Before I could react, a drop of ice cream slid down the side of my pinky, threatening to stain my ceremonial robe. Suddenly, Drake’s hand shot out, catching my wrist. In one swift motion, he leaned in and licked the melting ice cream from my hand.Our eyes met as he pulled back, and I felt my breath
Hannah“Is that so?”I froze, my heart skipping a beat as I heard Noah’s voice behind us. How much of that had he heard? Enough, apparently, to warrant saying something. Viona and I turned slowly, both of us caught off guard by his sudden appearance.“Noah,” I said, my voice a bit hoarse. The sensat
HannahThe sudden downpour of rain caught everyone, myself and Noah included, off guard. Gasping, I stumbled backwards beneath the onslaught of cold water, my mouth hanging open. Even Noah’s eyes went wide as he took in the scene around us, his hair already plastered to his head.Within seconds, the
The venom in her words gave me pause. “I didn’t take you as the religious type,” I said, furrowing my brow.Zoe simply shrugged. “I’m not, really. But rain wasn’t in the forecast today, and now for it to start downpouring like this out of nowhere…”Her voice trailed off meaningfully. I opened and cl
Hannah & NoahHannah’s POVA younger Noah and Zoe stared up at me from the faded old photographs, joyous smiles plastered across their youthful faces. I hadn’t seen Noah smile like that in… I couldn’t even remember how long. Years.And he had offered this, a memory of that joy that he had never trul
Noah opened his mouth to say something, but then shut it again. His jaw clenched tightly as he turned and stormed out, slamming the door shut behind him. The sound made me wince, my arms wrapping around myself in a protective gesture.It was only once he was gone that I let out a breath I hadn’t rea
HannahTaking a deep breath, I dove beneath the surface of the water, the world above me growing muffled and distant. My hands reached out as I dove down, down, down…Finally, my fingers met the bottom of the little pond, stirring up tiny clouds of dust and silt that swirled around my fingers. Small
Hannah & NoahHannah’s POVDrake’s hand found my waist as we began to move to the music. His touch was light, almost hesitant, as if he—Drake, the supposed playboy and womanizer—couldn’t believe that this was happening.“You look... stunning,” he said, his eyes roaming over my red dress. “Not that y
“Almost done…” she murmured, leaning in with a touch of gloss for my lips. I couldn’t help but laugh at how serious she looked, as if I were some delicate art piece she was trying to perfect. Finally, she stepped back with a smile. “There. Now, the dress.” Amber was already at my side, helping m
Hannah The next morning, I woke with a flutter in my stomach that had nothing to do with morning sickness. Sunlight filtered softly through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the room. I blinked up at the ceiling, letting that first realization sink in. It was the day of our wedding. In le
Hannah Mornings had gotten louder since Melody learned to walk. And she wasn’t just walking—she was trying to run, arms flapping and her chubby legs barely holding her up as she went. This morning, she seemed to be hell bent on dashing down the hallway as Noah tried to brush his teeth and I hunted
I laughed, hoping it sounded more natural than I felt. “Hey, I can spoil you once in a while if I want. Just because it’s a Thursday doesn’t mean I can’t surprise you.” We chatted about our day as we ate, filling each other in on all the usual things. But every so often, his eyes would flicker to
Hannah My hands shook a little as I straightened the delicate flower crown over Melody’s soft hair, adjusting it so the petals framed her tiny face just right. She blinked up at me with those wide, innocent eyes, slapping her hands contentedly on the top of her high chair. I smiled as I ran my f
Hannah By the time we stepped out of the ring, it felt as if my entire body was on fire. Every muscle seemed to be taut, every heartbeat one thump away from shifting. I couldn’t tell if I wanted to run circles around the building or maybe tear up the walls like a caged animal. What was wrong wit
Hannah For what felt like the hundredth time that morning, I sidestepped Drake’s punch with ease, narrowly dodging his hook. Training with him had become an obsession of mine lately. He’d pushed me in ways I hadn’t expected, helping me learn how to use my speed and endurance instead of relying on
Noah pushed himself harder, letting out a playful howl as he gained on her, the hunt pulsing through his veins like a drug. She glanced back, her ears twitching, and he saw her eyes flash with excitement before she put on an extra burst of speed. It became a game of cat and mouse, each of them pus
Noah For the millionth time that morning, Noah’s gaze drifted from the stack of papers on his desk to the stretch of forest that was visible through the office window. The afternoon light filtered through the trees, casting that familiar, deep green hue over the landscape. Just seeing the expans