Our Fault

Nick worries about returning to LA before he’s settled things in New York. He misses Noah and realizes how much he loves her now.

Raffaella repeatedly calls Noah. She’s worried that they haven’t talked and is convinced Noah is hiding something. Panicking, Noah calls Nick and tearfully begs him to come home. He books a flight for that weekend. On Friday, Noah goes to the airport to meet Nick. She’s relieved when she sees him approaching in the crowd. Suddenly, shots ring out. Nick is hit and falls over. Steve lunges to protect Noah, and four police officers tackle the shooter.

Nick sees his “life flashing before [his] eyes” (346). Before losing consciousness, he tells himself he can’t die.

Steve drives Noah to the hospital behind Nick’s ambulance. Once there, the doctors inform Noah that Nick is “in critical but stable condition” (349). The doctors are operating on him for his bullet wounds. In the waiting room, Noah sees a report about the shooting, revealing the perpetrator was a former disgruntled LRB employee. William and Raffaella come to see Nick, and Noah worries how Raffaella will respond to her pregnancy. Instead of scolding her, Raffaella comforts and reassures Noah.

Two days later, Noah visits Nick for the first time since his surgery. She tells a sedated Nick everything she’s thinking and feeling. Finally, Jenna arrives and urges her to go home and rest. In the morning, she discovers Nick is awake.

Nick wakes up to find Sophia at his bedside. She heard the news and hoped they might get back together. Nick insists they can’t be together because he loves Noah, and they’re having a baby together.

After Nick’s discharge, Noah avoids spending time with him. She throws herself into work and school, afraid to tell him how she really feels. Finally one day, she admits that she was just afraid of losing him. They talk through their feelings, profess their love, and kiss. The next day, Nick tells Noah he wants to name the baby Andrew, after his grandfather. Andrew starts kicking, and Noah lets Nick feel her stomach.

Nick tries focusing on healing but feels angry about what happened to him. Meanwhile, he settles back into life with Noah. Whenever they’re together, he wishes they could have sex but doesn’t want to push Noah. Two weeks later, news breaks about Nick and Sophia’s breakup and Noah’s pregnancy.

Noah tries ignoring the media attention, but when the stories turn to her pregnancy, she feels uncomfortable. All the tabloid photos depict Nick as a hunky young entrepreneur, while the images of her are unflattering. Finally, one day Noah confronts Nick about the issue. She demands to know if they haven’t had sex because he’s embarrassed by her appearance. Nick grabs her, assuring her he wants to be with her. Then they kiss and have sex.

One day after Noah’s exam, Nick surprises her with a new house. He begs her to accept the gift no matter how their relationship turns out. Noah is thrilled. 

At the library one day, Noah runs into Michael again. His brother Charlie—who Noah befriended the year prior—shows up and calms Michael down. He gives Noah his new number, asking to talk.

When Noah is eight months pregnant, Nick throws a birthday party and baby shower for her at William and Rafaella’s house. He gives her back her pendant, which now has a blue stone for Andrew.

Noah spends the next few days preparing for Andrew’s arrival. She meets up with Charlie, determined to resolve their issues before the birth. Charlie insists Michael has changed and is now helping people with mental health concerns. Noah is glad but says she can’t have Michael or Charlie in her life anymore. They part on good terms.

Back at home, Nick gets upset when he learns Noah was with Charlie. They argue until Noah’s water breaks. Nick rushes her to the hospital.

After a long, difficult labor, Noah gives birth to Andrew. Over the following weeks, Noah and Nick settle easily into life with the baby. Then one day, Nick comes home with a ring and proposes. Noah accepts. 

A month later, Nick travels to San Francisco with Steve for work. He’s worried about Noah being alone, but she insists she’s fine. Then one night, she wakes up with a bad feeling and is shocked to discover someone in Andrew’s room.

Nick’s ex-girlfriend Briar is standing over Andrew’s crib with a knife. She insists that she’s taking him because she deserves a baby more than Noah. She explains that she got pregnant when she was with Nick, and William tried paying her to have an abortion. Briar refused, but the baby died not long after he was born. Suddenly Michael appears, revealing that he’s with Briar and has helped her take Andrew to hurt Noah and Nick. 

Noah remembers the panic button Nick installed recently and presses it just as Michael and Briar are about to leave with Andrew. The police appear, apprehend Michael and Briar, and give Andrew back to Noah. 

Later that night, Noah wakes up to find Nick holding Andrew. He promises never to abandon them again.

The next day, Noah explains what happened with Michael and Briar. Worried about Briar’s well-being, Noah goes to the hospital where she’s “being treated for bipolar disorder” (421). Nick apologizes for what happened to their baby, feeling sorry that he didn’t know she was in trouble.

Two years later, Noah graduates from college. Nick, Andy, Raffaella, William, Anabel, and Maddie cheer for her in the stands. At the house afterward, Nick takes Noah aside and kisses her, thrilled that they’re getting married tomorrow. They start touching each other despite their pact not to have sex before the wedding. Jenna barges in and scolds them.

Nick and Noah get married. After the ceremony, they head out on their honeymoon. Nick reflects on how happy he is on the way.

Eight years later, Noah and Nick are living in a new house with Andrew and their second child, Julie. Noah and Julie bake a cake for Nick’s birthday party while Noah reflects on the passage of time. When Nick returns home, she takes him outside and surprises him with a new Ferrari. They hug, kiss, and make plans to go racing.