Page 4 of Keeping Noelle

They’ve always been terrible. They’ve treated Noelle like crap for as long as I can remember. She’s more like their servant than their daughter. It’s why I want to take her away from that house and those people. I want to be her family, to take away any of the pain that they’ve caused. I’ve always wanted to rescue Noelle, to take her away from her toxic family and make her happy. Buying this cabin was step one of that plan.

“Here’s the next bedroom.”

She steps into the room and looks around.

“You may really need me,” she murmurs. “This one doesn’t even have a bed,” she points out.

“It has that mattress.”

“Did it come with the house?” She asks, and I try to bite back a smile.

“Maybe.”

“You should just toss it. It looks like it’s seen better days.”

“Got it.”

I drag her to the last bedroom, and she steps inside.

“Okay, this one. I want to stay in this one,” she says and I laugh.

Good.

This is the only other bedroom that I even kind of sort of set up, and that was strictly because I wanted her to have a place in the house until she moved into my room and started sleeping in my bed.

I set her duffle bag down on the end of the bed, and her stomach growls. She blushes, embarrassed, but I just squeeze her hand and start to lead her back downstairs.

“Wait! Can I see your room?” She asks shyly.

“Sure. I’m right next door,” I tell her as I lead her into my room.

She steps in front of me, and I watch her face as she looks around the space.

“What do you think?” I ask her after a beat.

“It’s nice. Kind of cold.”

“Want me to build another fire?” I ask her, and she smiles.

“I mean, it could use a few more touches.”

“Yeah, and furniture, I’m sure,” I agree. “We’ll have to go shopping.”

“There are still not many places in town to get furniture. We can look online too,” she says and I nod, then take her hand and lead her downstairs.

“What are you hungry for?” I ask her.

“Grilled cheese and soup?”

“Ah, you’re still a soup fanatic, huh?” I ask, and she laughs.

“Guilty.”

I grin as I grab a big pot and set it on the stove. Noelle has always loved soup. Doesn’t matter what kind or what the weather is like, though she does tend to make it more when it’s cold or rainy outside. I remember cooking with her in July, making minestrone or leek soup, then sitting outside in the blazing heat and eating it because we were avoiding her family.

“How are your parents?” She asks me as she pulls open the fridge and smiles when she sees all of the vegetables inside.

“They’re good.”

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