Crossing lines (Noah and Aiden) novel Chapter 232

Chapter 232

“You really should have gone with them,” I said quietly when he slipped into my office during one of those rare moments.

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he closed the distance between us and kissed me, almost on impulse.

“Are you crazy?” I pushed him gently away, struggling with the surge of longing I felt. “They’re just outside. You have to leave now!”

But he pulled me back into another kiss, flashing one of those smug, victorious smiles that always made me weak.

“Now I can. Love you,” he murmured before slipping away again, leaving me trembling and more desperate than ever.

That moment marked my decision.

For the next week, I threw myself into work, burying my worries beneath piles of paperwork. I needed to prepare a backup plan, just in case everything fell apart.

I sifted through every document that could impact Noah’s future—scouting offers, scholarship applications, training programs. I made detailed notes on which contracts he should sign, which ones to reject. I wrote down everything I knew about the people who had approached me about him—the ones who genuinely wanted to help, and the ones who might take advantage. Every detail was carefully organized, signed, and dated. I was building a safety net for him, one he could rely on if I wasn’t there to guide him anymore.

Then came the letter I dreaded.

I never called it by its true name out loud. To myself, I told it was just another piece of paperwork, something to keep safe in case things went wrong. But as I sealed the envelope, my hands trembled uncontrollably.

Two days later, I visited Gabriel, an old friend who ran a notary’s office downtown. He scanned the first line of the letter, looked up at me, and asked softly, “Are you sure about this, Aiden?”

I met his gaze steadily. “Absolutely.” Even though every fiber of my being screamed in protest, my voice remained steady.

A soft laugh broke through, hopeful and light. “Yes, Sir.”

When the call ended, I sat there with the phone still in my hand, my throat tight as if I might choke. A single tear slipped free before I could stop it. I wiped it away quickly, as if erasing it could somehow erase the pain behind it.

—

Chapter 25L

There was no point in pushing him away now. The wheels were already turning. Only three weeks remained in the season before everything would change. It was easier to let him believe that everything was fine, to give him that fleeting illusion of peace—so he could stay focused and safe.

Before I could move forward with plan B—the one that would set him free but wouldn’t stop him from following me into exile and ruin—plan A had to be set into motion. A plan that would hurt him deeply but ultimately help him let go of me… for good.