Marry me

Missed you

Chapter Thirteen: Coming Home

Eight months.

That was how long it had been since Emma had heard Noah's voice.

Eight months since their last conversation.

Eight months since the argument that shattered everything.

Emma told everyone she was over him.

She wasn't.

Not even close.

His favorite mug was still in her kitchen.

The hoodie he had left behind still hung in her closet.

And every time her phone rang, a small part of her hoped it was him.

It never was.

So she learned to live with the ache.

Or at least pretend to.

Thousands of miles away, Noah Bennett was miserable.

No amount of work could distract him.

No promotion could make him happy.

No success felt meaningful.

Because every achievement reminded him of the one person he wanted to share it with.

Emma.

The woman he still loved.

The woman he had never stopped loving.

The woman he was about to fight for.

Because Noah had finally realized something important.

Life was too short for pride.

Too short for misunderstandings.

Too short to lose the love of your life because neither of you was brave enough to make the first move.

So he booked a flight home.

The rain was falling when Noah arrived.

Not a heavy storm.

Just enough to make the streets shine beneath the city lights.

His heart pounded as he stood outside Emma's apartment.

He hadn't seen her in eight months.

What if she hated him?

What if she'd moved on?

What if she didn't want to see him?

The thought nearly made him turn around.

But then he remembered every laugh they had shared.

Every dream.

Every promise.

And he knocked.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

The door opened.

And suddenly there she was.

Emma.

For a moment, neither spoke.

Neither breathed.

Neither moved.

Because seeing each other again felt unreal.

Like a dream neither wanted to wake up from.

Emma's eyes widened.

"Noah?"

His throat tightened.

"Hi."

A thousand emotions flashed across her face.

Shock.

Pain.

Confusion.

Love.

Still love.

Noah could see it.

Because he felt it too.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered.

Noah swallowed.

"I came home."

Emma stared.

Months of memories crashed into her all at once.

The coffee shop.

The first kiss.

The late-night calls.

The promises.

The heartbreak.

Everything.

And suddenly tears filled her eyes.

Noah hated himself for being the reason.

"Emma..."

Her voice cracked.

"Why now?"

That question hurt.

Because he deserved it.

Every bit of it.

Noah stepped forward.

"Because eight months without you felt like a lifetime."

Emma's heart broke all over again.

Because despite everything...

Part of her had wanted to hear those words.

Every single day.

The silence stretched between them.

Heavy.

Fragile.

Important.

Then Noah spoke again.

"I miss you."

Emma looked away.

Those three words had once meant everything.

Now they hurt.

Because she missed him too.

Terribly.

But missing someone didn't erase pain.

It didn't erase heartbreak.

It didn't erase the nights she cried herself to sleep wondering why he hadn't fought for them sooner.

"You hurt me."

Noah nodded immediately.

"I know."

"You disappeared."

"I know."

"You let me believe I didn't matter."

The pain in her voice nearly destroyed him.

Noah shook his head.

"No."

His voice broke.

"Never that."

Emma looked at him.

For the first time, she noticed how tired he seemed.

How much weight he'd lost.

How red his eyes were.

He looked heartbroken too.

And somehow that made everything worse.

Because neither of them had won.

Both had suffered.

Both had lost.

Noah reached into his coat pocket.

Emma's heart skipped.

But instead of a ring, he pulled out something small.

A photograph.

The old photo they had taken together during their first road trip.

The edges were worn.

Clearly carried everywhere.

"I kept this."

Emma stared.

Noah smiled sadly.

"It went everywhere with me."

A tear slipped down her cheek.

"Noah..."

"I couldn't throw it away."

His voice trembled.

"Because I couldn't throw away us."

The tears came faster now.

Months of hurt.

Months of longing.

Months of pretending.

All breaking apart at once.

And for the first time since he arrived, Emma saw the truth.

Noah wasn't here because he felt guilty.

He wasn't here because he was lonely.

He wasn't here because he had nowhere else to go.

He was here because he loved her.

Still.

Completely.

And maybe...

Just maybe...

She loved him too.

Enough to listen.

Enough to forgive.

Enough to hope.

As the rain continued falling outside, neither realized that this was only the beginning.

Because Noah Bennett hadn't crossed oceans just to say goodbye.

He had come back for a reason.

And soon, Emma would discover exactly what that reason was.

To be continued...