Just Pretend

Chapter 94 - I'll Wait

I feel on edge, like I'm waiting for something to happen. The house is too quiet without Noah here while I'm left with the thoughts that someone could unexpectedly try approach our home at any point.

I try to distract myself but it's no use, I'm constantly trying to dodge the windows knowing someone could see me in them.

The more I think about it the more I feel my anxiety spike, curling tighter and tighter in my chest waiting for the door to open, Noah standing there saying he's fixed it.

But he can't.

We both know what this realistically means.

A statement, most likely telling the world what's happening.

The one thing I wanted so desperately to avoid.

I dare myself to peek out the window in hopes that I'll see Noah's car crawling along the road but instead I see a small group of girls pointing at the house.

My house.

"Oh my god." I whisper taking a step back but it's too late. I know they've seen me and their voices grow louder. One of them is even brave enough to ring our doorbell the sound cutting through the house so harshly it makes me jump.

I completely freeze as it rings a second time, followed by muffled laughter making panic spread hot beneath my skin.

"Was that her?"

"Yeah, I swear I saw her."

My chest tightens painfully as footsteps shuffle around outside the front of the house, shadows moving past the windows I've spent the last hour trying to avoid.

It suddenly feels impossible to breathe properly, my chest tighter than it's ever felt before, like it's collapsing completely.

I back away from the hallway on instinct, my pulse thudding so loudly in my ears it almost drowns them out, but then there's another knock — louder this time — and something inside me finally cracks.

I grab my phone with shaking hands and call Noah.

Once.

Twice.

Three times and still no answer.

Each one straight to voice mail.

I can't fucking reach him.

I force myself to put one foot in front of the other, taking myself to our bedroom climbing beneath the sheets, burying myself between the safety of the duvet and the chaos waiting outside the walls of the house.

My breathing turns shallow and uneven, one hand pressed protectively over my bump like somehow that alone can shield her from everything happening around us. My heart pounds so hard it physically hurts, nausea twisting violently in my stomach as I gasp for air through broken sobs. Tears stream endlessly down my cheeks and I don't even try to stop them, my entire body trembling, shaking with fear of what will be taken from me next.

                                                *

I hear tires crunching on the gravel outside.

He's home.

The muffle voices died down a while ago but I couldn't say when. I've lost track of how long I've been lying here, curled beneath the sheets with swollen eyes finding it impossible to breathe.

I hear the front door lock, then his quick footsteps thundering up the stairs.

The nursery door swings open first.