Chapter 126

Hannah

“Hannah… Hannah…” Noah moved on top of me, his warm body sliding against mine with soft, gentle strokes. He cupped the nape of my neck, peppering kisses along my neck and collarbone. I arched my back, surrendering to the pleasure radiating from my lower belly. “Oh, Noah…”

As I arched, I felt his pelvis grind gently against me. He moved in slow circles, his green eyes watching as mine rolled back. “Go on,” he murmured, his voice low and gravelly, like music. “Come…”

I couldn't hold back. It felt as if something inside exploded, throbbing heat spreading outwards. Every muscle pulsed, ripples of goosebumps trailing up and down my limbs until I felt numb.

“Hannah…”

“Noah…”

Suddenly, I awoke with a start. The throbbing sensation lingered, but the feeling of Noah slipped away like water through my fingers. He was gone—he had never been there. It had all been a dream. Or most of it, at least.

Only when the aching subsided did I open my eyes. I was still in the center of my bed, arms outstretched. Something warm and wet was in my panties.

I quickly sat up, my cheeks flushing. Carefully, I touched myself. My fingers weren't red, just warm and sticky.

My face burned crimson as I threw off the covers. I gasped at the small wet spot on the bed. Had the dream been so intense, so realistic, that I'd experienced an orgasm in my sleep? The tingling in my limbs suggested I had, and I felt utterly ashamed.

It wasn't the idea of a nocturnal emission that ashamed me. They were common, especially for pregnant women. But to have such a dream about Noah, the man I no longer loved… it felt like a betrayal.

I showered, scrubbing away the feeling, chiding myself. If only I had more control, I thought, it wouldn't have happened. If only… if only… if only.

By the time I showered and dressed, a shocking conclusion formed: I hadn’t been strict enough with myself. The best way to regain control? Skipping breakfast.

“Just coffee,” I muttered, pulling my hair back. Even though I trembled from hunger, I'd have lunch later. For now, I needed control. Everything needed to be under control.

I headed to the kitchen, agonizing over whether cream in my coffee would be a sin. I convinced myself it wasn't necessary; the extra calories would only make things worse.

Even though my legs shook and my knees buckled. Maybe I was thinking too much about the coffee, about the nocturnal emission, to think clearly. Maybe that’s why I missed the step.

Just as I thought about measuring my creamer with a half teaspoon, the world tilted. My stomach dropped. I reached for the railing, but it was too late. My feet were in the air, and…

Crack!

The edge of the step hit the back of my head, and everything went black.

I should have just had the creamer.

“I gave you this second chance for a reason,” a voice called from the darkness. “Do you not appreciate my gift?”

I strained to find the source. “No, I… I do appreciate it! More than anything!” I cried.

The Moon Goddess was silent. I stopped whirling, realizing her voice came from everywhere and nowhere. Trying to see her was futile.

“Then stop treating it like a burden,” she finally said. “You have to make the most of this second chance. Because I won’t give you a third.”

When I awoke, the first thing I noticed was the throbbing pain in my skull. Then, the softness beneath me.

For a moment, I wondered if it had all been a dream. Maybe I was waking up for the first time, and the dream, the coffee, and the stairs had all been a nightmare.

But then I tried to turn my head, winced at the pain, and felt a warm hand withdraw from my leg. It had all happened. Someone had moved me to my bed.

“Hannah?”

Noah’s voice floated through the void. I opened my eyes. He sat in a chair beside my bed, his chin in his hands, looking concerned. But he didn’t touch me. Not anymore.

“What… what happened?” I croaked.

Noah sighed and stood. “You fell on the stairs,” he said. “But you’re alright. The doctor said you just broke the skin. No concussion.”

I tried to sit up, failing. Even that felt too much. My hand fluttered to my belly.

“Was the doctor certain?” I asked.

“Positive,” Noah replied, heading for the door.

“Noah—”

“I have to go,” he interrupted, checking his watch impatiently. “You’ll be fine.”