Noah (The Mitchell/Healy Family #1)(45)
Author: Jennifer Foor

I woke a few hours later. The sun was bright coming in through the windshield. My mouth felt dry and my skin was sticky when I wiped it, reminding me of the champagne I’d consumed from Shalan’s body. I stared at my phone, knowing damn well she’d found the note and my number that was written on it. If she was going to call and ream me out, she would have done it already.

She hated me.

It aggravated me so much that I knew I’d be able to begin driving again without falling asleep. I started on my way, blaring the music so loud to hide my own anger from myself.

Every song that played reminded me of Shalan. It didn’t matter if it was Country, or Rock. The words came out of the speakers as if they were meant to hurt me. Then I heard the beginning of one of the songs she’d sang by Joplin. It was unusual to hear such an old song playing on the radio, so of course it was like someone was sending me a sign of my wrong-doing. I turned down the volume and beat on the dashboard, taking out my frustrations on the truck. I cursed and cut myself down, accepting that I’d made a huge mistake I could never take back.

Today was going to be the biggest day of her life, and I walked away. She’d begged me to be there and I’d given her my word.

I spent the rest of the day driving in silence, or listening to sports networks. By the time I pulled into the dilapidated hotel, I was exhausted and extremely irritated. I’d attempted to call Shalan twice and hung up before the hotel could ring to her room. There was no message I could leave for her that would make things good between us. She’d been abandoned again, and this time I was the culprit.

Not only had I cheated on my girlfriend with her sister, but now I’d taken an innocent girl and given her hope, only to leave her all alone after spending two nights taking away any trace of innocence she had left.

I didn’t deserve to have a relationship, and neither did my cousin’s ass**le boyfriend. Maybe in same ways we were the same.

I was already feeling punished, while his was going to come from the top of my fist, that I was certain of, even before I saw my cousin.

Nothing could have prepared me for how she looked. Sure, her face had time to swell up from the blows it had taken. She opened the door and looked away, ashamed of what I’d say. I grabbed her chin and forced her to look at me. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she fell against my chest. I held her there in my arms for a long time, letting her get a good cry in. She knew she was safe, and that as long as I was with her nothing would happen.

Her eye was swollen shut and the other was black all the way around. On that same side, her cheek was doubled in size. Purple and blue bruises covered it, from multiple blows hitting the same area.

“You’re okay now, Bells.”

She cried harder.

“When I find that f**ker, he’s dead. I don’t care if you never talk to me again. I’m goin’ to break his f**kin’ neck.”

My cousin couldn’t respond. She was too hurt both mentally and physically to take up for him any longer. After getting her to lay back down in bed, I sat down beside her and flipped through my phone.

It only took one ring for him to answer, and I didn’t leave him time to ask questions. “Noah, -.”

“I’ll be home tomorrow mornin’. I’m takin’ care of somethin’ for Bells first and then she’s comin’ to stay with me for a while. I just wanted you to know before I did it.”

My dad didn’t argue. Maybe he could hear how serious I was, or that he valued my relationship with my cousin. “Is she alright, son?”

“She will be. Listen, I know you don’t owe me any favors, and that we’re goin’ to have to talk when I get home, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t call her parents. Just let her tell them herself.”

“It ain’t my business. I’ll tell your mother you’ll be home for dinner.”

I hung up before I even agreed to eating with them. After seeing my cousin’s face, nothing mattered except getting her home. She needed to be comfortable and recover in the comfort of being in a familiar place, not in some shit-bag hotel room.

I checked my phone one more time for messages from Shalan, before I put my arm around Bells and closed my eyes. The two of us were pretty messed up. At least we’d be able to recover from our mistakes together, just like we did when we were kids. After all, if you don’t have your family, who do you have?

My mind went straight to Shalan.

She was all alone.

She’d never know what a real family felt like.

I hated knowing that.

Shalan

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d slept all the way through the night without waking up. Surely I thought it had to be because I was with Noah.

That’s when I opened my eyes and saw that he wasn’t in the room. I walked into the bathroom and noticed that his toothbrush was gone first. I then rushed back out into the room to discover that all of his things were gone.

I spotted the note on the table, but didn’t rush over to read what it said. I knew he was gone, and I’d never felt so alone.

For a while I sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the piece of paper on the table. I didn’t want to see his handwriting, and read the words that would definitely crush my soul. For some reason I’d thought of Noah as my protector, feeling that as long as he was with me, I’d be safe from anything bad happening.

Courage was something that I’d never been very good with. It took a lot of it to reach across that table and unfold the note. There was a wad of cash inside of it.

I traced my name that had been written in his handwriting.

The tears began.

Shalan,

The past few days have been great. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed someone’s company as much as I’ve enjoyed being with you. You’ll never know how much you being around helped me.

I know you’re pissed at me for leaving without explaining. I had a good reason, but none of that is enough to make you understand that it was the right thing to do. I have a life back home, and I can’t keep running away from it.

I’ll never regret meeting you, and sharing my time with you. I’ll never forget what it felt like to hear you sing for the first time, and every time after that. You’re so beautiful and so damn talented. Big things are going to happen for you. I hope you know that.

I’ve paid for the room for the rest of the week, and left you money for any expenses you may encounter to get where you’re going. Please don’t be angry with me too long. I didn’t leave because of you.