The Quest for Epic

Chapter Forty Five

The building was silent; everyone has either gone home or was at my farewell party upstairs. I could hear the clickety-clack of my low heeled court shoes as I carried my things to my car in the underground parking lot.

It was brightly lit but never this silent and eerie. I felt goose bumps prickling over my skin as I had the strange sensation of being watched.

I looked around and upon seeing no one; I shook my head and kept walking.

I was just being overly emotional and paranoid.

I got to the passenger's side of my Sedan and quickly unlocked it, dumping my box on the seat unceremoniously. I was emotionally worn out and couldn't wait to get home, have a hot shower and sleep the rest of the night away.

I was opening the driver's side to slide in when I heard something so soft, I almost didn't catch it.

"Ellenore", it came again, this time louder.

The voice was unmistakable. My fingers froze midway and my heart threatened to burst out of my chest.

Slowly, I turned to see Noah emerge out of the shadows of the concrete pillar my car was parked in front of and start moving slowly towards me.

My body snapped out of its dazed state and I took a couple of steps back. "Wh-wh-what are you doing here?" I stammered.

He was the last person I expected to see here. A burglar or kidnapper would have been more welcome for crying out loud. At least they wouldn't make me feel like I was going to have a fucking heart attack at the ripe age of nineteen!

"I had to see you", he said softly, like it was the most normal thing in the world to hang around in the shadows of the parking lot of your ex-workplace just to see your ex-girlfriend.

I managed to take a breath to stable my frazzled nerves and took a long look at him. He looked worse than before, his eyes no longer bright and mischievous but filled with a dull aching look; it broke what little I had left of my heart into smaller fragments.

From the outside, he was still devilishly handsome dressed in a grey sweatshirt and dark jeans. Hell, even the scruff on his face and his longer hair added a more dangerous appeal to him.

But I knew something was terribly off, the poor sap was just as miserable as I was.

"Are you stalking me now? I could press charges you know", I said, my voice very small and unconvincing.

The corner of Noah's lips lifted in a smirk but there was no amusement in his eyes, just sadness. "I can't do this anymore, Ellie" he took a step closer and all the air escaped me.

"Do what?" I said in an unfortunately trembling voice.

"Pretend like I can be without you", in three quick steps, he was flush against me and before I realized what was happening and he pulled my hand into his "Pretend like I can do without touching you"

I couldn't speak, couldn't think, and could hardly even move as I stared up at him. He raised my hand and placed it over his chest. I could feel his heart beating furiously, almost as fast as mine. I couldn't help but curl my fingers over the heat seeping through his sweatshirt "This is as alive as I've felt since that night. I need you, Ellie. I want you back"

His admission left me reeling and also, reminded me of how we had gotten here in the first place. It was almost too painful to recall. Like I was burned, I quickly pulled my fingers from where they lay on his chest and turned my head away so I wouldn't have to look up at him.