Chapter 176: Beautiful
Thorne felt the warm droplets hit his face, and for a moment, he froze. Looking up, he saw Noelle’s tears streaming down, silent and unchecked. The sight unraveled something in him, a surge of panic blooming in his chest.
"Hey, hey, hey," Thorne said quickly, his voice soft but urgent. He sat up, reaching for Noelle’s face with trembling hands. Gently, he began wiping the tears away, his thumbs grazing over damp cheeks.
"No, don’t cry, my beloved star," he whispered, the nickname trembling on his lips.
Noelle tried to say something, but Thorne wouldn’t let him. "I’m sorry, okay?" Thorne said, his tone earnest as his hands worked to catch every tear.
"Please don’t cry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I—I just didn’t know how else to say what I needed to."
Noelle’s watery gaze met his, and the vulnerability in those green eyes made Thorne’s heart twist painfully. He cupped Noelle’s face, his touch reverent, and pressed their foreheads together.
"Listen to me," Thorne began, his voice low and steady. He traced a stray tear down Noelle’s left cheek with his thumb, as if erasing every sign of his pain.
"When I got upset, it wasn’t with you. I was angry at myself. At the thought that you could ever question your worth in my eyes."
Noelle blinked at him, lips parting as if to argue, but Thorne pressed on, refusing to let him interrupt.