Whats She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 73

Chapter 73

Kaia had zero interest in playing cards with Noelle and Finnian. She was only here because her daughter wanted to come.

“No thanks. You guys go ahead. I’m going to take Brynlee over to the meadow to play.” With that, Kaia took Brynlee’s hand and walked away.

Noelle kept the smile plastered on her face, shrugging her shoulders. “Surely Kaia isn’t upset? I was only joking! I was trying to compliment her!”

“Miles, are you in?” Julian nudged a distracted Miles.

“I think I’ll just relax for a bit. You guys play.” Miles was generally the most grounded of the group, so he naturally gave up his spot to keep the peace.

“Finnian, you sit across from me. We’re going to completely crush them.” Suddenly struck by a competitive streak, Noelle called out to Finnian, who had been sitting quietly.

“Finnian, don’t team up with her. Team up with me! I need you!” Julian teased, intentionally trying to thwart Noelle.

“Finnian…” Noelle suddenly whined, drawing out his name. That single sound instantly threw everyone back to their wild, carefree youth.

Back then, Noelle was the spoiled princess, with both Sanders brothers acting as her personal bodyguards. No one dared cross her, especially when she used that sweet, pleading tone. If she asked, the brothers would have walked through fire for her.

Finnian sounded helpless but incredibly fond. “Alright. Let’s play a few rounds.”

A short distance away, Kaia couldn’t hear what they were saying, but when she glanced back, she saw Finnian sitting opposite Noelle, clearly partnered up.

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“Mommy, look what I dug up! Is it a centipede? It’s scary!” Out here, Brynlee was like a wild little rabbit, hopping around, poking and digging at everything.

“That’s a millipede. Step back so you don’t squash it. Seeing her daughter’s adorable,

startled reaction swept away a good portion of the gloom in Kaia’s chest.

Just then, her phone buzzed with a text message/It was a video from Silas. There was no text attached, just the number ‘2‘, as if he were cataloging evidence.

Confused, thinking it was work–related, Kaia tapped to play the video.

The footage was old, the resolution grainy.

The setting was a teenager’s bedroom. A desk was cluttered with academic trophies and model cars.

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Chapter 73

A twenty–something Finnian sat at the desk. You could already see the sharp, handsome lines of the man he would become.

His eyes were closed, his head tilted back slightly, his Adam’s apple prominent. He looked relaxed, though if you looked closely, you could see a trace of stubborn teenage

awkwardness.

Standing right next to him was a young, fresh–faced Noelle.

She was wearing a white sundress, her hair in two pigtails. She held a razor in her hand, carefully and gently scraping away the light stubble on Finnian’s jaw.

“Don’t move, or I’ll hit you!”

The young man clearly wasn’t thrilled about letting her do this, but Noelle, like a fierce little kitten, held him down against the chair with one hand.

Her eyes were entirely focused and incredibly soft. Finnian’s gaze drifted past her, staring out the window, before he closed his eyes again.

Because of the camera angle, the sunlight streaming through the window bathed them both in a faint, golden halo.

Then, a female voice drifted into the room: “Noelle, are you done? We have to go!”

Kaia’s fingers went stiff. Ice spread through her veins

She held her breath, exhaling in a slow, jagged breath.

The video practically bled the raw, undeniable intimacy of youth.

This went far beyond the boundaries of a brother–in–law and his brother’s girlfriend. This was the easy, private trust of two childhood sweethearts sharing an intensely vulnerable moment.

The video was short–only a few dozen seconds long. It ended on a freeze–frame: just as Noelle used a towel to gently wipe the shaving cream off his face, Finnian heard the voice at the door and opened his eyes.

“Mommy, come here! I found a little white rock!”

Brynlee’s sweet voice yanked Kaia back to reality.

She steadied herself. Her tiny daughter was squatted on the grass, using a stick to pry out a smooth white stone. She pointed at it with a tiny finger. “Mommy, can I throw it?”

“I can throw it really, really far!”

Kaia’s mind was in absolute chaos. Her heart felt like it was being crushed by invisible hands, shattering into pieces. Every single shard reflected that blinding, youthful intimacy from the video.

So that was it.

Chapter 73

It was never about taking responsibility for his dead brother’s widow. It was about a deep, unspoken bond forged when they were teenagers.

“Mommy, watch me! I’m going to throw it!” Brynlee wound up her little arm, her face a picture of absolute joy.

Looking at her child, Kaia’s heart felt heavier than lead.

“Okay, throw it as hard as you can. I’m watching,” Kaia replied mechanically.

Shaving his face?

That was a level of physical intimacy even Kaia had never shared with Finnian.

But Noelle had owned that right since Finnian’s most awkward, unguarded years.

After playing for over an hour, Brynlee’s eyelids started to droop. She was ready for her afternoon nap.

Kaia carried her back to the tent, and the little girl fell into a deep sleep, safe in her mother’s warm embrace.

A few minutes later, Finnian ducked into the tent holding a cup of warm water.

“Is she asleep?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Kaia replied, keeping her eyes cast down, her voice barely a whisper.

When Finnian handed her the water, Kaia didn’t take it. He set it on the small camp table beside them. His dark, complicated gaze rested on Kaia’s face for a moment. “I’ll stay with Brynlee. Go out and enjoy yourself for a bit.”

“No need. I don’t feel like playing.” Kaia couldn’t even put words to the cocktail of emotions churning inside her.

She had honestly believed she was untethered, that she could easily walk away. But when the time came to actually tear herself away, she realized how much energy she had already. invested. Letting go was going to be excruciating.

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