few months after you left for college,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
The timeline hit him like a freight train, knocking the breath from his lungs. “Jesus, Jessie.” Still stunned by her confession, he scrubbed a hand along his jaw, trying to process everything. “Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant? I should have been there for you, especially if there were problems!”
She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again the depths brimmed with such pain and regret. “Because it wasn’t your baby.”
Another blow, but this time it destroyed him on a personal level. He stared at her, his mind warring between disbelief and outrage as he battled the sense of betrayal crushing his chest. “You slept with someone else right after I left for college?” His voice sounded like he’d swallowed crushed gravel.
Tears filled her eyes, and she pressed trembling fingers to her lips.
“Dammit, Jessica, answer me!” he demanded furiously. “I deserve to know the truth. All of it.”
Turning pale, Jessica backed up until her legs hit the bed, and she sat down on the mattress. Unable to meet his gaze, she blinked, and tears rolled down her cheeks. “I…I was raped.”
Her voice was so soft and low, Noah thought he’d misheard her. But there was no mistaking the pain etching her features or the agony that radiated off her.
“My mother’s much younger boyfriend at the time, Boyd, was the one who assaulted me,” she continued without any more prompting from Noah, though she still wouldn’t look at him. “I’d been laying out by the pool that day, and afterward, when I came walking through the house to head up to my bedroom, he was in the living room just sitting on the couch. My mother wasn’t home, but she’d given Boyd a key, and he started coming on to me. The things he said to me were so crude…” Her voice trailed off, and she visibly shuddered.
Noah swore beneath his breath. He could only imagine how difficult it was for her to relive that terrifying day, and he attempted to stop her. “Jessie, you don’t have to finish.”
“Yes, I do.” Now that her secret was out, she seemingly wanted to purge herself of the terrifying incident. “When he cornered me and started getting physically aggressive, I fought as hard as I could to get away from him, but he was much bigger and stronger than me, and it was so easy for him to pin me down on the couch and tear my bathing suit off.”
She didn’t give him the details of what happened next, but Noah’s own mind easily filled in the blanks. He clenched his hands into fists at his sides, feeling so damn helpless hearing all this years after the fact.
She swiped away the moisture on her face and drew a deep breath. “Just as he was done, my mother walked in, saw me half-naked on the couch and Boyd pulling his pants back on, and freaked out. Boyd told her that I’d instigated the whole thing and came on to him, and, of course, my mother believed him. After calling me some horrible names and blaming me for everything wrong in her life, she slapped me hard, then kicked me out of the house.” Absently Jessica pressed her palm to her cheek, as if remembering the sting of her mother’s hand.
Noah always knew that Jessica’s mother was pure evil and that the two had never had a loving mother–daughter relationship, but it was unfathomable to him that any parent would treat a child so viciously. He sat down next to Jessica on the bed and took her hand in his to offer his silent support.
Finally, she looked at him. Her eyes were dry but puffy, and she looked so young and vulnerable, just as she’d undoubtedly been that day. “At the time, the only place I could think of to go to was Zoe’s in Los Angeles, and that’s where I went. I was so devastated by what had happened, and a part of me wondered if maybe I had done something to provoke him. Emotionally, I withdrew from everything and everyone. The guilt and shame were overwhelming, and I just couldn’t bring myself to tell you that another man…that I was raped.”
Noah wasn’t a psychologist, but it made sense to him that she’d suffered from some kind of post-traumatic stress disorder after the assault, which would account for her embarrassment, emotional retreat, and inability to reach out to him.
“I didn’t even know I was pregnant until the night I started hemorrhaging and had these sharp, excruciating pains in my belly.” She paused for a moment, her free hand traveling to her stomach. “Zoe rushed me to the hospital, where I was diagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy. By the time the doctors got me into surgery, the fetus had already ruptured the fallopian tube, damaging my uterus and leaving the surgeon with no option than to give me an emergency hysterectomy. I can never have children.”
“God, Jessie. I’m so sorry.” Paltry words for everything she’d lost. The ache in Noah’s chest expanded, a part of him grieving for what they’d lost as a couple, all their hopes and dreams for an idyllic future stolen from them both in a cruel twist of fate. No wonder she never wanted him to know.
She stood up, disconnecting their clasped hands as she stepped away, clearly putting distance between them—emotionally and physically. “So, now you know everything, and it’s about time for you to go to work.”
Heading off to the nightclub for the evening was the last thing Noah wanted to do right now, because he instinctively knew that once he took Jessica home and gave her time alone he was going to lose her for good. He could already feel her pushing him away, evading him, and her reaction frustrated the hell out of him.
Moving to his feet, he slowly crossed to where she stood and gently tucked an errant curl behind her ear. “What happened in the past, as horrible as it was, wasn’t your fault, Jessie. And it certainly doesn’t mean the end of us now.”
She crossed her arms over her chest in a protective, guarded gesture. “Did you not hear the part about me not being able to have children? That’s something that will never change.”
“I know,” he said, wishing he had the power to undo the damage that was already done, for both of their sakes. He didn’t, of course, but he wasn’t willing to let her go so easily, either. “We can work through this together, if you just give us the chance.”
She shook her head, those soft curls of hers framing her somber expression. “You might feel that way now, but in time my inability to give you the life you want, the life we both talked about having together, will matter, and you’ll come to resent me and the situation.” She sounded certain.
“You don’t know that.” He was equally sure.
“It’s my biggest fear, Noah, which is why I’m making the decision to end things now, so you’ll never be in the position where you’ll have to make that choice yourself, or possibly stay with me out of some kind of misplaced obligation.” She shifted on her bare feet, a sad smile on her lips. “I gave you what you wanted…answers about the past and why I left you the way I did, so now you need to move on with your life. One day you’ll be grateful that I let you go so you can find a woman who can give you everything you want in life. And everything you deserve.”
He clenched his jaw and exhaled a deep, calming breath. She thought she was doing him some kind of a favor, and the conviction in her voice told him just how serious she was, how deeply she believed that she wasn’t good enough for him because of everything that had happened to her.
With effort, he tamped down his anger and reminded himself that Jessica had spent years with these skewed thoughts and her distorted perception of herself as a woman. She honestly believed what she was saying, and Noah was at a loss as to what he could do to prove her wrong about him, about them, when she wouldn’t even give the two of them a chance.
She released a weary sigh and dragged her fingers through her hair, pulling the soft strands away from her face. “I’ve really enjoyed this time with you, Noah, but I have my career to think about, and an upcoming tour, and the truth is, I just don’t have the time for any kind of relationship right now, anyway.”
Her emotionless brush-off after everything they’d shared chafed his hide, and he responded without couching his words. “That’s a load of bullshit, and you know it.”
She flinched at his straightforward assessment but didn’t argue his point.
Noah saw her excuses for what they were, and while he wanted to force her to acknowledge that the relationship between the two of them was more than just a passing fling, he knew her issues went so much deeper than one quick discussion could fix.
She turned away, effectively putting an end to the heated conversation. “I need to get dressed, and so do you. I’ll wait for you out in the living room,” she said; then she was gone.
Knowing it would do absolutely no good to follow her when she was so unwilling to compromise in any way, Noah admitted defeat for now.
He took a quick shower and changed for work, and in silence he drove Jessica to her complex. He brought the car to a stop in front of the main doors to the building, and she leaned across the console and gave him a too-chaste kiss on his cheek. As if every intimate moment they’d shared the past few weeks had never happened.
“Good-bye, Noah,” she said, the look in her eyes bittersweet.
“No, this isn’t good-bye, Jessie,” he refuted, his voice vibrating with determination. “I’m not letting you go this time.”
She shook her head. “It’s not your choice.”
Before he could say anything more, she stepped out of the car, shut the door, and walked away. It took every bit of willpower he possessed to let her go with so many issues unresolved between them.
She was wrong, and he wasn’t about to give up on them without a fight. Despite everything he’d learned today, from the awful rape to her being unable to have the children they’d both wanted so badly together, he loved Jessica enough to work through any obstacles thrown in their path.
Now he just had to figure out a way to convince her that what the two of them shared was rare, precious, and lasting. Because living without her for the rest of his life wasn’t an option for him.