The Sway and Slide of Love

Dylan had told Noelle he would call her at 11:00 pm. But it wasn't until midnight that she finally received his call.

"Is Rosie asleep?" he asked.

Noelle walked over to the balcony attached to the living room with her phone before answering, "Yup."

"Sorry. I was going to call you around ten something, but something came up, and I've been busy until now."

"It's okay. I was still awake anyway," Noelle replied quickly.

"Okay."

Then, silence suddenly fell between them.

The quiet stretched on just a little too long-long enough for both of them to sense that something felt off.

Dylan was the first to break it. "Did something happen?"noveldrama

"No," Noelle answered hastily, then asked, "Are you still really busy lately?"

"Yeah, more or less. It's mainly dealing with some shareholders pulling out. You know how it is the company hasn't officially gone bankrupt yet, but if they all pull out at once, it'll have a more direct impact. So I—"

Dylan's voice trailed off. Then, he chuckled and said, "Why am I even telling you all this? It's nothing, really. Just standard procedures."

"Are you having a hard time lately?" Noelle suddenly asked.

Dylan didn't respond.

She was about to ask more, but he cut in, "What's really going on?"

This time, his tone carried a note of certainty.

Noelle slowly bit her lip. Then, she said, "Nothing's going on. I just suddenly felt

like I owe you an apology. After all, it's because of me that you're going through so much right now."

Dylan stayed silent.

Noelle clenched her hand and continued, "If it weren't for me, you would've—"

But Dylan didn't let her finish her sentence. Instead, he asked her, "Did my mother come to see you?"

His pinpoint accuracy left Noelle momentarily at a loss for words.

Dylan let out a soft chuckle. "I knew it. What did she say to you? Did she tell you to break up with me?"

"No-"

"Then, what? That you've ruined my life and should stay away from me? Is this why you were in such a hurry to talk to me today? Are you planning to break up with me now?"

As Dylan spoke, his voice grew increasingly tense.

Sensing this, Noelle quickly said, "No. I'm just a little scared."

Her words seemed to ease some of the irritation in his voice. Then, he asked, "What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid you'll regret this," Noelle replied softly. "And even more than that, I'm afraid I'm not as good as you think I am-that I'm not worth the sacrifices you're making

Dylan fell silent.

In those few seconds of quiet, Noelle had no idea what he was thinking. Anxious,

she couldn't help but ball her hands into fists.

She had long since grown used to being abandoned. In fact, she wouldn't blame Dylan if he were to change his mind now. And yet, she could still feel her chest tightening at the thought. She was even a little afraid to hear his answer.

But then, Dylan suddenly laughed.

The abruptness of it caught Noelle off guard.

But before she could react, he said, "Noelle, I'm a grown man. I know what I'm doing, and I've never liked blaming anyone for anything. Sure, maybe the root of some things lies with you, but I'm the one wholet things get to this point."