-Willow-
“You okay?” Noah’s thumb traced over my bottom lip.
“Uh, yeah.” I answered quickly. “Just tired. It’s been a long day.” The note felt like it was burning a hole in my pocket.
Noah placed a finger under my chin to tilt my head up. “Get some rest and you know where to find me if you can’t sleep.”
I nodded and leaned in to give him another kiss. “I’ll most likely come find you when your parents go to bed.” I smiled.
He returned a smile, “I’ll be waiting then.” He gave me a longer kiss and I stood up off of his lap. I watched him run up the basement stairs and the door closing behind him.
Minutes have passed and he hasn’t come back for anything. I assumed it was safe and quickly pulled the note from my back pocket. It read:
“I know where Scott is and I can help you get him out. Below is a number. Text that number and I’ll send you an address. And taking that number to the cops isn’t going to help him. You have until tomorrow at Midnight. If not, I’ll let Boss take care of him.
P.S. Leave Noah out of this.” And below that was a number scribbled down.
The hell I’m going to leave Noah out of this.
Even though I know he’s not going to let me go alone.
What I don’t understand is why me. Why didn’t she just go to Noah? But I have a chance to get Scott back. I don’t even know if we can trust her. What if it’s a trap? With that thought, I did want to leave Noah out of it. It would be to protect him just like he’s protected me, right? I can’t lie to Noah again. I can’t keep things from him.
But I will if it means protecting him. I’ll take my chances.
Again with the part about trusting her. I have no idea who she is or why she looks like the female version of Scott. Maybe Leo has more secrets than I care to even know.
Without even thinking, I pulled my phone from my pocket and started putting in the number. I gave her my answer and waiting for a text back. A few minutes of pacing back and forth, and my phone buzzed in my hand with a new message. I opened it quickly and it read: “Don’t bring the cops or you’ll regret it.” And below that was an address in Huntington and a time for Saturday night.
Noah was right about Huntington.
Or it could just be another trap.
At this point, I would do anything to protect Noah. And for now, I’m not going to tell him about this until I find out what it is. It could be too late if I go. She told me to leave Noah out of it for a reason. Whatever that reason may be, I’m going to leave Noah out of it.
I sucked in a breath and exhaled slowly. Everything is going to be okay and I’m going to get Scott back. I’ll be sure to have daggers tucked into my boots and everything will be okay.
Let’s not jinx it.
I cleared my mind and collected clothes for my shower. I heard the TV on and Leo and Carrie faintly talking in the family room. I made my way up the stairs and to Noah’s room. The door was only cracked a little so I pushed it open. Noah was sitting at his desk, actually doing his homework. It made me smile. Something as simple as Noah doing homework made me smile. “You’re staring.” He mumbled without looking up from his paper.
“And?” I took a few steps closer to him.
“It’s distracting.” He continued writing, not looking up.
I smiled and sauntered towards him. “You want to talk about distractions, Noah?” I stood behind him, draping my arms over his shoulders after dropping my stuff to the ground.
He tensed up under my touch and it made me smile more. I slid my hands down his torso and he sucked in a shaky breath. “Willow—”
“You didn’t let me do my homework. What makes you think you’re allowed to do yours?” I tilted my head enough to look at him. My lips only inches from his jaw.
A smile crept on his face. “Don’t start something you don’t plan on finishing.” I buried my face into his neck, letting my lips graze over his skin.
“Are we talking about my homework earlier?”
A deep chuckle rose from his throat. “Unlike your homework—”
“Don’t finish that sentence.”
He laughed again and put a hand over one of mine. “Don’t you have a shower to take?”
“Hmmm. Are you offering?”
Noah threw his head back, another laugh threatening to spill from his smiling lips. “If my parents were in bed, you know I wouldn’t hesitate.”
With that, I completely withdrew myself from him, picked my clothes up from the floor, and stood in the bathroom doorway. “Bummer. I have a hard time reaching my back.”
He shook his head, “You have no idea what you just started.”
I smirked. “Oh, no. I do.” I closed the door quickly so I didn’t have time to change my mind.
The warm water of the shower relaxed me only for a few moments.
My mind decided to start thinking about negative possibilities. If something were to happen to me, I don’t know what Noah would do. Not saying he would do something drastic, but I wouldn’t put it passed him. When he found out about Alex when he was missing, he almost lost it. It was the only time I saw Noah cry and we don’t talk about it.
And that’s okay.
Maybe me going by myself and not telling Noah is selfish. Or at least that’s what he would tell me. And he would then tell me that I’m too trusting. I trusted Noah when I probably shouldn’t have. I trusted him when I was told he murdered someone. And for what? I still don’t know. Like I told him. I would do it all again if I had to.
Noah has been one of the best things to happen to me and I don’t know what I would do if I lost him. Those months when he was gone was one of the worst experiences I’ve had. And now I’m not taking any chances of losing him again.
And that means meeting someone I don’t even know.
Putting trust in this person to save another person’s life. How screwed up does that sound?
The water turned cold after rinsing out my hair. I stepped out of the shower, drying off and getting dressed quickly. I put my hair into a braid and brushed my teeth. My usual routine. When I walked back into Noah’s room, he was in bed. The only light coming off of his laptop he had left open. I closed the computer quietly and walked to the other side of his bed.
I stepped out of Noah’s room for a second to listen for any noise downstairs and I didn’t hear anything, so I’m assuming his parent’s went to bed. I padded quietly to the other side of the bed and slipped under the blankets. Noah stirred a little. He turned on his side, facing me. He wrapped an arm around my waist and our legs tangled together. I lifted my head a little to leave a kiss on his jaw before pressing my face against his neck. “Don’t forget to wake me up.” I muttered.
But for some reason, he always does. It’s not like we’re going to do anything with the door opened anyway.
School seemed to drag on on Friday. It was only my second class and I wanted to just curl into a ball and sleep. I felt a poke against the back of my shoulder and I turned around to face Noah. “Don’t forget about our plans tonight.” He smirked.
Shit.
“Yeah, I just gotta take Alex to Ryan’s.”
He nodded. “Then you’re finally mine.”
That brought a smile to my face. It was my idea in the first place because I want to spend as much time with him as I can.
I haven’t talked to him about the note and the more I delay, the more I don’t want to show or tell him about it. The same thought goes through my head every time. And if it keeps him out of danger, I’m all for it.
Something else that’s been bugging me is Mist. Noah hasn’t talked about going back there. To work or even go in Scott’s office. I’m definitely not going back to work there and Scott’s not here to force Noah to work. Sometimes he’ll leave on the weekends for band practice, but other than that he doesn’t talk about Mist.
Maybe Scott’s office could help, now that I think about it. He could have something stashed away or even hiding in plain sight. It could also be another dead end.
These are things I shouldn’t be thinking about in School. And definitely things I shouldn’t be thinking about when Noah’s looking at me like I’ve gone mad. “You sure you’re okay?” He asked.
I nodded quickly, “Sleep hasn’t been kind.”
“Does Princess need cuddles and a nap?” He teased, leaning over his desk.
I narrowed my eyes, sending him a glare. In reality, it doesn’t sound like the worst idea he’s had. “Only if you’re offering.”
“Only for you.”
My heart fluttered. Something that hasn’t happened in a while. “It’s a date then.”
It’s crazy how Noah can go from trying to rip his hair out to being the most careless person I’ve ever met. He knows how to shut certain parts of his brain off and I really wish I knew how as well. It’s very impossible.
After school, I rode home with Noah instead of taking two cars this morning. We were going to the same place anyway. It took everything in me not to fall asleep on the short ride home. I wasn’t lying when I said I couldn’t sleep. That note keeps haunting me. The thought about Sunday is making me want to bury my head in the sand.
Noah led me up to his room like he has everyday this past week. Not for anything physical, even though I’m sure that wouldn’t hurt. We’ve actually started doing homework together with only minimal distractions and limited goofing off.
His bed has never looked so comfortable than it did right now.
My shoes were off and then I got into his bed without another word.
“Get some sleep. I’ll take Alex to his friends.”
My smile was weak and my eyes were already closing. “You’re the best.”
Noah left a small kiss on my forehead before closing me in his room. It only took five minutes for sleep to finally take over.
When I woke up, I felt the weight of Noah’s stare before I even turned around. I pushed myself up in the bed and attempted to rub the sleep from my eyes. “It’s still creepy when you do that.”
He didn’t look amused. He looked grade A pissed off. “Want to tell me what this is?” I looked down at his hands and in between them was a piece of paper that was folded at one point.
“How did you get that?”
“Your phone was ringing in your bag.” He threw the note on the bed and I quickly snatched it.
I stood up from the bed, folding the note and putting it in my pocket. But it was clearly too late. “I wasn’t going to tell you—”
“I can see that.” His voice rose a bit. “Who is it from?”
My heart was pounding and it was hard to even think of anything to say. “I-I don’t know. I don’t know her name.”
Noah stood and I took a step back. “Well then how the hell did you get it?”
“She cornered me in the restaurant bathroom Wednesday. She knew who I was.”
Clearly. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
“Did you not read all of it? I was told to keep you out of it.”
He ran his hands through his tousled hair roughly. “Don’t keep things like this from me! I don’t care what it says, don’t keep things from me!”
Now he was making me angry. “I did it to protect you!” I shouted. “Everything I’ve done is to protect you! If I can help without you getting hurt, I’m going to do it.”
He clenched his jaw, his gaze scanning my face. “It’s not your job to protect me. It’s my job to protect you. I can take care of myself.”
“It’s not a job, Noah. It’s something we do. We protect each other. You shouldn’t have to take care of yourself when I’m willing to help.”
He rubbed a hand over his jaw, his features relaxing. “I’m not letting you get hurt for me.”
“That’s why I didn’t tell you. I knew you wouldn’t let me go.”
Anger flared in his eyes again. “Your damn right I wouldn’t let you go!”
“I’m going, whether you want me to or not. I already told her I would meet her.”
“You did what?” Noah took a step forward. “You’re not going—”
“You can’t stop me.”
He crossed his arms again. “I can’t, you’re right. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to try. What you’re doing is stupid.”
I scoffed, “Trying to keep you safe is stupid?”
“Yes, it’s stupid. And If I have to lock you in the basement for the next ten years, I will. You’re not going and I’m not talking about it anymore.”
He couldn’t stop me from going. “You don’t understand what you’re doing.” I clarified. “She wants to help us get Scott back before it’s too late—”
“You trust her and you don’t even know who she is.”
I didn’t nod. I didn’t trust her but it’s the only lead we have. I then decided to leave the part about her looking like Scott’s long lost twin. “I don’t care. I’m going.”
Noah was two seconds away from losing what patience he had left. “You’re going to get yourself killed, Willow. Do you not know what that’s going to do? To me? To your parents? To Ash? Did you not think about any of that?”
Of course I thought about it. But I would protect them before myself. “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to Scott.” I admitted. “I need to do this, Noah.”
It was about protecting both brothers at this point.
Except one of them is stubborn as hell and won’t let me go.
His face softened and he closed the gap between us. He held my face in his hands, stroking his thumbs over my cheeks. “You’re not doing this alone, okay?”
Part of me was relieved, but another part was on full alert. This is what I was avoiding.
But I nodded.
Noah kissed my forehead and brought me into his arms. I pressed my face against his chest as tears threatened to spill out. “We’re going to figure it out.” He continued softly. “Together.”
I tilted my head back to look up at him. “I don’t want you to—”
“I know.” He smiled weakly.
He brought me towards the bed again and I laid back down.
Noah made is way to the other side, but before getting in, he pulled his shirt over his head. I wanted to make a snarky comment, asking if it was necessary. Then went his jeans that he traded for a pair of black sweats that hung low on his hips. He lowered himself beside me and opened his arms, “I think I owe you something.”
I didn’t hesitate to move into his arms, resting my head against his shoulder. “Thank you.”
“For?”
“Everything.” I kissed his jaw and he sighed in response.
Something about the small gesture made me smile.
Noah was mine. All mine. He made me feel safe when I wasn’t. Made me feel loved without even saying it. He made me feels things I didn’t know was possible.
I felt alive with Noah. Never a short lived feeling.
I left another kiss on his jaw and I could tell he was content.
My hand traveled down the hard plains of his stomach, moving up swiftly to rest on his side. I absentmindedly traced my finger over the feather tattoo located on the side of his ribs. It was a tattoo I never paid much attention to before. It was maybe six inches and very detailed. It stood out against Noah’s tanned skin. “Why a feather?” I asked, still moving my finger around the edges of the ink.
He looked down at me, a smile pulling at his lips. “It reminded me of you.”
“Me?” I asked, a little stunned. “How?”
He held his smile. “Delicate and beautiful on its own.”
Don’t cry, Willow, don’t cry. “Seriously?” There was nothing sarcastic about it. I was more shocked than anything and I was fighting the urge to cry.
Noah brushed his thumb over my chin, “It’s undeniably cheesy, I know.” He laughed a little. “But it was kind of like having a part of you with me. When things became too much, when all I wanted was to see you, I would look at and tell myself that you’re better off.”
Now I was crying. “How could you think I would be better off?”
“Do you know how hard it was to watch you go through all of that with Scott? It was like every nerve in my body was on fire. I couldn’t let that happen again.”
His words sunk into me. “But you came back.”
“I always was ultimately selfish when it came to you.”
I kissed him without thinking twice about it. “I love you.” I mumbled against his lips.
Noah smiled against my lips and pulled me forward. Our lips met again, more hunger behind his kiss. I moved to straddle his hips, not breaking our heated kiss. A fire lit inside me, desire bubbling under my skin. My shirt was removed before our lips met again. Noah wrapped an arm around my waist, flipping me over to my back. “How much time do we have?” I asked.
He looked up at the clock on his bedside table. “Two hours. Give or take.”
“Perfect.”
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Finally an update, yay! haha. Another slow chapter, but it's leading up to the good stuff! The next chapter will be a bit short because it'll be in Scott's point of view!
Comment with your thoughts, I love reading them! :) And if you have music suggestions, those are amazing as well.
Song: Only Hope by Secondhand Serenade