Chapter 96

NOAH “Sorry, I drank too much last night.” I pursed my lips, genuinely surprised that I had called Emma’s name in front of Olivia. Calling out another woman’s name while facing someone else was absurd—almost cruel in its own way. I looked at Olivia and vaguely sensed her unhappiness. I understood it too. If I were in her position—if Olivia had hugged me and called out Liam’s name—I wouldn’t feel just unhappy. I would feel humiliated. I didn’t know how to express myself. Everything felt complicated. I wanted to explain, yet blaming it all on being drunk sounded like nothing more than a pretext, an excuse used by a scumbag who didn’t want to take responsibility. I had thought I was slowly forgetting Emma. I had never intended to treat Olivia as a substitute for her, even though I couldn’t deny that they shared certain similarities. Last night was Daniel’s birthday, and everyone was there. I drank far beyond my limit. I never expected that I would call out Emma’s name, that I would lose c