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Chapter 29

POV Noah

The hum of the car engine filled the silence as I kept my hands steady on the wheel, my eyes occasionally flicking to the rearview mirror. Eden was in her car seat, babbling softly to herself, her little stuffed elephant clutched tightly in her hand. Normally, the sound of her tiny voice would ease any tension in my chest, but tonight, it barely touched the knot that had been there since I saw Estella’s face at Felis’s house.

She was staring out the passenger window, her arms crossed tightly against herself like she was trying to hold everything together. Her silence spoke louder than any words she could say.

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white. I wanted to ask her about it but I didn’t want to push her when she was already so fragile.

Still, the sight of that bruise burned in my gut like a fire I couldn’t put out.

“Eden’s out” I said quietly, breaking the silence. “She finally gave in.”

Her head turned toward me slowly, her gaze meeting mine for the first time since we’d gotten in the car. I saw the exhaustion there, the pain she was trying so hard to hide. “Noah…” she started, then stopped, letting out a shaky breath.

I took the opportunity to push, but gently. “You don’t have to tell me everything right now” I said, keeping my voice soft. “But I can’t pretend like I don’t see it, Estella. That bruise… it’s killing me not to know what happened.”

She swallowed hard and looked away again, her fingers clutching the fabric of her sweater. “It’s nothing,” she said finally, her tone almost dismissive.

“It’s not nothing” I said, my voice firmer this time. “Not to me. You don’t just show up at your brother’s place in the middle of the night with a bruise like that and expect me to be okay with ‘it’s nothing.’”

Her lips trembled, and for a moment, I thought she might snap back at me. But then her shoulders slumped, and her breath hitched as if she was fighting tears. “I don’t want to talk about it right now” she whispered.

I bit down on my frustration, letting out a slow exhale through my nose. “Okay” I said softly, though my chest ached with the need to fix whatever had hurt her. “But I’m here, Estella. When you’re ready, I’m here.”

She nodded, her hand coming up to brush against her cheek where the bruise was. The small motion made my stomach twist all over again.

The rest of the drive passed in silence, broken only by the occasional soft sound from Eden in the back seat. I couldn’t stop glancing at Estella out of the corner of my eye, watching her retreat further into herself.

When we finally pulled into the driveway of the apartment, I shut off the engine and turned to her, placing a hand gently on her knee. “Let me help you” I said quietly.

Her eyes met mine again, and for a moment, I thought she might push me away. But then she gave a small nod, her hand coming up to rest on top of mine. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

I climbed out of the car and moved to Eden’s side, carefully unbuckling her from her seat. She stirred a little, her eyes fluttering open just enough to see me before settling back into sleep. Estella stood by the car, waiting for me.

As we walked toward the apartment, I glanced at her again, my heart heavy. I didn’t know what had happened yesterday, but I was going to figure it out. For now, though, I’d give her the space she needed.