30 - No one touches my woman.

***POV NOAH***

And that's how we go on living, you know? Making mistakes is a lesson to learn. Getting disappointed helps us protect ourselves. Getting hurt helps you grow. Crying to smile. We fall once to learn to get up another time. In the end, everything that is good and true, everything that makes us feel good, remains.

I get out of the car without time to think too much, because if I stop to think, I will surely give up. I put my keys and wallet in my pocket and crossed the street, looking both ways to make sure no cars were coming. The street was empty and silent; no wonder; it must be 3 or 4 in the morning by now.

The house light was on, indicating they hadn't gone to sleep yet. I rang the doorbell anxiously and nervously. I looked eagerly at the door, waiting for it to be opened. I stumbled to the side; maybe, just maybe, I was a little drunk. I stopped counting at the tenth glass.

No one answered the door.

I pressed the doorbell again, this time holding it down for longer.

The living room light came on, indicating that someone was coming to open the door. I heard noises on the other side of the door, and soon it opened, revealing Alex.

"Noah," he said, surprised. His face clearly showed that he was shocked by my presence.

"Alex," I greeted with a nod and looked inside the house, trying unsuccessfully to see Isabela. The house was silent.

"What are you doing here?" Alex asked, stepping out completely and closing the door quietly so as not to make a sound.

"Why did you lie, saying you weren't here?" I asked.

"I wasn't here, I arrived later," he lied.

"You're lying again. I was there," I pointed across the street, indicating where my car was when I called him. "When I called you, Alex, I saw your car parked here". He opened his mouth to reply, but I kept talking. "But, listen, you don't owe me anything. I don't want to know why you lied." I crossed my arms. "But I want to know why the hell Isabella is ignoring me. What the hell did I do? I remember we were fine in the morning and we planned to meet up in the evening. What's changed?"

"I can't say anything," he looked around nervously. "Look, Noah, the best thing you can do is go home, and you two can talk better tomorrow."

I sighed.

"I'm not leaving, Alex," I said firmly. "I just want to know what the hell is going on. That's all..."

Alex sighed and looked at me with pity.

"Come in," he said, opening Isabela's house door. He gave me passage, and I entered; it was my first time here. The living room was very messy, it looked like a hurricane had passed through. It was chaos. "Want to sit?"

"Where is Isabela?" I asked anxiously. I didn't like the feeling that started to take over my heart.

"She's sleeping now," he sighed and sat in an armchair. "Sit."

I nervously looked around the room, wiped my hand across my face and reluctantly sat down on the sofa, facing Alex.

"When Isabela arrived this morning, her ex-husband was here, waiting for her," Alex began, and my body tensed immediately. "I'm not going to go into details about everything that happened because it's not my place, and Isabella is the one who should tell you... But when I got here, they were fighting. Fighting a lot, even physically.

I got up immediately, overcome with anger, suddenly sober.

"Did he hit her?" I almost shouted. If Alex confirms that, I swear I'll go after that bastard and end his life.

"It was a mess," he stood up too. "Isabella is very upset by everything that's happened; that's why she didn't come to see you today. And besides, she's embarrassed. She cried herself to sleep."

"I want to see her."

"I don't know if that's a good idea..." He tried to get in front of me to stop me. But nothing would stop me.

I bumped into his chest, making him move out of my way, and ran up the stairs. At the end of the stairs, there was a long corridor with several doors. I opened them one by one. My heart was racing. I didn't even know what I was feeling at that moment, but it wasn't something good.

In the second-to-last door I opened, I looked at the bed and saw her lying down, sleeping. A duvet covered her entire body up to her neck. I approached the bed, watching her sleep. Her long blonde hair was spread over the bed. Her face was swollen from crying so much. But on her right side, there was a red handprint, indicating that Bastard had hit her.

I clenched my fists; I swear I was about to do something crazy.

I took off my shoes, put them in the corner of the bed, and lay down beside her. I pulled her body close to mine, hugging her tightly. It's amazing how just by smelling her scent, which I'm so in love with, I could calm my thoughts and my heart. Her scent is my tranquilizer.

I heard her mumble and saw her eyes slowly open. Her eyes were also swollen from crying.

"Noah," she said, surprised. "What are you doing here?" she asked softly.

"I came to be with you, my love," I hugged her even tighter so she could see she wasn't alone. I would be with her. "I want you to know you're not alone; I'm here with you," I looked into her eyes.

Isabela smiled slightly and snuggled into my chest. It took only a few seconds for me to feel her heavy breathing on my chest. I caressed her hair, giving her a gentle head massage. I was restless and wanted to go after that bastard. So, stroking the hair I loved so much seemed like the right thing to do to calm my restlessness.

"He will regret touching you," I thought out loud. I would make him pay for this, one way or another. But I would never let this go.

No one touches my woman.