Before Noah (Daniels Family 3)

Then we moved to a kiss.

If I didn’t know better, I’d think Noah has written me a poem, and he’s giving it to me one line at a time.

I can’t help but sigh at how romantic it is.

Lifting the corner of the chocolates' box, I see my favorite salted caramel treats waiting to be eaten. Grabbing one, I pop the delight in my mouth before taking the rest to the fridge to save for later. The milk chocolate melts on my tongue as the caramel oozes out of the center, causing a moan.

His thoughtfulness encourages me to give him another chance. We barely got started before we finished, and now that I’m more informed about the reasons for our emotional ending, I believe I owe it to this baby and us to give it another shot.

Slow and steady, though. I can’t jump in head first if I’m not entirely sure I’ve forgiven him. Noah and I have so many hurdles to cross before we can settle in, and right now, my mind is so fragile that I worry about my ability to handle the stress if we can’t make it work.

With my thoughts splintering in a million different directions and indecision weighing heavily on my shoulders, I head to bed with the hope of a clear mind in the morning.

4

Noah

“We need to talk.” Kol stands over my desk, arms crossed, eyes narrowed. I know exactly what he wants to talk about too. The fact that it’s taken three months to happen surprises me.

“Lead the way,” I say. I won’t hide from Kol. He’s been my best friend for a long-ass time, and while he never warned me away from his sister, I don’t think he expected us to fall in love with each other either.

Closing the door as I enter his office, I sit in the chair across from his desk, waiting for the conversation to begin.

Kol has never been very good at hiding his feelings, and right now, I can tell he’s tortured over his sister's feelings and how she’s been handling these past three months. I feel the same way only ten times more because I love her, and I know I’m her most incredible pain.

“She’s hurting, man," he starts. "Ember is in fucking agony, and everything in me says to kick your damn ass, but I know you didn’t do this on purpose.”

“I didn’t,” I confirm. “I’m working on building her trust again. I love Em, and after running into her at your party, I know I fucked up worse than I feared.”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Kol leans his head back in his chair. “She’s never been so distant. It’s not just you, Noah. She isn’t out on the town with Thea like normal. She’s not the fun-loving girl she once was.”

Digging the heal of my hand into my aching heart, I hurt more now than an hour ago. I fucking ruined Ember. “What are you saying, Kol?”

Steadying his breath, he stares me dead in the eye. “I want you to back off. Leave her alone completely.”

I figured that was coming. “I won’t do that, Kol. I love you; you’re the brother I never had, but Ember is mine, and I won’t back off again. I have no intention of ever letting her go, and after last night, the way she let me hold her while she slept, I don’t think that’s what she wants either.”

A satisfied smile spreads across his face, and I could hit the man. “Good. If you backed off, I’d definitely have to kick your ass.” Relief rolls off both our shoulders. “How was she last night?”

“Exhausted. Sad. I wanted to give her space, but when I held her, she wilted in my arms and trusted me to keep her safe while she slept.”

“Em's too tough for her own damn good,” Kol mutters as he pulls out a set of keys from his drawer. Removing a key off the ring, he reaches across the desk with it. “This is for the house. Let her know you have it, but you’ll always knock first. She might protest, but I know Arsen and I will feel better if someone else has access to her and the house.”

Flipping the metal object over in my hand, I know how concerned he must be about his sister. “Are you saying you want me to invade her space? She asked me for distance.”

“And it’s killing you, isn’t it?” I can only shrug because, right now, my feelings don’t matter nearly as much as Ember's do. “Whether she knows it or not, Em needs you. She needs to know that you’re there for her. No more walking away.”

Shit. “And if I make her worse?”

“You won’t.” His crooked grin makes me think he knows more than he’s letting on. “I’ve known for a long time how the two of you feel about one another; the only ones holding either of you back is you.”

Scrubbing a rough hand down my face, I nod. He’s right, and I know it. I’ve been the damn problem for so long and haven't wanted to admit it. Shielding Ember by pushing her away while I should have been pulling her closer.

“Thanks, man.” I shake Ko

l’s hand and exit his office.

Dropping into my chair with a heavy sigh rattling my chest, I attempt to focus on the break-in report sitting in front of me, but I can’t. All I do is think about Ember. She consumes me in a way I’ve never experienced before. She’s embedded in my blood; my heart beats solely for her now.