Snowflakes In Autumn (A Novella)

Eighteen

They'd made love, Noah taking his time with every movement, every kiss, and every touch. He whispered his love for her in her ear, cupped her cheek, and left butterfly kisses against her skin. When it was over, he held her against him.

"I'm going to get fired," Noah told her as his fingers trailed down her naked back. "I was supposed to be back from my lunch break a half an hour ago. And I was forty minutes late this morning."

Faith nuzzled into his chest and gripped his side, not wanting him to go anywhere. "What did you blame this morning on?"

Noah let out a chuckle. "Told them I had a naked woman standing in front of me in my house that I couldn't pass up. Just have to tell them the same woman asked me to make love to her and it would have been ungentlemanly of me to turn her down."

"It probably wasn't great timing," Faith relented. "You were just angry, and I didn't want you to think you scared me away."

"Your mom has a habit of bringing out the absolute worst in me. I'm not ashamed of what I did. I lost my cool when I shouldn't have, but she was trying to take you away from me and I needed her to know that wouldn't be happening. If you ever leave me or this place, it needs to be because it's best for you, not because she bullied you into it."

Faith looked up only for a moment, not being able to imagine being anywhere else or with anyone else. For the first time in her life, she was blissfully happy. There were still pieces missing, but she'd collect them as time went on. But now she was finally at the stage in her life where she was looking toward the future rather than the past, while also embracing the present.

When her head rested against his chest once more, she thought back to the words her mother spoke.

what bothers me more is that you seduced one of my daughters, then let her die so you could seduce the other.

"It wasn't true, what she said about Hope. You didn't let her die."

Noah's body tighten beneath her. "She wasn't wrong either. In a way, I did. I could have tried protecting her, little snowflake, but I never would have been able to cover her completely.

"There were things I could have done differently that day. I could have hidden you behind the bookcase, or put you under the desk and gone to her, but leaving you alone and having you see all that was unfathomable. I could have let you go to your father and tried to protect Hope, but the look on your face that day... Looking back at it, I remembered thinking that I would die. It was a truth that I accepted, but couldn't accept not doing everything in my power to keep you safe. By covering you, I would have died before you and wouldn't have to see you die if I failed to save you."

Faith wiped the stray tears from her face and rested her damp hand back on his chest. She'd learned many things about herself since being here, both past and present, but wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to revisit that day. It was selfish, because she knew Noah had seen more of what happened than she had and was keeping it bottled up inside. He hadn't just cloaked her to save her life, but to shield her from the reality of what was happening in that room, and Faith couldn't be more grateful for that.

If she remembered more of that day, it would only ever be sounds, which could cause unrelenting pain, but he'd saved her from having to see her family die and wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to hear him talk about his version of what happened in its truest form.

"I want to go visit my family's graves today," Faith decided. It felt like time to see them. Enough things had been coming back to her over the last few days that it no longer felt like she'd be visiting strangers. "I'm going to tell my dad I'm in love with you, not that it will come as that big of a shock. But he'll be surprised to hear you love me back."

Noah squeezed her in arms and lifted his head ever so slightly. She could feel his eyes on her, but was too comfortable to look up. It was the first time she'd said those words to another person. "You were going to tell him before you told me?"

A grin took over Faith's face. "Of course. You can't just tell a guy you love him right away. It comes off super clingy and scares them off."

"I told you I loved you already," Noah pointed out, his voice an octave higher than usual.

"And that came off as kind of clingy and if it wasn't for the sex, I so would have bolted for the door."

Noah tickled her sides, causing her to thrash about and squeal. "Well, I got permission from him yesterday, so I'm afraid I already ruined the surprise."

Curiously beat out comfort and Faith finally met his gaze. "What did you say?"

"I was falling in love with you and planned to never let you go. Then I promised to always take care of you, no matter what my position in your life was."

"And what did he say?" Faith asked him with a smile.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Faith sat up so she was fully facing him. "Tell me."

The most natural smile took over his face. "It snowed just for a minute. Granted yesterday was cold, and it was already in the forecast, but with the timing I just took it as a sign."

So Noah had gone to her father and admitted the truth, his response being to drop little snowflakes from the sky. Faith hoped it was her father, anyhow. Although there was a sixteen year difference between them, she'd like to think her father would want her to be with the man who'd cared for her his entire life, was willing to die for her and proved as much, suffered excruciating pain when she left, and found himself again upon her return. He seemed like a kind, understanding man in the videos and in the few brief memories she'd collected of him.

"I think it was a sign. My father would have been happy to know we found our way back to each other, and happy to know I finally felt loved."

"I think so too," Noah agreed.

Noah's phone rang from the pants that were still on the ground. "I have to get back to work, little snowflake," he told before he kissed the top of her head.

She admired his naked body once more when he climbed out of bed and grabbed his ringing phone from his pocket. "I swear I'm trying not to make this into a habit."

He held his phone to his ear to a moment, then extended it out towards her. "They think I'm lying about having a woman in my life. My reputation as a closed off bachelor precedes me."

Faith accepted the phone and spoke to his boss for a minute while Noah scrambled to get dressed.