Natalie
I wake up to the sound of music and stretch in bed while blinking in confusion. Someone is singing along. Noah?
Smiling, I take my blanket and enter the kitchen.
Noah is standing there in only his boxer briefs. His muscular backside is turned toward me, and I can see the veins moving as he dances to the rhythm of the music. His peachy ass is jiggling, and I take a deep breath.
Somehow I'm not interested in eating whatever is in that pan but dreaming of going down on my knees and biting his ass instead...
"Oh," Noah turns around, grinning at me while holding a spatula in his hand. He looks gorgeous and adds. "I went for a run earlier and thought I should make us breakfast."
I get nervous seeing him smile. It induces butterflies, but I try to remain calm, and my joy grows when I notice Emma is in the kitchen. She is lying in her stroller without a care in the world.
"You went to the store?" I ask as I approach our daughter. Her curious eyes land on mine while her pacifier is in her mouth.
"Yes, and I bought baby food too," Noah tells me. "Emma likes the bottle ones, right?"
"She loves them, especially the spaghetti one," I tell him. "It was very nice of you to buy her baby food. Those things aren't cheap when you have to buy so many."
Noah doesn't say anything.
He silently studies me while arranging our plates. There is this barrier between us now, and I don't know how to remove it. It makes sadness fall over my heart.
I take a seat by the table, and Noah gives me my plate. He places down his too and then stands in front of me without saying a word. It prompts laughter from my lips.
"What are you doing?" I ask.
Noah's reply is to bend down and look me in the eyes. Time stops, and I hold my breath while Ember Island's version of "Umbrella" plays in the background. Those sweet lyrics bring tears to my eyes, but Noah kisses me when I try to avert my gaze.
His tongue meets mine, and heat spreads over my skin like a fire.
The passion behind our lips is sizzling in the air. Noah might not remember me, but I swear his body does. He molds to my lips like clay and makes doves spread their wings inside my chest.
Each nibble is laced with promise, filling me with images from the past. I never want to stop kissing Noah, but every minute breaks my soul and makes me like him more. How am I supposed to forget him after this? Every little piece of resistance is met and conquered until I'm soaring over the edge of sweet surrender.
Noah breaks our kiss much too soon. My expectant gaze lands on his beautiful ocean-blue eyes. His lips twitch in amusement, and soft laughter rings in my ears.
"Why are you crying?" Noah questions, seemingly entertained by my reaction. "Were I that bad?"
"No..." I shake my head, smiling. "It was perfect."
He pauses. Gentleness is washing over his features, and he leans in again, bopping my cheek with a quick kiss.
"I'm glad."
My cheek is burning when he leans back. I touch the area, enthralled by Noah, who takes a seat. He digs into his bacon and nods at my place with playfulness in his gaze.
"Aren't you going to eat?"
"Yes!" I laugh at him. "I was just a bit distracted."
His lips curve further. "You're adorable."
"Maybe now, but I wasn't always this way," I fill my mouth with bacon. "I was ferocious in the past and hard to get to know. Natalie of the past was a fortress with alligators in the water around it."
Noah snorts. "Is that so?"
"Mhm, you changed things by being so stubborn and curious about getting to know me."
Noah grimaces. "It still haunts me hearing people talk about me. My identity is broken, and I no longer know who I am."
"Your memories might not be intact," I give him a smile from the bottom of my pounding heart. "But you're the same person."
He lifts a skeptical eyebrow. "Is that so?"
"Yup!"
His face grows distant. "Then who is Noah Parker?"
I don't have to think long about this answer. Noah is on my mind a lot, and I know precisely what answer to give. Hopefully, it will remove that frown from his face and make him smile.
I want to make Noah happy.
"Noah is a kind soul, the type of guy who would give his umbrella to a stranger if He noticed they had a cold. He makes people laugh, and his charming, flirting personality is hard to resist. It makes him popular with the ladies."
"Is that why you like him?" Noah asks, looking me up and down with a hard-to-read expression.
I breathe a laugh, smiling wider. "No, I love Noah because he is observant and took the time to know me. You brought me to restaurants to cheer me up and hugged me when I needed it. And now you're here, cooking me breakfast to put a smile on my face."
Noah freezes. His eyes widen, and I laugh at his priceless expression. He appears so shocked like he never expected this answer from me. It frightens me because I'm not sure if I've said too much.
Regardless, I intend on finishing my declaration of love.
I have to, or my soul won't get rest.
No other man will touch me like Noah, and he deserves to know that nothing much has changed. Except for his feelings for me that are no longer there.
But that kiss and our sex is giving me hope.
Perhaps a happy ending isn't so far away after all?
"You're still the same person," I tell him. "Sure, you might remember anything, but you're still the same warm soul. No matter what, you will always make my heart smile."
Noah is staring at me. "Natalie, I—..."
I interrupt him by laughing. My heart is cracking into a million pieces. But I didn't tell Noah all of this because I expected Noah to feel the same way. I just wanted him to know.
"You don't have to say anything," my smile is painful yet necessary for this conversation. "I understand that you don't feel the same way about me, yet I thought you should know how I feel. Perhaps knowing that I'm still in love with you will give you some self-confidence? And if I'm lucky, maybe it will make you smile."