Chapter 98

OLIVIA When Noah left, I cleared the food from the dining table and carried everything into the kitchen. I turned on the faucet and began washing the dishes, hoping the familiar routine would calm my restless thoughts. As I scrubbed and rinsed the plates, slick with soap, one by one, listening to the steady sound of running water, I felt the tightness in my chest slowly ease. With each plate I set aside, my breathing steadied, and little by little, I began to calm down. But when a tear slid down my cheek and fell into the sink, I turned off the faucet and raised my head blankly. Another tear followed, then another. I subconsciously rubbed my eyes, and the foam clung to my fingers slipped into them. The sting made me flinch, the discomfort sharp and sudden. And then I cried—loudly. Not because of the soap burning my eyes, but because of what had just happened between Noah and me. All I had ever wanted was to know whether he had liked me—Emma—or not. Even just a little. Just a little wou