[BL] Dear Hushand, I want divorce-Chapter 139: Stop thinking about him!

IN PRESENT –

Ash was bubbling with excitement, bouncing around Noah’s apartment as he rambled on about his upcoming wedding plans. "Oh, and we should totally buy those gold-edged invitation cards! And I want the flowers to be in those cute vases we saw last week!" His words were racing, but Noah barely registered them, his gaze fixed on a spot on the wall, his mind elsewhere.

It wasn’t until Ash waved a hand in front of his face that Noah blinked back to reality. "Hey, earth to Noah. Are you okay?" Ash’s big, worried eyes stared at him, bringing Noah back from his twisted thoughts.

Noah quickly ruffled Ash’s hair with a soft smile. "I’m fine, silly. Stop looking at me like that."

Ash grumbled as he smoothed his hair back down. "You always mess it up when I finally get it looking good!" He extended his arms, showing off his outfit—a stylish jacket over a crisp shirt. "You think Elijah will like this for our date tonight?"

Noah rolled his eyes, leaning back on the sofa. "He better, or I’ll have to break his legs. Elijah needs to like everything about you. He’s not allowed not to."

Ash giggled, his face glowing with happiness, and for a brief moment, Noah’s heart warmed. It had been so long since he’d seen his friend this happy. Ash’s whole face lit up whenever Elijah was around, and Noah couldn’t help but feel a pang of joy for him. It was infectious.

But the lightness of the moment didn’t last long. Out of the blue, Ash’s expression turned serious as he asked, "So...why did you run off from the mall earlier? Right after Ryder showed up?"

Noah’s brow furrowed, the mention of Ryder immediately souring his mood. "I didn’t run away," he muttered, trying to sound indifferent. "I just remembered something I had to handle at the office."

Ash raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms in disbelief. "Oh, really? Right after Ryder arrived? Come on, Noah, I’m not an idiot. Something’s going on between you two."

Noah’s jaw tightened, but he quickly turned away, trying to shake off the question. He didn’t even want to think about Ryder, let alone talk about him. Every time Ryder crossed his mind, Noah felt a wave of exhaustion hit him. He was too drained to even begin explaining the mess that was Ryder Lawson.

So instead, he deflected. "Anyway, when’s Elijah coming to pick you up? You better not make him wait, he’s got the patience of a saint if he’s putting up with your rambling."

Ash pouted, instantly taking the bait to shift topics. "Don’t insult Elijah! He loves listening to me," he said defensively, his lips forming a cute, exaggerated pout.

Noah chuckled at the sight, amused. "Look at you, making that ducky face. No wonder he puts up with you. I bet he finds that face hilarious."

"I do not look like a duck!" Ash shot back, his playful irritation returning.

They were mid-bickering, trading insults about who looked more ridiculous, when a knock on the door interrupted them. Ash’s face instantly brightened, his eyes lighting up as he darted for the door. "That’s him!" he squealed, already reaching for the handle.

As soon as the door swung open, there stood Elijah, tall and composed, with a warm smile. The moment Ash saw him, his whole demeanor shifted, his happiness radiating from him like sunlight. Without hesitation, Ash leaped into Elijah’s arms, pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

Noah watched from the side, his lips twitching upward in a small smile as he saw the genuine affection between the two. Ash was glowing with joy, and for a brief moment, it was enough to make Noah’s heart feel a little lighter.

But as Ash and Elijah exchanged sweet words and inside jokes, Noah’s mind inevitably drifted back to Ryder. The mess of their last encounter weighed heavily on his chest. Despite all the joy in Ash’s life, Noah felt trapped in his own storm. Maybe one day things would change, but for now, he was content to see his best friend happy—even if his own heart remained a little broken. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

After Elijah and Ash left, the apartment suddenly felt emptier. Noah sighed, running a hand through his hair, thinking about what he needed to get done. He decided it was time for some grocery shopping. Slipping on a pair of casual clothes, Noah glanced at the mirror. He used to take extra care of his appearance—especially when he thought there might be a chance of running into Ryder. But those days were long gone. Now, he didn’t have to worry about anyone in particular noticing him, and the idea strangely made his heart sink.

Noah grabbed his keys and headed out, deciding to walk since he didn’t need much. But after shopping, the weight of the bags became more of a burden than he’d anticipated. His arms were straining as he balanced the groceries in both hands, trying not to drop anything on the way home.

Just as he was contemplating how dumb it was to leave the car behind, he spotted someone familiar out of the corner of his eye. Across the aisle, Ryder was standing, arguing with a woman. She was tall, strikingly beautiful, and looked like she was annoyed with whatever Ryder was saying. Noah’s heart skipped, his eyes narrowing as he watched them interact.

Of course. Noah thought bitterly. He moves on that fast. Good for him.

He quickly turned away, determined to take a different route and avoid the scene altogether. But before he could, Ryder’s eyes locked onto him. There was a brief pause where Ryder’s face lit up with surprise, and Noah felt his pulse quicken. Ryder’s lips parted as if he was about to call out to him, but Noah wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. Without a second glance, he marched off in the opposite direction, his chest tightening with every step.

Even as he walked away, Noah couldn’t shake the image of Ryder with that woman from his mind. He cursed himself, angry for even caring. Why the hell does it matter? He told Ryder to leave him alone, so why did it hurt so much seeing him with someone else?

His phone buzzed in his pocket, snapping him out of his thoughts. It was Ash.

"Hey! Do you need us to bring anything for you? We’re still out, so I thought I’d ask," Ash’s cheerful voice rang through the phone.

Noah tried to force himself back into the conversation, pushing Ryder out of his mind. "Nah, I’m good. But," Noah teased, "you better use protection after your date."

Ash let out an exaggerated groan. "Noah, seriously?!"

Noah chuckled, but the laugh quickly faded as his grip slipped and the bags in his hands tumbled to the ground. "Crap," he muttered, crouching down to gather the fallen items.

"Hey, you okay?" Ash asked through the phone, concerned.

"Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Just dropped some stuff," Noah replied, balancing the phone between his shoulder and ear as he tried to pick everything up. "Talk to you later, okay?"

After hanging up, Noah focused on gathering his groceries, frustration bubbling inside him. His thoughts kept drifting back to Ryder, despite how hard he tried to push them away. He was so absorbed in his own frustration that he didn’t even notice the footsteps approaching until a pair of shoes appeared right in front of him.

"Need some help?" came a familiar voice. Noah froze, mid-reach, his heart skipping a beat as his eyes trailed up from the fallen groceries to the pair of shoes standing in front of him. It took only a second for the recognition to hit.

Ryder.

Noah’s breath hitched as his gaze slowly traveled upward, and there Ryder stood, holding a bag of groceries in one hand, a small smile playing on his lips as if the entire situation was somehow amusing. Noah could feel his body tense immediately.

He shot up, standing straight and brushing off the dirt from his hands. "I don’t need your help," he said quickly, his voice clipped, but there was no real bite behind it. Noah bent down again, more aggressively this time, attempting to pick up everything himself.

Ryder didn’t move. "Looks like you’re struggling though," he pointed out casually, watching Noah with his arms crossed. "It’s kinda hard to do all that with two hands, let alone one."

Noah ignored him, not trusting himself to respond. He didn’t even want to be near Ryder right now, especially after seeing him with that woman. That beautiful woman.

Ryder sighed. "You’re seriously going to pretend you didn’t just see me back there?" His voice was lower, frustration seeping through.

Noah’s stomach twisted. Of course Ryder would bring it up.

"I didn’t see anything," Noah mumbled, his focus entirely on the task of shoving everything back into his bag. Just get it over with and leave.

Ryder’s hand shot out, grabbing a can that had rolled away. "You know, ignoring me doesn’t mean I’m not here."

Noah’s jaw tightened as he yanked the can from Ryder’s hand, shoving it into his bag. "Why do you care? You were busy with your...girlfriend." He spat the last word out more harshly than he intended.

Ryder’s eyes narrowed in confusion for a moment, then understanding flickered across his face. "Wait, you mean Lisa?" He almost laughed, clearly amused by Noah’s reaction. "You think I’m—"

Noah’s grip on the bag tightened, his knuckles white. "I don’t care who she is."