31 - My thoughts are yours.

***POV ISABELA***

I can't remember the last time I cried as much as I did last night. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever cried like that before. Not even when I discovered that there was a beautiful pair of horns on my head.

I cried so much that now I can't open my eyes because my head is throbbing.

Daniel went way beyond all limits!

If my friend hadn't arrived in time, I swear I'd be in jail right now. Because I would have killed that bastard!

I never imagined that I would hate my ex-husband so much.

I always thought that, even if we were no longer together, we would still be friends.

How naive I was. And, in fact, you only really get to know someone after a divorce.

I moved on the bed to stretch out, but was paralyzed when my arm brushed against someone.

I might have thought it was Alex, but he had his own room here at home, where he sometimes slept. Why would he be in my bed? Well, maybe he was sleeping here because he was afraid I'd do something stupid. In the state I was in... I wouldn't have doubted it. I was beside myself; I didn't recognize myself.

I opened my eyes slowly to get used to the light, as my head was spinning. I turned to the side, thinking that my friend would already be asleep after looking after me all night. But damn...

Damn. Damn.

What was Noah doing here? Sleeping next to me?

I got up quickly, trying not to make any noise but failing miserably as I bumped into the nightstand. I stifled a curse, grabbing the lamp to keep it from falling. I looked at the bed, and Noah didn't even move. It was a sign that his sleep was heavy.

I tiptoed out of the room to look for my friend.

The first place I checked was the room he usually stayed in. Empty.

I went downstairs and heard noises in the kitchen. It wasn't the housekeeper, since I had dismissed her due to the fight yesterday. It had to be Alex!

"You son of a bitch," I threw a dish towel from the counter at him as he was cooking something on the stove.

"Ouch," he moaned. "What have I done?"

"What did you do?" I asked through clenched teeth, approaching him quickly. I wanted to strangle him. "Why the hell did you let Noah in the house?"

"Relax, Isa. The poor guy was desperate! He showed up here in the middle of the night, looking very distressed, and cornered me!"

I sighed.

I didn't want to involve Noah in my problems.

We weren't together. We hadn't even defined our relationship. We only met once in a while.

I smiled wryly.

Who am I kidding?

We were together every day. We admitted that we were in love with each other...

"Did you two talk?" my friend asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"No," I said, leaning against the refrigerator. "I woke up and saw him sleeping next to me. Imagine the shock."

"I bet it wasn't shocking to wake up next to that handsome man."

"Sometimes, I question your sexuality."

"I'm very much a man, you know? And I'm not blind; even men find Noah Cooper attractive."

"I'm going to take a shower," I announced.

"Go ahead, friend. I'm making breakfast."

"Thank you. You are an angel!"

I leaned on my friend's shoulder and kissed his cheek.

I quickly returned to the room, and Noah was still sleeping. I spent a few minutes just watching him sleep. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully, lying on his stomach. His back was exposed and quite broad. I'd scratched there many times. I loved feeling his body's reaction when I ran my nails over it.

I shook my head to dispel those inappropriate thoughts for the morning and went to my bedroom bathroom.

I brushed my teeth quickly and took off the pajamas I was wearing, throwing them into the laundry basket. I looked thoughtfully at the bathtub and the shower. A bath in the tub would be great this morning...

"Hmm," I muttered thoughtfully.

In the end, I decided it would be an excellent idea to take a bath; I needed to relax.

I started filling the tub while thinking about everything that happened yesterday. I went from a dream - my moments with Noah - to a nightmare - encountering my ex-husband and starting that war of who could hurt more.

I sighed.

We would have to maintain a good relationship for our daughter's sake. But after yesterday... I find it impossible! I was disgusted by his face.

The tub was already full, so I grabbed some bath salts and poured them into the water to create bubbles. I put my hand in the water to feel the temperature, and it was perfect—warm, just the way I like it. I got into the tub, sitting down and shivering as the water touched my body. I closed my eyes, trying to relax.

I opened my eyes when I heard a noise and had a divine vision.

Noah was naked, getting into the tub.

He sat facing me, our legs touching.

"Can I keep you company?" he asked in a hoarse voice, having just woken up.

"Good morning," I smiled at him. "Your company is always welcome."

"I'm glad to hear that," he said, looking at me intensely, licking his lower lip. "We need to talk."

Noah suddenly became tense. His posture changed completely, putting me on alert.

"About what?" I played dumb, pretending not to know.

"Yesterday," he said, scrutinizing me before speaking again. "What happened yesterday?" he wanted to know. Of course, he would want to know...

I sighed, avoiding his gaze.

As much as Daniel deserved every slap I gave him, I felt ashamed of my lack of control.

"I'm not sure if I want to talk about it," I said honestly.

A few minutes of silence passed, the only sound being the water in the tub as we occasionally moved.

"I need to know," he sighed, looking to the side and pressing his lips together. "I want to know what happened because I'm about to do something crazy," he confessed, capturing my full attention.

"What do you mean 'about to do something crazy'?"

"How do you think I feel seeing your face with a huge red mark that I know damn well was caused by a slap? Or those bruises on your arm? I'm fucking furious and wanting to rip the hand off the bastard who dared touch you," he spoke with anger.

"Noah..."

"No, Isabela, no," he said restlessly, shifting in the water. "I'm not letting it slide, okay? No one will touch you. Never again."

Noah said everything while looking me in the eyes, and for the first time in years, I felt safe and protected.

"I waited for you last night, you didn't show any sign of life, so of course I came after you. I know you well enough to know something has happened. Your friend tried to lie to me when I called him." He laughed without humor. "I was across the damn street, and he had the nerve to say he wasn't here when I saw his car parked out front. Imagine how I felt. Damn, I conjured up a thousand and one paranoid thoughts. I thought and thought, and I couldn't find anything I'd done to push you away. I went to the bar, drank like a madman, and where did I end up? Here, at your door. If your friend hadn't let me in, I think I would have gone crazy; I wouldn't have been able to sleep. My thoughts are all about you; I was only thinking about you. When I entered your room and saw you sleeping peacefully, my heart eased a little, but just one look at your face, even in the dark, I saw that red mark and your swollen eyes from crying so much."He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. "I had to gather all my self-control not to do something crazy. By then, I already knew it was that bastard ex-husband of yours, and I swear to you, I was this close to losing my clean record because of him."