The Divorce That Brought Us Back novel Chapter 16

Eventually, the three of them became an inseparable trio.

That was when Nora's life finally became a little more bearable.

She studied relentlessly, striving to be excellent, pushing herself to be flawless. Yet, no matter how much she improved herself, the deep-seated inferiority and paralyzing fear she felt whenever she faced Maloney seemed permanently etched into her bones.

He had witnessed her at her absolute lowest.

In reality, Maloney probably didn't even remember saving her all those times.

After all, he was the unofficial guardian of The Gated Community. He was the one who settled disputes among the neighborhood kids, and Nora was just one of the many children he was "responsible" for.

It was just his duty.

Plus, they had been so young back then.

But to Nora, Maloney was an utterly irreplaceable existence.

The dim lighting of the bedroom outlined their silhouettes in the shadows.

Nora hadn't stopped crying.

At first, Maloney assumed he had just pushed her too hard and forced out physical tears.

Then he realized something was genuinely wrong.

"Are you in pain somewhere?"

Maloney stopped completely, his voice laced with infinite patience.

Nora clung to him and sobbed uncontrollably.

She didn't know if she was mourning her past, crying over her present, or terrified of her inevitable future.

She just felt an overwhelming sense of despair.

Maloney was genuinely shaken by her reaction.

He carefully double-checked to make sure she wasn't having cramps.

He figured his sudden intensity had overwhelmed her and made her feel wronged.

For the first time in his life, Maloney had truly let go and lost control.

He just couldn't hold back anymore.

A long while later, Nora exhausted herself from crying and finally went quiet, leaning submissively against his chest.

Maloney gently stroked her shoulder, his touch feather-light.

Like he was comforting a frightened child.

The atmosphere was warm and beautifully intimate.

Just as Maloney thought she had drifted off to sleep, the woman in his arms suddenly shifted.

Nora tilted her head back, looked him dead in the eye, and spoke slowly. "Maloney."

"Did you sign the divorce papers?"

Her voice was incredibly soft, like snowflakes drifting down in the dead of winter—weightless, yet carrying a bone-chilling cold.

The air in the bedroom instantly turned to ice.

Minutes dragged on in absolute silence.

Once there was a kid involved, walking away would be a thousand times harder.

Nora scrambled backward desperately. "W-wait, hold on... Wait a second! I-I don't want to have a baby..."

"Alright, then we won't have one." Maloney flawlessly reached into the nightstand and pulled out protection.

Nora was speechless.

Was this even allowed?

Nora backed herself all the way against the headboard, sitting on the pillows with literally nowhere left to run. She tried to scramble over the side table to escape, but Maloney hooked a long arm around her waist and dragged her right back into his chest.

"Stop fussing," Maloney coaxed in a low rumble.

"I'm not fussing!" Nora hated that word. She wasn't throwing a tantrum; she was completely serious.

Parker was always accusing Cassidy of "fussing," when the reality was that the men were simply completely dismissing them.

"Shh, let's just drop it for tonight. We'll talk tomorrow." Maloney's fingers threaded gently through her hair, soothing her as he leaned in, pressing a trail of soft, lingering kisses across her cheek.

Her frantic heartbeat slowly began to settle.

Nora was completely powerless against him.

The next morning, before Nora had even fully opened her eyes, she grabbed Maloney's arm and said, "We need to talk."

Maloney smoothed out the deep crease between her brows with his thumb and asked, "Are you free today?"

Nora replied, "Yes!"

Maloney said, "You're coming to the office with me."