Page 55 of Catching My Dreams

He shook his head. “I gave you every reason to.”

“Will you stay tonight?”

“I’d stay here every night if you let me.” His hands moved down to rest on her thighs. “I hate that you’re alone here.”

“It’s been okay.”

Noah’s eyes narrowed, and Ella knew he didn’t believe her lie. “Asher mentioned you haven’t been calling him, but something tells me that doesn’t mean your nightmares have stopped or that you feel safe here.”

She shrugged and risked worsening the pain in her neck by looking down at his chest. “I don’t want to bother him.”

“Fuck that shit. You’re his best friend.” His fingers tightened on her legs, but his grip was far from painful. Even when he was angry, his touch was careful. “You can call him when you need him. Better yet, call me, and I’ll be here.”

Ella licked her suddenly dry lips and lifted her eyes to his determined gaze. “The last time I called Asher because I was scared, he ended up in Brett’s basement.”

Noah’s face fell. “That wasn’t your fault, Ella. Brett would have gotten to Asher on another day if you hadn’t called him that night.”

“Yeah, because of me. Brett went after Asher because of me.” Ella’s voice broke on the last word, and she blinked back the sting in her eyes. “What if he does the same to you?”

“Then I’ll kill the bastard for what he’s put you through.” Noah sighed and released his grip on her thighs, only to pull her into a hug. “I need you to worry about yourself. Not me. I don’t care if you hear a creak on the roof or if you have a nightmare about spiders. You call me, and I’ll be here.”

Ella wrapped her arms around him and let herself relax against him. “If he hurts you, I’ll never forgive myself.”

“How do you think I’ll feel if he gets to you?” Noah asked. “Do you know how relieved I am every day when I see you on campus? Can you understand how much I’ve hated sleeping in my own bed and not knowing if you’re okay?”

Ella frowned. “You really worry about me that much?”

Noah pulled back and scoffed. “Are you kidding me? Every morning before I pick Chris and Brady up, I go out of my way to drive past your house to make sure there isn’t an ambulance or police car out front. Even then, I can’t be sure you’re okay, and it’s driving me fucking mental.”

Ella gaped at him. She’d thought he hated her, but he’d taken time out of his day to check on her without her even knowing. He’d dropped everything to be there for her when she needed him. He’d put her broken pieces back together, mending all the cracks he’d caused.

“Why would you do that for me?” she whispered.

“Because I care about you,” he replied like the answer was obvious. “And that’s why I need you to call me if you think for even a second that Brett might be around. Please promise me.”

Every logical and emotional part of Ella wanted to say no, but the pleading look in his eyes and the fact that he’d been looking out for her anyway had her going against her better judgment. “I promise.”

And with that promise came an almost startling sense of relief. She’d been living in fear for weeks, but she wasn’t alone anymore.

“Good.” He leaned forward and pressed a brief kiss to her lips. “Why don’t you go upstairs and shower while I let Archie out and lock up?”

Ella thought of how it always felt as though someone was watching her when she showered. She suppressed a shudder. “I have a better idea. Why don’t I help you lock up, and we can shower together?”

He smiled and lifted her off the counter, setting her back on her feet with a lot more care than was probably necessary. “Fine, but no funny business. Doctor’s orders.”

Ella laughed. She supposed Julian had told her to avoid strenuous activity. “Deal.”

16

Ella rolled over and stretched her arm out, seeking Noah’s very shirtless and very warm body, but her hand met only the cold sheet. Yawning, she opened her eyes to her dimly lit bedroom and searched the space for the six-foot-three man who’d been spooning her the last time she’d woken up.

She didn’t find him, and when she searched the bed for the significantly smaller Yorkie who’d been all too happy to welcome Noah into the fold, she didn’t find him either.

Ella smiled and rolled out of bed, the pain in her neck still severe but not enough to prevent her from doing so. The last time Noah had spent the night, he’d left before she woke, leaving her feeling used, but she suspected this time was different. True, the sound of a pot avalanche coming from downstairs may have helped her draw that conclusion. But even so, Ella knew things had shifted between them the day before.

So, instead of lying in bed and overthinking everything, she retied her hair in a bun and made her way downstairs in the jade green tank top and matching shorts she’d changed into after their disappointingly uneventful shower. Ella silently made her way to the kitchen, pausing on the threshold when she heard Noah speaking.

“You better keep this between us, okay,” he whispered to Archie. He was holding the Yorkie against his bare chest, and Ella had to bite back a laugh when she saw the piece of cheese he was giving her dog.

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