Chapter 29
TWENTY-NINE
GRACIE
This plan sucks.
I really, really, really hope that Noah knows what he’s doing.
I’d avoided him for a couple of days following the… incident, trying to gear myself up to tell him what happened that morning.
I’ve come to terms with a lot of things over the last few days while sitting in my dorm room alone and trying to figure things out. The first thing I figured out was that even though my masked stranger terrifies the fuck out of me, a part of me loves that he does.
I’ve always been drawn to things I shouldn’t be, and he’s a perfect example of that.
In a different world, I can see his plans for our future actually working out. When I look back at the time we’ve spent together, he’s never once done anything that I didn’t actually want him to do. He’s also kind of taken care of me, in his own twisted way.
I’m not saying that to excuse his behavior, because what he’s been doing is wrong on so many levels, but I guess I’m just as messed up in the head as he is.
Another thing that I figured out is that I kind of like Noah—okay, there’s no kind of about it—and not in a he’s-my-brothers-best-friend-and-also-becoming-one-of-mine way and in a more of a…
I like him way, which to me feels even more of a violation than what the masked guy has been doing to me and what I did to him the other morning.
Noah has never once even looked at me in that way, and he would never go there. I guess I’ve finally bought into the whole crushing on my brother’s best friend thing.
He’s just so kind, and so damn sweet that it makes my heart ache. He takes care of me, actually listens to what I have to say and is genuinely interested in whatever I have to talk about. I’m used to people wanting to know me for the persona I put out into the world, but Noah isn’t like that.
He's a lot like me, I’ve learned recently. I always saw him as the caretaker of my brother's group—and he is—but he’s also so much more than that.
Noah feels so deeply, I can tell by the passion in his words when he talks about Aston White Corp, or when he speaks about art. There’s so much more to him than I ever considered there to be, and the more time I spend with him, the more I want to uncover.
Not to mention the fact that he’s freaking hot. I’m not sure how I didn’t notice it before, but it’s like the blinders have been removed and I can’t help but stare at him.
He’s… he’s beautiful.
The closer we get, the more I can’t seem to stop myself from wanting him. Even before what happened the morning at his parent’s place, I was beginning to see him in a different light, I just wasn’t ready to face it.
Yet my body would always gravitate towards him. Whenever we would hang out, we’d always end up seated right next to each other, I’d always reach out to hold onto his arm or hug him, which isn’t something I would have done before, but I couldn’t help it.
Things are so easy with him, they just feel natural, but I’m sure he just sees me as the little sister type. Everything is so goddamn overwhelming that I think I’m going to burst if something doesn’t give soon.
I’m so fucked.
And now I’m about to be even more fucked, because Noah finally came up with a plan.
A plan that I doubt is going to work and is probably going to go very wrong.
And okay—it’s also a plan that I’m worried will go right.
Because the idea of us finally figuring out the stalker’s identity is already daunting as hell… add in the fact that I have no idea what Noah is planning to do to him once we find out his identity and well… I’m panicking.
I know it’s wrong for me to worry about it, but honestly, I’m past it at this point.
I’ve decided that my mind is fucked up, and I’m just gonna go along with it for now. I’m sick of fighting my feelings with myself at every corner.
So yes, the plan might work, and it might not.
I also want it to work, but yet I don’t at the same time.
To say that I’m conflicted on all fronts is an understatement.
The plan is for me to take a serene little walk on the outer edge of campus near the forest while Noah trails me without being seen with the hopes that he turns up and then Noah can…
well I don’t really know what he’s planning to do.
He didn’t give me many details on the phone since he said he had to go deal with something and that he’d be outside of my building by seven and that he wouldn’t come up or let his presence be known in case it scared the guy off.
Personally, I think it’s a terrible plan, but I understand where Noah is coming from since this guy won’t show himself when anyone else is around.
I open the door and step out of my building. I glance around to see if I can spot Noah from his hiding space but he’s nowhere to be seen. Just as well, really, since if I could see him then so would my mystery stalker.
If he’s even watching me right now, that is.
Part of me doubts that he is, since surely, he has better things to do than watch the entrance of my building 24/7. What if the last few times he’s approached me were just a coincidence and this whole thing is for nothing?
What if we spend hours out in the cold for nothing?
What if he never falls for one of our tricks and this thing just keeps going on and on and on.
What if. What if. What if.
I guess I just have to hope that he really is as crazy as he seems.
That’s a thought that I never knew I’d have.
I inwardly groan about what’s about to go down before taking off. I walk quickly, the chill of the air making my breath visible and pull out my phone as I get to the edge of the forest.
Anything?
Noah
Not yet.
Do you really think this will work?
I bite down on my lip and stare at the screen as I wait for a reply.
Only, after five full minutes of waiting, one still hasn’t come. I debate with myself on what to do, should I stay here? Should I start to walk back? What if he’s just on a call and can’t reply? What if he’s run into trouble?
I swallow down my panic and text him again.
Noah?
Are you okay?
Do you think we should just give up?
I’m getting worried, where are you?
“Something wrong, love?” a familiar distorted voice asks from behind me, and I jump before whirling around.
Holy shit, he’s really here.
“W-what are you doing out here?” I ask, trying to go for casual but sounding anything but.
He chuckles, the sound sending a shockwave of something through me and he takes a step closer.
“The real question is, what are you doing out here?”
I glance around, waiting for Noah to jump out on us but after a painfully silent few seconds, he’s still nowhere to be seen.
My heartbeat kicks up, my pulse pounding in my ears as I stare at my masked stalker and he tilts his head, clearly tuned into the emotions warring within me.
“What’s wrong?”
“Huh?” I ask then mentally facepalm myself.
Way to play it cool, Gracie.
“Nothing’s wrong. Why would anything be wrong?” My voice comes out embarrassingly high pitched.
“You wouldn’t be looking for your friend, would you? Because I hate to break it to you, babe, but he won’t be coming to your rescue tonight.”
Horror and panic fill me as his meaning registers and my body vibrates with tension.
“What did you to do him?” I whisper, tears pooling in my eyes.
Has he hurt Noah?
Oh god, I knew I shouldn’t have gone through with this plan. All Noah has done this entire time is try to help me, and I keep putting him in bad situations.
This is all my fault.
I’ll never forgive myself if something’s happened to him.
“Shhh. Relax, Gracie. He’ll be fine, I wouldn’t actually hurt him since I know how much he means to you.” His words pierce the weird fog I was in and I snap back to reality to find his hands on my shoulders.
I can almost imagine a concerned expression on his face behind the mask, but the soothing tone of his voice is no doubt just another manipulation tactic.
“I hate you,” I grind out and his entire body freezes before he straightens to his full height. His posture rigid with an air of danger surrounding him.
“You don’t mean that,” he states, but in this moment, I really, really do.
“How could I not?” I say before letting out a hysterical laugh.
“Of course, I hate you. You’ve brought me nothing but misery since the night we met, and now you’ve done something to one of my best friends.
To someone I care about. Do you have no morals?
No way to think rationally? Do you really think I’d be okay with this?
” I wave between us. “I hate you, and I wish you hadn’t approached me that night. ”
“You’re lying.”
I shake my head and automatically take a step backwards, but he follows me, pushing me further and further away from the trail and towards the forest.
“Deep down, you know you feel this thing between us. You feel a pull to me that you can’t keep denying, and I will keep going with this until you admit it. I don’t care if I have to break you, I’ll do it if it means I get to put the pieces back together to fit with mine.”
“You’re insane,” I whisper hoarsely, glancing around for help that I know won’t come.
I got myself into this mess, and it’s up to me to get myself out of it.
“You’re like a broken record, babe. You know I’m fucking certifiable when it comes to you.”
“How long until you take it a step too far? How long until you ruin the relationships I have because you don’t like me around other people? How long until you really hurt someone I care about? How long until you hurt me?”
He scoffs. “I’d never hurt you, love.”
“How the hell am I supposed to believe you?” I exclaim, my temper rising. “This entire time, all you’ve done is taunt me, trying to fuck with me and get a rise out of me. You enjoy these games. You enjoy messing with my head, and I can’t trust a word you say.”
There’s a terse silence between us before he murmurs, “You really want rid of me that much?”
I don’t know.
“Yes,” I answer automatically, and he nods slowly.
“Okay.”
Surely, he’s not agreeing to just drop this thing as easily as that, right? I figured he’d—
“If you can get away unscathed, I’ll leave you alone.”
My brain screeches to a halt.
If I can get away unscathed…
“What does that mean?”
“It means you need to run, love. Because if I catch you, you’re mine.”
“R-run?” I ask, my voice wobbling and my brain struggles to catch up.
“Run.”