85. Noah
NOAH
That beautiful, soft strawberry blond hair.
She has it pulled up in a tight bun. A couple of strands hang loosely against her cheeks.
Those lush forest green eyes are hidden behind dark-framed glasses making her look beautiful and smart.
She’s barely wearing any makeup, yet she’s still the most stunning woman I’ve ever seen.
When she stepped onto this elevator, I thought I’d seen a ghost. Her lips are pursed as she stares at the lights. It’s been two seconds since the doors closed, yet she’s been bouncing the entire time.
She glances at me out of the corner of her eye before redirecting her gaze to the doors in front of us. When the doors open, she bolts without even a second glance behind her. My breath catches as her perfume hits me. That sweet vanilla scent that I love.
It’s her. I can’t believe it…It’s Willow.
My Willow.
I follow her as she makes her way down the hall to my father’s firm's office. I hesitate for a second and pinch myself because I honestly can’t believe this is real. That this isn’t just a dream. It’s really her.
“Excuse me?” I ask. My throat is finally allowing me to speak.
“Yes?” she says with a bit of a bite in her tone as she continues walking and doesn’t look back.
“Are you here for an interview?” I ask, and she nearly trips over my words.
I catch up to her as she finds her footing, and she turns to me.
“What gave it away?” she asks with only a small tone of irritation.
Her eyes glance over me, head to toe, before resting on my face. Does she recognize me now? There’s no way she doesn’t remember me…Right? This is her. I know it’s her. So why is she looking at me like I’m a stranger?
“Your nervous energy. You can’t sit still. And you’re dressed to conquer the world,” I say as I fight the urge to brush those few loose strands out of her face.
“Do you have an interview?” she counters, and I can’t hold back my smile any longer.
“Something like that,” I tease before I walk past her to the firm's door and hold it open.
She takes a few more steps before hesitantly looking up at the large silver plaque. She bites her lower lip before looking back over at me.
“Oh, are you coming in here too?” I ask gesturing into the open door.
She looks back and forth between me and the plaque then past me into the open lobby.
“Well?” I ask as I sweep my hand toward the lobby.
“I suppose so. Thank you.” Her tone is professional, but I can hear the sass behind each syllable.
“My pleasure, Miss…”
I want her to say it…Say Willow Parker.
“Willow.”
“Is that a first or last name?” I ask, practically begging her for her full name.
She turns away before looking at the secretary.
“Willow Bennett. Checking in for my interview at noon,” she says quickly, brushing me off.
Veronica looks at her with a welcoming smile before she sees me. Her demeanor quickly changes, and she stands looking over at me with wide eyes.
“Sorry, Mr. Anderson. I didn’t hear you come in,” she quickly rushes out before handing me the stack of messages she took for me this morning.
“That’s all right, Veronica. How are things going today?”
“Oh, good, Sir. Your father is already here in the third conference room. He’s waiting for…well, for you, Miss Bennett. If you would follow me…”
“That’s all right, Veronica. I’ll take Miss Bennett from here,” I quickly cut her off as I stare down at my little rabbit.
I know it’s her. I’ve searched for her for fifteen fucking years. I’d know those eyes anywhere.
“Yes, Sir.”
“Mr....Anderson?” Willow asks as she turns to face me.
“Yep. Nice to finally meet you, Miss Bennett.”
“Noah…. Damnit, Noah. Wake up.”
I can feel the side of my face being smacked, forcing my brain to keep functioning. I was there in that elevator on the first day she came back into my life. Fuck. I knew that it was her from the second I saw those eyes .
“Jer…”
“Shut the fuck up. Don’t talk. I can hear him somewhere. I need to get you out of here. Fuck, man. What happened?” he asks in a hushed tone as he moves behind me, grips under my arms, and starts moving us as quietly as possible. He’s dragging me toward the door to the stairs.
“Willow,” my voice croaks.
“I’ll get her. But I need to get you out of here first.”
“No.”
“I’m not losing you, Noah. Hate me if you want to, but I’m not fucking losing you,” he snaps as he gently lowers me to the ground.
He turns to the wall fumbling for the handle.
“Get the fuck up!” James shouts. He’s hurting her, I can feel it.
“Damnit…Got it,” Jeremy whispers before light floods through the open doorway and he quickly moves around me again to drag me through the door.
He sets me on the stairs and lets me rest my head back against the steps. The knife is still in my stomach, but my body feels cold…and numb. I need him to go save her. She needs to survive, no matter what.
“Jeremy,” I groan as he slowly shuts the door.
“You’re going to be fine. None of that famous last words bullshit. Do you hear me, motherfucker?! I’ll kill you if you die on me.”
“The…gun,” I’m barely able to gasp out the words. I point to a box next to my mask at the bottom of the steps.
He opens the box and grabs the gun. It’s a small handgun, but it’ll do. It’s already loaded, and we’ve gone to the range enough to where he knows how to use the damn thing.
“Save her…Please,” I groan as my head falls back against the step.
“I will. Just hold on, Noah. You’re going to make it through this. You just got her back so you can’t abandon her now. She’ll never forgive you.”
He leaves quietly shutting the door fully behind him.
A few seconds later, I can hear James screaming.
“Where the fuck are you, Killer?”
He must have followed my blood. Fuck. It’s going to lead him right to the door…Right to me.
The light switch is on the wall just above me.
If I can stretch, I can hit it. I reach my arm up, but I’m not able to reach it.
I need something to be able to close the distance.
That’s when I remember the mask. I use my foot to grab it then flick my foot up to toss the mask into the air.
It lands next to me on the step. The pain in my stomach pulses from the quick movements, but I don’t have time to worry about that right now.
“Killer! I’ll fucking find you!”
He’s so close.
I stretch the mask up trying to hit the switch…
Almost…
Almost…
Got it.
The mask catches, and the light switch flicks. Plunging the labyrinth into darkness. The only light is in this room from the string of bulbs hung along the staircase.
“Fuck!” I can hear him curse from right on the other side of the door.
That was close.
I glance back down at the knife still protruding from my body.
Blood is still seeping from around the blade, but it isn’t flowing as fast as it was before.
I don’t know if that’s good or bad. Either my blood is coagulating, and that’s what’s slowing it down…
Or I’m running out of blood. From the lack of feeling in my limbs, I have a feeling it’s the latter.
Please let Jeremy get to her in time.
My little rabbit needs to live.