Page 65 of Reclaiming Love

Chapter 36

Ashen faced, Noah stared at her as she hid in his room and then he finally asked her, “What’s going on?”

She drew up her shoulders and looked around the room, unable to meet Noah’s gaze head on. She hated herself for being in this situation—for the look he now gave her. “You’re in the wrong room.” His face was hard.

“Please, Noah. He doesn’t know I’m here,” she whispered, glancing at the door he’d closed behind him. He’d understood enough to see she was hiding. “Please don’t tell him you saw me.”

Concerned eyes searched her face, but before she had a chance to tell him anything, her cell phone vibrated again. She answered it before it buzzed a second time, her eyes fixed on Noah.

“What the hell, Melissa! He’s already gone inside. Where are you?” Heather shrieked.

“I’m coming,” Melissa whispered. “Stay put.”

“What’s going on?” Noah asked again, even though she had the cell to her ear, still trying to pacify Heather at the other end.

“Is he winning you over with his words?” Heather sneered.

“Melissa?” Noah’s eyes burned into her, immediately bringing back memories of New Year’s Eve.

“What?” Her head felt light, and her heart threatened to pole vault out of her throat. It was too much, with the two of them going at her, and the thought of Matt lurking outside.

She held her hand out to Noah, signaling him to wait, while she dealt with Heather. Somehow, she could trust Noah to keep his cool. Heather was something else.

“Don’t worry,” she told Heather.

“He’s apologizing, isn’t he?”

“What? No,” Melissa hissed, her attention ping-ponging from Noah to her friend, while her heart hammered so fast she thought she was going to pass out.

But Heather wasn’t buying it. “He’s winning you over again, isn’t he? You can’t fall for his shit. I’m coming in.”

“Heather, no! Oh my God. No.” The line went dead, and she knew her hot-headed friend was on the move. Melissa flapped her hands, fanning herself.

This couldn’t happen. IfHeather entered the scene now it would cause a serious shitstorm. “Please help me,” she pleaded with Noah.

“For goodness sake, Melissa! What is going on?” Noah’s patience vanished.

“Matt and I split…I can’t explain right now, but I’ve broken into his room.”

Noah jerked his face back in surprise.

“He can’t know I’m here. Heather is on her way here right now. Please stop her! Meet her outside…take her away…tell her to go home and to call me on the way. Matt can’t see her—he’ll know what I’ve done. Please.” Her words tumbled out like confetti, messy and all over the place.

Noah took a step towards her, his whole body loaded with questions. He seemed unsure, as if he couldn’t comprehend what she’d told him.

“Please, Noah.” He was wasting precious minutes. “It’ll be much worse if he finds out.” Something about the pleading tone in her voice must have made him change his mind because he rushed out of the room after that.

Melissa closed her eyes and stayed put behind the door. She felt the sweat in her armpits, felt her knees start to give way. Her mind recanted the images on Matt’s computer. All those girls, all those photos. How many of them knew that he still had their images? Did they even care? How many of them had he blackmailed, like her?

Her thoughts shriveled when she recalled the video he’d made of her. It sent her pulse racing, for all the wrong reasons. Outside, she heard the sound of the front door closing again—it was heavier than the normal doors, and made a more solid thud. Then she heard voices. Matt’s voice, and Noah’s. They were talking and laughing.

She froze.

Her cell phone buzzed again, making her jump. “What the hell is going on? You never told me your latest squeeze lived there. What is this—a soap opera?” Heather’s voice rose to a peak.

“Where are you?” Melissa hissed. The voices moved closer to the door. Her heart throttled.

“I’m going back home—unless you want me to wait for you somewhere around here. What the hell, Melissa? I can’t believe this.”

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