Mitch and Noah

Mitch~ Love

The change in not only Noah's expression, but his body language, as he sauntered back with a dazed look into the car, had Mitch instantly worried and jumping out of it.

"Hey, you all right?"

Noah didn't respond as Mitch opened the car door for him and proceeded to close it after he'd slowly climbed inside.

He didn't like the weird shift at all.

Going back to his own seat and buckling up, Mitch side eyed Noah, who was clutching a small paper in his left hand as he stared at the console.

A part of him felt insecurities attempt to overtake his brain and he internally tried to convince himself that Noah wasn't already getting cold feet about them.

He'd been so busy daydreaming about what he wanted to go and do with his dream family, he'd not even contemplated that maybe Noah wasn't feeling him and their new situation quite as strongly as he was, which was okay, but not ideal.

Mitch had read once that there's always one in a successful relationship that loves fiercer than the other; while he wasn't sure if that was true or not, he DID know how strong his feelings already were for Noah.

If that book was true, then he was probably going to be that one in their relationship.

If there was a chance to have a relationship, that was.

Noah's silence was deafening, though Rowan was thankfully filling that ominous silence with his cooing as he rattled one of his new toys, a small circle with different sized rings on it that made fun noises when shaken.

"We need to talk."

Mitch felt a chill go up his spine as he spun to look straight on at Noah, who hadn't moved or probably even blinked since sitting.

"Of course. I'm all about healthy communication. Are...you okay? I won't lie, you seemed to completely change from bubbly happy going in your apartment to depressed upon leaving, and it has me worried."

"I found this."

The pink heart paper was all crinkled and Mitch could tell by the dampness of it that Noah's hands must be sweating like crazy.

"Who's Lu and Jack?"

"Lulu is my ex girlfriend and guardian. It's a long storythat I don't know if I have the energy to tell right now. Jack...is the name she's called me since she adopted me from my drunk mom when I was a teen, but I've always preferred my birthname, even if she legally changed it to Jack when she forced me to take her last name."

There was a lot to process, that was for sure.

"So, she's trying to find you now...to what?"

"Torture me forever. She's convinced that we're married, though legally, that's impossible. She's delusional, that much I know now, even if she tricked me into thinking our relationship was normal when I was younger. I thought for sure I'd be able to escape her here. I was wrong. She's..."

Noah's tears flowed, which had Rowan sounding worried in the back. Mitch reached behind to comfort Rowan with his right as he also reached to comfort Noah with a cupped hand to his chin and a thumb wiping away some of his tears as best he could.

"You don't need to worry. You have me now. I'm more versed in the law than anyone, and if you don't want to go with her or have a relationship of any kind with her, you don't have to. I promise you that."

Noah looked hopeful for a second before his eyes again darkened in despair.

"You just don't understand, she's rich and somewhat famous, and she's got connections to police."