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~Bella's POV
After settling in his room, Noah suggested we watch some movies as it was late, one of those soft, quiet nights where the world outside felt like it had finally taken a breath. I sat cross-legged on the couch in my apartment, a bowl of popcorn balanced between Noah and me. The TV flickered with the glow of some old comedy we picked at random, half-watching, half-talking. He laughed louder than he should have at the dumb jokes, and I let myself laugh too, not because they were funny, but because it felt good to hear him sound like that again. Light. Free.
The couch was littered with blankets, and our coffee mugs were growing cold on the table, but I didn't care. This was peace. This was the kind of moment I'd always dreamed about when the nights used to be too long, too loud with worry.
