8. Beneath the Surface #3
I summoned a yawn of my own and slapped Noah’s arm, trying to signal him that he was within hearing distance. “Me. It was me. I’m very tired.”
A mischievous smile tugged at the corners of Noah’s lips.
Chelsea sighed into the other end. “Oh. Sorry about tonight. I’ll let you go then. We can get your shit from the bar when they open back up.”
“Delane,” Noah purred, just a tad louder than the yawn. “Let’s go to sleep.”
Silence.
“Who the actual. FUCK. Was. THAT?” Chelsea’s fury emanated from the cell phone.
“Okay, I’ll see you later to get my things! BYE!” I ended the call despite the wailing from the other end and slammed the phone down on the bed like it had caught flame. My social anxiety and embarrassment could not handle this anymore.
I glared daggers at Noah. “I’m seriously going to get you back for that.”
He perked to attention. “Oh yeah?”
The small amount of distance between us vanished as he leaned in low, aligning my eyes with his. Those predatory eyes seemed to consume me, and I was lost in them before I even had time to retaliate. “What are you going to do to me?” he asked throatily.
“For the love of God, Noah, let the girl get dressed.”
I yelped at the sight of Noah’s brother peering into the open room from the hall, his face unimpressed.
Noah leapt from his position on the bed faster than I had thrown down his cell. “She just got a call, mind your business,” he mumbled, pacing towards the door.
“You have no shame,” Damian chided with a click of his tongue.
Bickering between the two ensued, and I dashed back into the restroom to throw on the clothes before anyone else could be added to the “I’ve nearly seen Delane’s ass” list. It was already too long.
When I returned, Mrs. Hansen was back, bringing me a bottle of water. The brothers had migrated to the hall, still arguing.
“Did you happen to catch his name? The one who hurt you?” Mrs. Hansen asked, bringing my attention back to Earth.
Her question sent me spiraling back to the alley. I could feel the asphalt beneath my bare skin and smell his pungent breath against my face.
And I could hear the voices of the other men asking:
“Are you sure, Silas?”
Noah stared at me from the entryway. The downshift from his tone while bickering with his brother to the now deathly quiet told me that he was paying close attention to our conversation.
I knew that Noah struck a deal to protect me, so it wouldn’t be wise to tell his mother any more details about the night.
Although, she was the wife of the Chief of the Police Force, and to me, that had to mean she had some sort of influence.
If I did confide in her, I wondered if anything would actually be done to help.
A thought then crossed my mind of why I hadn’t seen Noah’s father yet, the Chief himself.
Wouldn’t he be able to arrest Silas and the other men who helped him?
Then again, I had no idea who Silas really was, or why he felt so comfortable trying to harm me in public. Too comfortable.
I didn’t have the energy to think about it anymore; I was so tired. From my conversation with Noah, he and Silas were involved in more than what my eye could see. I didn’t want to betray Noah’s trust or what he risked to help me tonight.
“No. I didn’t,” I replied quietly, sipping from the water, wishing that I didn’t have to lie to this nice woman.
Suddenly, Mrs. Hansen gasped and glanced at her watch. “My goodness, it’s almost six in the morning!” She placed a hand on her chest. “I’m so sorry. You must be exhausted!”
That was an understatement. I could practically feel the bags growing underneath my eyes and that guest bed was looking more and more inviting each moment.
“Yes, actually, I am.” I turned to see Noah stride back into the room. He seemed almost as tired as me. I watched in admiration as he placed a light kiss on his mother’s forehead, and for a moment pondered the thought of how soft they’d feel on my forehead.
Or my mouth.
I also couldn’t help but notice how incredibly handsome he looked when he ran a hand through his hair.
“I’m going to bed too, mom,” he said.
Mrs. Hansen rubbed my arm lightly, her pitiful smile lingering even as she hugged Noah and left the room.
Noah stayed there, his sight wandering back over to me. “Goodnight Delane,” he whispered. His eyes were more distant than they had been in the hours before.
“Well, I guess it’s not a good night, but a good morning,” I replied, nearly gagging myself from my own cringy response.
Noah shook his head, chuckling awkwardly. “My room is down the hall. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”
A loud cluck of a laugh from the hallway caused Noah to bristle. Damian.
I nodded, climbing into the bed and wishing I could cover myself from humiliation. “Thank you.”
I could already feel my body slipping into the darkness before he turned out the light. It was almost impossible to imagine how quickly I transitioned from the actual world to the dream world. I was bruised and swollen, weak and battered, but I was safe.
I had a protector.