Noah's Love

Prologue

"Hi! What are you doing out here? Claire has been looking for you." She wrapped her arms around herself. It was a lot cooler by the water. She couldn't wait to get back inside. "Noah?" She questioned. His back was to her as he faced the water. She realized that if she focused on just the water and the sky, she could almost pretend like she was staring into complete oblivion. It was pitch black. The closest source of light were the soft fairy lights about ten feet behind her. She walked closer to him. "Noah?"

"You're really doing this?"

"Doing what?" She asked, even though somehow her mind immediately zeroed down on what he was referring to.

"You're really going to marry him?" His voice broke as he said it.

"Noah..." She didn't know what to say. "Yes. I am."

"Why?" He whispered, turning around to face her. "Why him?" His voice was a little louder as he repeated himself.

"Please. I can't do this here. Not now." She begged.

"Then when?!" He exclaimed loudly. He had been drinking. She knew because she could read his emotions through his eyes clearly. His usual barriers were gone. He took a step closer to her and she stepped back quickly.

"Our families are in there." She responded, and his eyes momentarily shifted back to the glass walls, where the party was behind them. Then his eyes met hers. "This can't happen now," she continued.

"Oh really?" He said bitterly. "Would you like me to wait until after you're married? Until you're his for good?"

"I am already his, Noah," she pleaded, hoping he wouldn't cause a scene. 

His jaw hardened and he took another step towards her. He grabbed her arms before she could step away. "No! You're not. Not yet. You can make this stop. You can fix this!"

"Noah,please. Let's just get back. You've had a few drinks. It'll all be fine in the morning."

He chuckled darkly. "Oh yeah? Listen to yourself, Rebecca." He shook her a little. "This isn't some stupid little problem I need to sleep off. I can't...I can't stand to see you in his arms. I can't bear the thought of him touching you. It bothers me so much that every time he looks at you I want to punch his face. Every time he lays a hand on you I want to break it. Do you understand? You're putting me through hell, Becks. You're killing me."

She started crying halfway through listening to him while trying to free herself from his grasp. "Stop. Please."

"This truth that's too hard for you to hear, I am living that truth every single fucking day and trying not lose my bloody mind!" He was so angry. It hurt her more than he would ever know. It broke her heart seeing him that way. But it was too late. She was engaged to Jordan, the man she was in love with.

"Noah. Let me go please."

He shook his head. "I can't." He lowered his face to hers. "I can't let you go."

"No, please." She turned her face away as soon as she realized what he was doing. "Stop. You can't."

He let go of one of her arms and held her face in place. "He can kiss you but I can't? He can touch you but I can't?" She placed a hand on his chest to try to push him away. 

"Noah! Let. Go!" She slapped him before he kissed her. "Stop it!" She knew that right then, she was a hot mess. How could she claim her own happiness when her best friend was struggling miserably? She took a step back, sobbing uncontrollably as she finally buckled under the weight of the events that lead them here.

"I am in love with you. So utterly in love with you, Becks," he said, looking defeated. "I am sorry if that's hard for you to hear. But I am done pretending that this is okay." He looked at her with such intensity that for a second she wanted to forget who and where she was. Her weakness might have shown on her face because he took her in his arms.

By the time she realized what was happening, he'd lowered his face to her. When his lips touched hers, her mind went right back to the first time they'd kissed. 

A second later, she snapped out of it and stepped away from him hurriedly. 

With one arm in front of her, as if to keep him away and the hand on her chest, she admitted in horror, "That shouldn't have happened."

"Yes, it shouldn't have."

Rebecca and Noah both snapped their heads in Jordan's direction, who stood there looking at them angrily.