26 - With you, I see how simple it is to like someone and that a relationship doesn't have to be troubled to be real.

***POV ISABELA***

I analyze his face for a few minutes, looking into his eyes for any sign of amusement or that he's not serious, but what I find is very different. I see sincerity in his eyes.

I bite my lip in a nervous gesture and, to be honest, I don't know how to act or what to say.

Is Noah in love with me?

It's hard to believe that he's in love with me, he's the most sought-after footballer in the country. He's 10 years younger than me...

When he said he wanted to talk to me, I swore he'd want to end this thing we have. I wasn't prepared for that statement/confession.

I said I wanted to talk to him too because I was finally going to admit what everyone had been telling me for days. I was going to confess that maybe I could have fallen in love...

But faced with his confession...

My heart was racing. My hands were sweating and I opened my mouth several times to reply and couldn't say anything.

"Noah," I try to form a sentence, looking into his eyes. He sighs, looking away for a moment and then back at me.

"I don't want you to feel pressured into saying anything," he made clear. "I just couldn't keep it to myself anymore. I'd never fallen in love with anyone before; it was strange for me, all these new sensations you caused... I swear I thought I was getting sick!" he confessed, making me laugh.

"Do you remember I said I also needed to talk to you?" I asked, and he nodded, apprehensive. "So..." I bit my lip nervously again. "Every night, lying beside you, I can see the most beautiful things in the world, and you are one of them. With you, I see how simple it is to like someone and that a relationship doesn't need to be tumultuous to be real. I see how beautiful and serene love is. I also couldn't hold these words back anymore; they seemed to want to leap out of my mouth every time you hugged me or looked at me in that intense way. Only you know how." I let out a smile and raised my right hand to caress his face. "Here, in your arms, I think of the most beautiful things and realize that I'm also in love," I confessed.

Noah smiled, a smile of relief, I would say.

"Damn, I confess I was afraid of being rejected and you thinking I was too emotional!" he said, relieved.

"We are both very intense and spending all this time together, it was obvious this would happen. I still denied it until Alex and the people on my blog started saying I was in love."

"You have a blog?" he asked, surprised, and it was then that I realized I had told him about the blog, something I had never done with anyone except Alex.

"I do, and it already has over a million views," I said proudly.

"That's awesome!!! Congratulations! I want to see your blog; what's its name?" he asked, enthusiastic to see a piece of me. He reached for the phone on the nightstand.

"I write about feelings on this blog," I found it important to warn him. "When I was married, I felt very lonely, and this was a way I found to express what I felt. No one who follows my blog knows who I am."

"Wow," he said, surprised. "I’m even more of a lucky bastard for being the only one who knows?"

"I'm sorry to say that Alex also knows," he frowned, "but I didn't tell him spontaneously like I did with you. Alex found out on his own and pressured me to confess." I laughed, remembering.

"I'm glad you trust me this way," he said, holding my hand and kissing it, making my heart race. "I promise I will never break this trust you put in me."

"Thank you," I said gratefully.

Noah put the phone on the bed and pulled me onto his lap. He tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear and smiled. Such a perfect smile this man has, I will never get tired of saying that.

"Can we make some sweet love now to celebrate that we both confessed our feelings?" he said, smelling my neck.

"Noah, how will things be from now on?" I questioned.

"I want to be with you, and you know that. I don't want to hide anymore; we are not committing a crime or doing anything wrong. We are two independent adults who want to be together; I see no reason to hide."

I sighed.

"It's not that simple; I just got divorced... Announcing a relationship now would give people room to say I was cheating on my ex-husband with you. You know how malicious the media can be. I also have a daughter who will not accept it. She already hates me, and if she finds out about us, she will never want to see me again. Besides our age difference..." I looked away, fiddling with his gold chain.

"I love meeting you in secret," he said hoarsely, "but I want to be able to take you to my house... bring you even more into my world, you know? Next week there's a grand event; my presence is almost mandatory; I don't want to go with anyone else but you."

I raised my eyes to him, now feeling uncomfortable. Would he have to go with someone?

"Do you need to go accompanied?" I questioned.

"Yes," he sighed. "Every year I went with someone. It was never important to me. They were just someone for a night, without importance. But now that I'm in love, I want to go with you," he confessed.

"Hum," I grumbled, annoyed.

"Are you mad?" he asked, analyzing me.

"Why would I be?"

"For nothing, my dear," he said, giving me a peck, but I turned my face. I can't hide it. "You can't hide it when something bothers you."

"We just confessed our feelings to each other, Noah. We spend every night together, and now you come to talk to me about this event where you will go with someone else," I said angrily and tried to get off his lap, unsuccessfully, because he gripped my waist.

"I want you to come with me, dear."

"You know I can't."

"And is it my fault?" he questioned.

I sighed.

I didn't want to end our night like this, arguing.

"You look beautiful when you're jealous," he said, stealing a kiss from me. "Let's stay cool; I don't want to fight with you."

"I don't want to fight either." I put my arm around his shoulders and caressed his neck, kissing him.

"Let's sleep cuddled up."