culpables years later

Noah

I hadn't seen that face in a long time. To be honest, I never thought I'd see her again.

She looked at me with kindness and a certain shyness. You could tell she was waiting for my reaction. Inside, I took a deep breath and put on a smile. "Hello, Briar. How are you?" When she realized I wasn't mad or anything like that, her smile got bigger. "I'm actually fine, thank you. How are you? It's been a while." That was a good question. I felt different every day, and then the hormones with the mood swings didn't make it any better. She nods in response, and there was a silence. Steve eagle-eyed gazing at Briar. "Can I sit with you for a second?" I looked over at Steve, who was looking at her for the motto to leave.

She took a chair and seemed to be thinking about how to start. "Noah, I'm sorry. Everything I did. I never got a chance to tell you this. It was never because I was jealous of you or anything. Well maybe I was somewhere, but I wanted to protect you from him. You were the nicest friend I ever had. And I never wanted to hurt you, not even when the thing was with Michael. That asshole." I knew she prepared what she had done. I just didn't like the way she did it. My problem was, as Nick liked to say, I always believe in second chances and always in the good in people. "I know, Briar. Only you know I can't trust you, you understand that, right?" "I get it, Noah. I wouldn't trust me or say hello to myself if I ran into each other on the street. One more thing. I just saw Michael in your neighborhood the other day. He's wanted, right? I called it in, what does he want? Anyway. It's none of my business, and I want nothing to do with this guy anymore. Take care of yourselves."

She got up and was about to leave when I stopped her. "Briar?" She turned to me. "Take care of yourself, too, and I would greet you if I saw you on the street. Only you understand that it is hard to trust you. Nevertheless, I wish you all the best for your life." "Thank you, Noah. Say hi to Nick for me and Andrew." She nodded goodbye to Steve and left. I looked at Steve in amazement. "What do you think?" He looked at me and saw Briar after me. "Some people should be left in the past, Noah. Only she seemed to know more than she was saying. She met Michael, and that's all? They didn't speak? Why was she and Michael near your house?" He was right. Why had they been around? I would trust both of them a lot, but Briar doesn't fall for Michael again. "Steve, I feel more like it's the calm before the storm." As I finished drinking my cocoa, I rubbed my stomach. Everything's going to be fine, mini me. I wanted to get out of here quickly. Suddenly, a wave of fear came over me. "Steve, please take me to Nick." We immediately went to him, and this time Steve escorted me upstairs.

Nick was apparently still in a meeting, so I was waiting for him in his office. Steve was waiting outside, and I was sitting in his boss's chair. I glanced across his desk, which was full of files and two photos of the three of us. I smiled and held my stomach. His secretary said she could call him, but I refused. Don't let him interrupt his work. I can wait.

But you have to say, Nick had a nice view from his office. While I was waiting, I pulled out my phone where I had messages from work, my mom and Jenna. People at work needed some documents from me, my mom wanted to know when I'd be back, and Jenna wanted to know about Lion that he was weird. And then a thought occurred to me. What if we took everybody over to dinner and then we told them the good news?

I could go over that with Nick. Maybe he'd like to do it, too? I answer them and sink into thought. "Which of us is the boss now? You or me freckles?" The chair turned to him, and I saw his typical Nick grin. "You know I have the trousers with us. That chair with the beautiful view suits me better than it suits you." He came over and put his arms against my backrests and came closer to me. His nose grazed my face and we looked straight into each other's eyes. There was not a single leaf between us anymore. "What are you doing here, Noah? Steve said you were panicked and you saw Briar?" I sighed and let him sit on the chair and I sat on his desk.

His hands were on my thighs. "We met her at the cafe. She said she was sorry about everything, she had seen Michael near the house, and we should be careful. But in hindsight, I get some strange thoughts. She said she had called the police, but as if she hadn't talked to him?" Nick sat back and looked at me. He seemed to be processing it. "Yes, the police had heard from her. Lopez had told me." Why didn't Nicholas tell me? "Why didn't you tell me?" "I didn't want to worry you about it. I thought it was insignificant." I don't know if I should be mad or disappointed that he didn't tell me. "Please tell me everything okay?" He nodded and halfway up and leaned over me.

I looked at him suspiciously, but he didn't seem to care. He loosely tied his tie, and his hands explored my body, and his tongue and mouth stuck to my throat. I used to love all of that. Nick being a hot, hot businessman, and his mouth with his hands on my body, only I was mad at him. Just as he was about to undress me, I pulled myself up by his neck and walked around the table towards the door. "Not today Nick. I'm mad and sad you didn't say anything at all. And please, we have to worry about the house, we kept talking at home." I didn't feel like having everyone over for dinner tonight. "I love you, Noah, no matter what. Write me when you get home." "Yes, I do. Love you, too. More, less." He laughed and walked me to the door. We kissed, and I headed to the kids with Steve. The kids were broken when I picked them up, and they just wanted to eat and go to bed.

Back home Maggie did her homework and Andrew wanted to build something with his LEGO. Prett was preparing dinner for later. I checked on Will and my mom, and quietly knocked on the door, and when I didn't hear anything, I opened the door gently. They were both asleep snuggled together. It was kind of cute. Since everyone was busy at the moment, I decided to do some work. Just as I was about to sit down, the doorbell rang. Martin came up to me with Anabell. "Hey, I didn't expect you to be. How are you?" and we sat down in the living room. Prett brought us iced tea, and then left. "All right. Right now, I've got a lot of wrinkles about all of you. Will with the fire, and you and Nick with Michael. That sucks. My boyfriend is out with his friends for a week, too. Alone at home is not fun, so I thought I'd go say hello."

"That's nice of you to say hello to us. Will's sleeping and Maggie's doing homework. Andie's playing and Nick's still at work." She looked sad, as if she was depressed.

Just as I was about to ask what was going on, Andie came running to us with his stuffed toy. Where did he get it? Didn't it stay at home? "Grandmaaaa"

She laughed, and she held her arms open for him. He huddled up to her, and it was really cute to see them.

Noah

I hadn't seen that face in a long time. To be honest, I never thought I'd see her again.

She looked at me with kindness and a certain shyness. You could tell she was waiting for my reaction. Inside, I took a deep breath and put on a smile. "Hello, Briar. How are you?" When she realized I wasn't mad or anything like that, her smile got bigger. "I'm actually fine, thank you. How are you? It's been a while." That was a good question. I felt different every day, and then the hormones with the mood swings didn't make it any better. She nods in response, and there was a silence. Steve eagle-eyed gazing at Briar. "Can I sit with you for a second?" I looked over at Steve, who was looking at her for the motto to leave.

She took a chair and seemed to be thinking about how to start. "Noah, I'm sorry. Everything I did. I never got a chance to tell you this. It was never because I was jealous of you or anything. Well maybe I was somewhere, but I wanted to protect you from him. You were the nicest friend I ever had. And I never wanted to hurt you, not even when the thing was with Michael. That asshole." I knew she prepared what she had done. I just didn't like the way she did it. My problem was, as Nick liked to say, I always believe in second chances and always in the good in people. "I know, Briar. Only you know I can't trust you, you understand that, right?" "I get it, Noah. I wouldn't trust me or say hello to myself if I ran into each other on the street. One more thing. I just saw Michael in your neighborhood the other day. He's wanted, right? I called it in, what does he want? Anyway. It's none of my business, and I want nothing to do with this guy anymore. Take care of yourselves."

She got up and was about to leave when I stopped her. "Briar?" She turned to me. "Take care of yourself, too, and I would greet you if I saw you on the street. Only you understand that it is hard to trust you. Nevertheless, I wish you all the best for your life." "Thank you, Noah. Say hi to Nick for me and Andrew." She nodded goodbye to Steve and left. I looked at Steve in amazement. "What do you think?" He looked at me and saw Briar after me. "Some people should be left in the past, Noah. Only she seemed to know more than she was saying. She met Michael, and that's all? They didn't speak? Why was she and Michael near your house?" He was right. Why had they been around? I would trust both of them a lot, but Briar doesn't fall for Michael again. "Steve, I feel more like it's the calm before the storm." As I finished drinking my cocoa, I rubbed my stomach. Everything's going to be fine, mini me. I wanted to get out of here quickly. Suddenly, a wave of fear came over me. "Steve, please take me to Nick." We immediately went to him, and this time Steve escorted me upstairs.

Nick was apparently still in a meeting, so I was waiting for him in his office. Steve was waiting outside, and I was sitting in his boss's chair. I glanced across his desk, which was full of files and two photos of the three of us. I smiled and held my stomach. His secretary said she could call him, but I refused. Don't let him interrupt his work. I can wait.

But you have to say, Nick had a nice view from his office. While I was waiting, I pulled out my phone where I had messages from work, my mom and Jenna. People at work needed some documents from me, my mom wanted to know when I'd be back, and Jenna wanted to know about Lion that he was weird. And then a thought occurred to me. What if we took everybody over to dinner and then we told them the good news?

I could go over that with Nick. Maybe he'd like to do it, too? I answer them and sink into thought. "Which of us is the boss now? You or me freckles?" The chair turned to him, and I saw his typical Nick grin. "You know I have the trousers with us. That chair with the beautiful view suits me better than it suits you." He came over and put his arms against my backrests and came closer to me. His nose grazed my face and we looked straight into each other's eyes. There was not a single leaf between us anymore. "What are you doing here, Noah? Steve said you were panicked and you saw Briar?" I sighed and let him sit on the chair and I sat on his desk.

His hands were on my thighs. "We met her at the cafe. She said she was sorry about everything, she had seen Michael near the house, and we should be careful. But in hindsight, I get some strange thoughts. She said she had called the police, but as if she hadn't talked to him?" Nick sat back and looked at me. He seemed to be processing it. "Yes, the police had heard from her. Lopez had told me." Why didn't Nicholas tell me? "Why didn't you tell me?" "I didn't want to worry you about it. I thought it was insignificant." I don't know if I should be mad or disappointed that he didn't tell me. "Please tell me everything okay?" He nodded and halfway up and leaned over me.

I looked at him suspiciously, but he didn't seem to care. He loosely tied his tie, and his hands explored my body, and his tongue and mouth stuck to my throat. I used to love all of that. Nick being a hot, hot businessman, and his mouth with his hands on my body, only I was mad at him. Just as he was about to undress me, I pulled myself up by his neck and walked around the table towards the door. "Not today Nick. I'm mad and sad you didn't say anything at all. And please, we have to worry about the house, we kept talking at home." I didn't feel like having everyone over for dinner tonight. "I love you, Noah, no matter what. Write me when you get home." "Yes, I do. Love you, too. More, less." He laughed and walked me to the door. We kissed, and I headed to the kids with Steve. The kids were broken when I picked them up, and they just wanted to eat and go to bed.

Back home Maggie did her homework and Andrew wanted to build something with his LEGO. Prett was preparing dinner for later. I checked on Will and my mom, and quietly knocked on the door, and when I didn't hear anything, I opened the door gently. They were both asleep snuggled together. It was kind of cute. Since everyone was busy at the moment, I decided to do some work. Just as I was about to sit down, the doorbell rang. Martin came up to me with Anabell. "Hey, I didn't expect you to be. How are you?" and we sat down in the living room. Prett brought us iced tea, and then left. "All right. Right now, I've got a lot of wrinkles about all of you. Will with the fire, and you and Nick with Michael. That sucks. My boyfriend is out with his friends for a week, too. Alone at home is not fun, so I thought I'd go say hello."

"That's nice of you to say hello to us. Will's sleeping and Maggie's doing homework. Andie's playing and Nick's still at work." She looked sad, as if she was depressed.

Just as I was about to ask what was going on, Andie came running to us with his stuffed toy. Where did he get it? Didn't it stay at home? "Grandmaaaa"

She laughed, and she held her arms open for him. He huddled up to her, and it was really cute to see them.