Maria.

We got to his room, and the moment the door closed behind us, Noah didn’t give me a chance to think. He caught my hand and tugged me forward, pulling me down with him until I was seated on the edge of the bed. The mattress dipped under our combined weight, soft and warm, and suddenly the space felt smaller, too intimate, too quiet.

Before I could protest, he shifted closer and pointed at his lips, his finger hovering right over the faint bruise forming there. He didn’t say a word, just looked at me with those eyes, hopeful, teasing, a little too familiar. I sighed softly, already knowing I had no choice. Resisting him had never been my strongest skill.

"Honestly," I murmured, leaning closer despite myself.

He reached for the small balm on the bedside table and placed it carefully in my hands, his fingers brushing mine for a brief second longer than necessary. The contact sent a strange flutter through my chest. I opened the balm slowly, the faint scent rising between us, and lifted my hand toward his face.

As soon as I touched his lips, he flinched dramatically, sucking in a sharp breath.

"Ouch! It hurts," he said, wincing, his cheeks flushing almost instantly.

I paused, narrowing my eyes at him. That blush was too quick. Too theatrical.

"You’re acting," I accused softly.

He looked away, lips twitching, which only confirmed it. The sight melted something inside me anyway. No matter how many years passed, Noah still had that same boyish charm, the kind that made it impossible to stay annoyed.

Shaking my head, I deliberately pressed harder right on the spot of his injury.

He let out a surprised sound before bursting into laughter, falling back slightly on the bed as his shoulders shook. "Hey! That actually hurt... a little," he added, still laughing.

"Serves you right," I said, though I was smiling now too.

"Still as wicked as ever," he teased, eyes sparkling as he looked up at me.

"I know, right?" I replied lightly, regaining my composure as I continued applying the balm with more care this time.

My focus stayed on his lips, on the slow movement of my fingers, on the way his breathing changed, on how he stopped laughing and went completely still. The playful air between us softened into something quieter, heavier. I could feel his gaze on me now, steady and intent.

Then he leaned closer.

I froze.

His breath brushed against my skin, warm and slow, sending a shiver down my spine. The distance between us vanished so quickly it made my head spin. I could feel the heat of him, smell his familiar scent, feel the faint rise and fall of his chest.

If I moved even the slightest bit, our lips would touch.

My hand hovered uselessly near his mouth, the balm forgotten. Time seemed to stretch, the silence growing loud in my ears. I was suddenly too aware of everything, how close we were, how my heart was racing, how his eyes dropped briefly to my lips before lifting back to mine.

He didn’t move any closer, didn’t rush it. He just stayed there, letting the moment linger, letting the tension coil tightly between us.

For a heartbeat, neither of us breathed.

And in that fragile space, balanced between laughter and something far more dangerous, I realized how thin the line was, how one small movement could change everything.

"Noah..." I managed to mutter, my voice barely a whisper, fragile and unsteady. The sound of his name seemed to dissolve in the space between us.

He reacted instantly.

His hand came up, warm and firm, covering my lips before another word could escape. "Ssshhhhh," he murmured softly, his voice low, almost reverent. His thumb brushed gently across my lower lip, slow and deliberate, as if he was memorizing the shape of my mouth. "Don’t say a word," he continued, his eyes darkening as they searched mine. "Just allow me to feel you."

My breath hitched. I went completely still, afraid that even the smallest movement would betray how his touch was unraveling me. I tried to steady myself, to lock away the reaction curling in my chest, but it was useless. His fingers moved from my lips, tracing a feather-light path along my jaw, down the sensitive skin of my neck. Each place he touched seemed to ignite beneath his hand.

He stepped closer.

There was barely any space left between our bodies now. I could feel the heat of him, the quiet strength in his presence, the familiar scent that made my thoughts blur. My heart pounded so loudly I was sure he could hear it.

Then, in a careless moment, the balm slipped from my fingers.

It fell to the floor with a soft thud, the sound startling in the silence. I barely noticed it. My hands hung uselessly at my sides, my mind struggling to keep up with what was happening.

"Noah... I..." I tried again, desperate to ground myself in words, but they failed me.

He didn’t let me finish.

His face dipped, and before I could react, his lips were at my neck. The kiss was gentle, almost cautious, as if he was asking permission even as he took it. My breath came out in a shaky exhale, my body betraying me despite my effort to stay composed. He kissed me again, lingering just a second longer this time, sending a tremor through me that I couldn’t suppress.

"Maria..." he breathed against my skin, his voice thick with emotion. He pulled back slightly, just enough for me to see his face, his eyes burning with something raw and unguarded. "Can you please leave with me?" he asked, the words tumbling out like a confession he’d been holding in for too long. "I promise to treat you right. I promise I’ll give you everything."

Before I could even begin to respond, he leaned in again.

His lips captured mine, stealing the breath right out of my lungs. The kiss was deeper this time, more urgent, as though he was afraid I might disappear if he pulled away. My hands curled into his shirt instinctively, my mind spinning as he kissed me with a mixture of desperation and tenderness that left no room for doubt.

"I love you, Maria," he whispered against my lips, his words slipping between kisses. "I will always love you."

He finally pulled back, just enough to look at me. His forehead rested against mine, his eyes locked onto my own, searching, pleading. "Give me a chance," he said softly. "Just one chance to prove my love for you." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

I couldn’t speak.

I was completely dumbfounded.

I didn’t know what I was supposed to feel. My heart was racing, my body still humming from his touch, yet my mind was tangled in confusion. Noah’s kisses were different. They weren’t overwhelming or consuming the way the quadruplets’ had been. His were gentle, filled with emotion, careful in a way that felt... human.

And yet, something was missing.

There wasn’t that sharp pull, that unexplainable force that yanked at my soul. No invisible thread tying us together, no bond screaming inside me. Was that why? Was it simply the absence of a bond that made everything feel softer, quieter?

The thought should have unsettled me.

But it didn’t.

Because regardless of everything, regardless of confusion, doubt, and unanswered questions, I didn’t care. Not in this moment. All I knew was that he was here, looking at me like I was his entire world, offering me something real, something chosen.

I still didn’t give him an answer.

Instead, I leaned in.

I closed the distance between us and pressed my lips to his without hesitation, claiming the kiss before fear or logic could stop me. For a heartbeat, he froze in shock, clearly not expecting it.

Then he responded.

His arms came around me, pulling me closer as he took over the kiss, deepening it with a certainty that made my knees weak. The hesitation vanished, replaced by a quiet intensity, as if he had been waiting for this exact moment.

I let him.

I let go.

In that instant, words lost all meaning. Every sentence I might have formed dissolved before it could take shape, slipping away as though it had never existed at all. Doubt, hesitation, every carefully built wall in my mind faded into the background, drowned out by something far more real. By the way his lips moved against mine, slow, certain, unrelenting. By the way his hands held me, firm yet careful, as if he feared that loosening his grip for even a second might make me disappear.

The world narrowed to that single moment, to the quiet heat between us, to the unspoken promise carried in his touch. Nothing else pressed in. Nothing else demanded attention.

For the first time in a long while, I stopped thinking about what should be, about consequences or reasons or endings. I let go of the questions that usually haunted me.

I only felt what was, raw, immediate, undeniable.