Culpables years later...

Chapter 22

Nick

The next few days were slow and calm. Noah had been prescribed bed rest from me, and lots of cuddles from me and Andrew. Our parents and the others had calmed down a little bit from the last few days. The police once had a lead on Michael, but it was an old one and he was gone. Tomorrow we were supposed to know the sex of the baby and Jenna had decided that we needed a baby party.

Noah's moods were also up and down with her cravings. But what I personally really liked was that she got clingy and really excited about making love. I wasn't complaining, of course. Just like Jenna was, she wanted to host the party and everything in blue and pink. She got into it so much, but maybe to distract herself from her marriage. Of course, everyone loved the idea of a party, and it would be back in our backyard. Jenna would go to our doctor and find out the gender. From what I've seen in her, the party is becoming a cliché. As long as Noah liked it, I was happy too. Alex and Steve would both stand at the entrance and in the backyard, watching everything. We had decided to invite only the closest group this time. So our parents and Jenna with the kids and Lion, of course. Andy doing some homework with Maggie sat in her room, while I lay in bed with Noah and I talked.

Our parents were at the company, and Jenna was in full swing for the party. She had forbidden us to see anything. We were supposed to see it for the first time tomorrow. You could tell Noah was more tired than usual, and even now she was half asleep in my arms. "Do you want to sleep freckles?" Noah yawned and shook her head. "I want to be with you. I've missed you so much." I laughed inside. I had been at work for a few hours this morning, and she pretended I had been gone for days. "I'll always be with you and never leave you. I don't mean leave you two." My hand lay down on her arched belly and my head moved there. Noah laughed and stroked through my hair. "Hello baby, here's your dad. We're looking forward to knowing what you're going to be. We love you very much and we're looking forward to getting to know you."

I pushed Noah's shirt up a little bit and kissed her belly. My eyes looked up to theirs looking at me with lust. A groan escaped her, and as I tried to do something that was going to take a long time, there was a knock on our door. Noah moaned annoyed, and I sat down next to her and looked at the door. "Yes?" "It's Lion. Can I come in?" Asking, I looked at Noah, who nodded, and we let him in. When Lion walked in, he looked at us in amusement. Noah half asleep in my arms, and I next to her in my work clothes. "Come on, bro, lie down next to me." Laughing, I tapped to my left where he hesitantly lay halfway down. "What's up, Lion?" Noah looked over me at him, and he didn't know how to start.

"I need your advice. I'm sleeping on the couch, and Jenna is alone in our bed. I need to get right with her, you know how? I miss her." To be honest, I didn't know it myself. When Jenna gets something on her mind, she goes through with it. She loves him, there's no question about it. They just need to relive it. Their love needs to be rekindled. "You just have to find each other again, Lion. You need time alone so that you can fall in love again." God that sounds too cheesy. "I want N. I want to cuddle and with Thor." Lion and I looked confused at Noah, who broke out of my arms and left the room. "It's the hormones that drive her a little nuts." Lion nodded absently and sighed. "I mean, I've just been working, and so has Jenna, and been with the kids all the time. I don't even remember having sex last."

It's nice to be able to talk openly about our sex life in our friendship. That's where we are now. Well, Noah's and my sex life is pretty big. "How often do you have sex Nick?" Good question. Oftentimes. Only at some point in the pregnancy, Noah doesn't want to go. She thinks I don't find her attractive, but that's not true. She could never be unattractive. 

"Well, four or five times a week. Sometimes more, sometimes less, and with several rounds." "Now I feel better, thank you. Now a beer please." Well, he asked. I could imagine how he was feeling. The way he was feeling now, I was feeling at times when Noah and I were apart. 'How about you go out for dinner? Have a night out as a couple and then show how you feel about her. Take care of your brother. He's interfering with your relationship." ,,That's easy for you Nick. She only talks to me when the kids are around. She doesn't even look at me!' 'What do you think I went through hell when we were apart? I was just working and partying. Anything that makes me forget."

I knew Lion well enough to know he was worse off than he was. Jenna was more than just a friend or a wife to him. She brought out the good in him. She wasn't like the others. She didn't want money or gifts or anything like that. Just him. He didn't have to be rich or perfect. Just real. 'I'm scared I'm going to lose her. I've only got her and the kids.' I tried to give him a bit more help but it didn't help. I couldn't leave him at home like that. That's why I invited him to dinner. Luca was apparently swallowed by the earth and nowhere to be found. Lion wasn't worried, though, because a lot of times he would just run off like that.

While the others were all busy and Prett was preparing the food, Lion and I had a beer by the pool. "How's the house going?" ,,Good. We've found a good buyer, and he's paying a lot of money for it. But what surprises me is that Noah is so good away. She was very attached to the house, all the memories and stuff ... but she's very excited about the new house by the sea. She's already set it up with a designer. I'll leave it all to Noah. I'm happy when she's happy. Only I would like an office. She's taken note of that." My friend laughed and punched me on the shoulder. "To be honest, I never thought you and Noah would get anywhere. Your little words fighting were fun to watch like a tennis game, but now you both? I never thought I would. I was mad at her for hurting you so much. But neither of you were perfect. You were right for each other, just at the wrong time." "Have you read any of Noah's books? Or why are you so cheesy?" He laughed and looked up at the sky. "You know, in the old days, problems would have just broken up, and now you hope they won't let you down."

In the past, I was always afraid that Noah would leave me, that I wasn't good enough for her. Nobody had taught me how to interact with women and trust them. I had to have my own experience. That's when the first thing that came to mind was Briar. She had the same problems that I had. Nobody was there for her, and most of the time was raised by the nannies. But at some point, everything went wrong with her. She had mental problems, and then the unwanted pregnancy. And I'd been fed up with women ever since. Next was Anna. She'd been with me all my experiences.

With Noah, I liked that I was her first. I could teach her everything and figure out what she liked or didn't like.

"Lion, it's going to be all right with Jenna. She loves you. Give her time." "I hope you're right, Nick."