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3rd Person POV:
Keith loosened his tie as he entered the softly lit bedroom. The gentle rustle of his suit jacket filled the air as he placed it over the chair. His eyes found her sitting at the edge of their king-sized bed, still in her silk robe, looking distant and lost in thought.
He approached quietly, his footsteps muted by the carpet, and leaned down to kiss her temple. She didn't shift or smile, just stared vacantly ahead, which made his chest tighten with worry.
"What's wrong, sweetheart?" he asked with warmth in his voice, a soft tone that emerged whenever concern crept in.
Helen sighed, her fingers gripping the edge of the blanket. "It's Noah," she said, her voice wavering with emotion. "He's been... off lately. He hardly talks to me, locks himself in his room, always by himself, almost like he's fading away, Keith."
Keith straightened, running a hand through his hair as he settled beside her. "Teenagers go through phases," he offered, though his tone lacked assurance. "Maybe he's just adjusting. Everything's new—the house, the family."
Helen shook her head, tears shimmering in her eyes. "No, it feels deeper than that. I can sense something's wrong. He won't even look at Adrien now and flinches whenever they're in the same room."
A frown creased Keith's face, his jaw tightening. "Did they have a fight?"
"I don't know," Helen replied, settling her chin on her hand.
Keith let out a slow breath, massaging the back of his neck as he gazed at her. The worry etched on Helen's face tugged at him, but he still managed a comforting smile. "Maybe you're overthinking it a bit," he said gently. "They just need more time to adjust to each other. Blending families takes time, you know?"
Helen looked up, doubt lingering in her eyes. "Do you really believe that?"
"I do," Keith assured her, his voice steady, though a crease of uncertainty formed on his brow. "Noah and Adrien are both strong-willed. Eventually, they'll learn how to share space. Maybe all they need is a fresh environment to connect."
At that, a flicker of hope sparked in Helen's eyes, pushing through the clouds of concern. "A change of scenery," she murmured, her face brightening as a plan formed in her mind.
"What if we finally go on that family bonding trip you mentioned a while back? The one you said you wanted to organize after the wedding?"
Keith blinked, letting out a quiet chuckle. "The beach trip?"
"Yes!" Helen's voice rose with excitement. "The kids could really use that break, and perhaps away from school and the stress, they might actually interact like normal people." She smiled, the weight in her tone lifting.
"It would be good for all of us, don't you think?"
Keith studied her for a moment, taking in the hope swirling in her eyes—the longing for peace, for family, for things to finally feel right. For her sake, he couldn't refuse.
He nodded with a gentle smile. "Alright. I'll make some calls and find a place that's private. We'll go during the school's winter break."
Helen's face lit up. "Really?"
"Really," he affirmed, his voice softening. "If it'll bring you joy, we'll make it happen."
Without hesitation, Helen leaned in and kissed him, beginning softly, then deepening, a kiss that expressed relief and affection all at once. Keith smiled against her lips, an arm wrapping around her waist, pulling her closer, until the tension between them transformed into something warm—something familiar, like the life they were trying to build together.
When she finally pulled back, Helen rested her head against his shoulder, a small yet hopeful smile gracing her lips. "Maybe this will finally bring us all together," she whispered.
Keith pressed a kiss into her hair, his expression unreadable in the dim glow. "Yeah," he murmured. "Maybe it will."
Noah's POV:
"...And Ethan Seymour with Noah Valentine."
Mrs. Owens' voice rang out clearly in the classroom, yet my mind struggled to process it.
"W–what?" I blinked, once and then twice, my pen hovering uselessly over the page as if it could somehow rewrite what I'd just heard.
"You will be working with Noah Seymour for the semester project," she repeated, my stomach performing Olympic-level flips. "Pay attention, Noah."
The classroom suddenly felt too cramped, too bright, and way too loud, with chairs scraping and whispers bubbling up as everyone reacted to their assigned partners. I just sat there, stunned, as if the universe had glitched. Mrs. Owens had to be joking—Ethan Seymour? Out of everyone in this class?!
Tentatively, I turned around, almost fearful of confirming what I feared was true. And there he was...
Ethan, with his golden hair and easy blue eyes, looking as if he stepped straight out of a teenage drama. His gaze locked onto mine instantly, his lips curving into a friendly smile, making me feel a tightness in my chest. I panicked and looked away so rapidly that my neck would have snapped right off.
"Okay, partners, once I'm finished with the list, you'll have the rest of the period to start brainstorming," Mrs. Owens continued, flipping through her clipboard casually as if she hadn't just blown my social stability to pieces.
I heard giggles and whispers rise around me, Vanessa saying something loud enough to inspire laughter, undoubtedly about me. My palms were already damp with sweat.
When the teacher finally released us to team up with our partners, I took a deep breath, attempting to convince myself that maybe Ethan wouldn't remember, maybe it would be fine, maybe—
"Hey, Noah."
His voice was warm and way too close. I turned to see him standing next to my desk, hands casually tucked in his pockets, that same friendly smile still in place.
"So, looks like we're partners," he said, tilting his head slightly. "Guess Mrs. Owens has a knack for matching people."
I blinked at him, searching for words that wouldn't come out as pure nonsense. "Uh—yeah. Yeah, I suppose so." My voice cracked halfway through, naturally.
He chuckled softly—not cruelly, but in a way that made my face heat up even more. "Don't look so tense. I promise I'm not that difficult to work with."
"Oh, I'm not nervous," I lied, well aware that my shaking hands were probably betraying me. "Just... surprised."
"Well, I'll take that as a compliment," he said with a grin, before pulling up a chair beside mine. "So, what do you think we should do for our retelling? Mrs. Owens mentioned we could choose any classic romance. Something dramatic, maybe?"
My mind raced for any suitable answer.
"Uh... maybe Romeo and Juliet?" I blurted out, instantly regretting my choice. Right, the forbidden lovers—a brilliant pick, Noah. Very subtle.
Ethan raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Tragic and romantic—a classic choice. You know, that might actually work."
I could only nod, wishing the ground would swallow me before I could turn any redder.
Why, God...why me?