Page 72 of The Sins of Noelle

Maybe she was trulyodd, for she'd been told time and time again how abnormal her reaction had been, or how scandalous her performance had been.

But that begged the question…

What was normal?

The more media she consumed, the more her questions multiplied. It was becoming to a point that even though she forced herself to accept her current situation, she could not.

She might have made new friends in her game—might have even found a way to pass the time without her piano. But she was continuously trapped in the pastandhaunted by it.

"Noelle?" A knock at the door startled her.

Removing her headphones, she shut down her laptop as she turned.

"Come in," she cleared her throat.

The door opened, and Yuyu strode inside.

She was wearing a white floral dress and a pair of sandals that made her look the epitome of femininity and grace. Her hair had grown, too, and she now fashioned it in a long braid that reached her waist.

As always, she had a warm smile on her face that transformed her beauty into something otherworldly. Not for the first time, Noelle had to blink. It was easy to be blinded by the light emanating from Yuyu.

Noelle understood why her brother had gone against everyone's wishes when he'd wed Yuyu. She could see anyone willing to fight for her. She was just…the personification of kindness.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, rising from her chair.

Yuyu, however, stopped her. Coming to her side, she took a seat on her bed as she regarded her with curiosity.

"I didn't know you guys were coming," she repeated when Yuyu didn't reply to her.

"We wanted it to be a surprise. We would have come earlier, but we've been a little busy," she sighed. "But we're here now, and what better way to celebrate this than with a little trip."

"A trip?" Noelle frowned.

"The four of us," Yuyu beamed. "Back at the lodge. We haven't been there in a while, have we?"

"I guess not," Noelle said carefully.

"Perfect. Then prepare a small bag. We're leaving at dawn," Yuyu told her, rising and coming to her side to kiss her forehead. "The hunting season is open," she whispered in her hair before leaving.

Noelle blinked in surprise.

Hunting season… They were taking her hunting. Her eyes slowly widened as realization seeped in—as did the anticipation.

She'd been begging her brother to take her hunting for years, but he'd always said she wasn't old enough. It didn't matter that he'd taught her how to shoot a gun like a pro. It didn't matter that she'd mastered the environment. He'd always maintained that she was too young.

But now…

She couldn't help the giddiness that suffused her. Not only would she have a few days away from her mother—even though they barely spoke these days—but she would also get to participate in her first hunt.

That night, as the game was coming to an end, she let her friends know she would be absent over the weekend. Ginny and Tiger were both lamenting it, but Blue was generally quiet.

"Aha! Caught you, Blue. You just can't wait until I disappear, can you?" she asked in a dry tone.

There was a pause, and she didn't think he would reply.

"And miss our resident troublemaker? How else will I be able to play the hero if you aren't the damsel in distress?" he asked playfully.

She'd been ready to be peeved at his response, but instead she only found herself smiling like a fool.

---