Chasing the Tide

Chapter Thirteen: Reality Hits

Noah glanced at his watch and swore under his breath. “I have to get back to base. If I miss training, they’ll have my ass.”

Lila’s stomach twisted. She knew this moment had to end, but that didn’t make it any easier. “So, what now?”

Noah cupped her face, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead before meeting her gaze. “You don’t panic. Go to the pharmacy, take care of yourself, and don’t overthink everything.”

She let out a dry laugh. “You act like that’s easy.”

His thumb brushed against her cheek. “It’s not. But you’ll figure it out.” He leaned in, kissing her one last time, slow and deliberate, as if trying to make it last. “I have to go.”

Lila nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. Without another word, Noah jogged toward his black Indian motorcycle, throwing one last glance over his shoulder before he sped off down the road.

She watched him disappear, her heart heavier than she wanted to admit. Taking a deep breath, she turned back toward the beach house, her mind spinning. She needed to get her car, head to the pharmacy, and process everything that had just happened.

But before she could even take another step, her phone dinged.

She hesitated before pulling it out of her bag. The screen lit up with a text from Cotton.

I’m at the beach house. Where are you? We need to talk. Now.

Lila’s blood ran cold. She could feel her heartbeat in her throat.

Another text came in before she could even react.

I know about Noah.

Her breath caught. The world around her seemed to tilt for a second.

Her hands shook as she gripped the phone tighter. How?

Then, as if answering her unspoken question, another message appeared.

I hired someone to follow you. You’ve been acting off for weeks. Now I know why.

Lila’s heart pounded so hard she thought she might pass out right there on the sidewalk. The jig was up. Cotton knew everything.

She had to go back. She had to face him. But what was she supposed to say? That it had been a mistake? That it hadn’t meant anything? Because that would be a lie.

Her family had always drilled into her that security mattered more than love. The bloodline was everything. Her marriage to Cotton was about more than romance—it was about legacy, money, power. She had never dared to question that before.

Until Noah.

Until last night.

Her hands trembled as she climbed into her car. She stared at the screen, her whole world unraveling.

What would she do now?