CHAPTER 11
NOAH
I twist the cap off my fifth beer and turn away from the refrigerator. And then I turn back and grab the rest because lord knows I’m gonna need ‘em.
Walking back into the living room, I deposit the other bottles on the coffee table before pulling my phone out of my back pocket and dropping down on to the couch.
I type out another text to Bella and stare at the screen, willing those three dots to appear.
Me: Please let me know that you’re okay.
When ten minutes go by with no response, I sigh and drop my phone on the seat next to me and press play on the hockey game I had been watching before I got up to grab a beer.
The sky lights up outside my window, followed by a loud crack of thunder and the heavy pounding of rain against the wooden porch and I turn the volume on the TV up to drown it out.
I’m thirty minutes, two more beers and approximately four phone checks into the game when a beam of light reflects against the walls, moving slowly over the living room until it becomes dark again save for the flickering lights from the TV.
With a frown, I stand and walk over to the window, spying a familiar car as it pulls to a stop at the bottom of my porch steps.
All the air rushes from my lungs on a relieved breath as Bella climbs out and practically sprints up the steps to my front door.
I take quick strides across the room to the door, pulling it open before she even has the chance to knock and the sight that greets me on the other side causes me to suck that relieved breath right back in.
She looks…ruined.
“What the fuck!?” It comes out a lot harsher than I mean it to, but seriously…what the fuck!?
Bella is soaked through, her blonde hair tousled with a few strands stuck to her tear-streaked face.
Her entire body trembles as she steps toward me and I move back, allowing her in through the door.
The usually tanned skin of her face is even paler than it was a few hours ago, those dark circles beneath her eyes somehow deeper now.
She sucks in deep breaths as I close the door behind her and cast a concerned look in her direction. “Are you okay?”
She shakes her head, chest still heaving as tears fall down her cheeks unchecked. “Can I… can I stay here tonight?”
My responding nod is quick. “Yes. Of course you can.”
“Thank you,” she responds, sniffling.
I take a cautious step toward her, my hands itching to pull her against me but unsure whether it’s the right time or not; I decide not to. “What happened, Bells?”
Bella paces back and forth, her movements erratic and anxious. I scan the parts of her body I can see for injuries, thankfully finding none. She picks at her fingernails as she has what seems to be a silent conversation with herself.
I take another step toward her, my concern growing. “Bells?”
Her head snaps in my direction, her eyes wide and wild like a deer caught in the headlights and my stomach bottoms out at the obvious fear in them.
“Did he hurt you?” My voice is low, my hold on my control hanging by a small thread.
She shakes her head once before whispering a quiet, “No.” Just as the worry and anger building inside of me begins to settle from that small statement, she speaks again. “I stopped him before he could.”
My body stiffens. “Say that again.”
Her chin trembles, distraught eyes meeting mine. “He tried…” she looks away, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth as more tears fall.
My hand reaches out before I can stop myself.
Thankfully, she doesn’t flinch when I cup her cold, wet cheek and forcing her gaze back to mine.
If she had flinched at my touch, I’d have blown a fucking gasket.
I’m barely holding it together as it is and I still have no idea what that prick did to her.
I lean down until my eyes are level with her grey ones. “What did he do, Bella?”
She shakes her head again. “Nothing. I stopped him. I stopped him before he could do anything.” She’s sobbing now, her voice high-pitched and breathing heavy.
“I tried telling him to stop. It was like he couldn’t hear me.
He’s never done that before.” Her eyes gloss over, as if she’s drifting back to wherever she was before she showed up here.
“His hand. He put his hand in my…” Another shake of her head.
“He was touching me. I couldn’t get him to stop. ”
My throat is thick, chest aching at the complete brokenness in her tone as she chokes on air and falls against me, her head buried in my chest.
I don’t hesitate before wrapping my arms around her and pulling her into me, one hand moving to cradle her head.
“Shhh,” I soothe, my lips resting against the top of her head as her body heaves with the force of her tears. “You’re safe now.”
“I was so scared, Noah,” she cries against my chest.
I hold her tighter. “I know, baby.”
Images of him Justin hurting her, his unwanted touch on her body, his sleazy voice in her ear flash through my mind and I grit my teeth, my blood beginning to boil in my veins.
Despite all the anger I feel toward Justin, it takes a backseat as I scoop Bella into my arms and carry her up the stairs and into the ensuite in my bedroom, setting her down on the toilet for a moment while I reach over the bathtub and turn on the faucet.
Bella continues to tremble beside me, from the shock or the wet clothes, I’m not sure but from the faraway look in her eyes as she stares at the bathroom counter, I’m going to go with the former.
I throw some bath salts into the warm water before moving to the storage cupboard where I keep the towels and pulling out the fluffiest one, placing it in the towel warmer Savannah convinced me to buy.
Once the bathtub is filled, I turn off the faucet and turn to Bella. “Do you have any clothes with you, or do you want something of mine to wear after?”
She blinks at me sluggishly, her voice small and fragile. “Whatever I have is in the car.”
“I’ll get you something of mine to wear. We can bring your bag in tomorrow.”
She nods and I return to my bedroom, rooting around in my dresser for anything that might fit her small frame. My mind briefly flashes back to the last time she wore something of mine, but I quickly shake it away.
Now is not the time to be thinking about that.
I grab a t-shirt, some briefs from the unopened pack of new ones and a pair of long socks from my dresser before returning to the bathroom.
Bella sits in the same position I left her, eyes focused again on the bathroom counter, and I step in front of her eyeline, holding up the clothes.
“They might be a little big, but they’ll do the trick.
I put the towel in the warmer for you. Take as long as you need, okay?
I’ll be right downstairs if you need me. ”
She looks between me, the clothes in my hand and the towel warmer and back again as if she’s soaking up all the information. When she doesn’t say anything in response, I kneel down in front of her and tuck a loose strand of damp hair behind her ear. “Are you going to be okay?”
“I don’t want to be alone,” Bella answers quietly.
I dip my chin. “Okay.” I look around the room, trying to come up with a way to make this work. I point at the open bathroom door. “I’ll sit right out there, okay? You won’t be alone.”
Bella contemplates for a moment before nodding. “Okay.”
Relief courses through me and I smile at her as I stand. “You can talk to me the entire time if you need to. Or I will stay silent. Whatever you need from me, just let me know.”
I turn away from her and head toward the door, ready to take my seat on the floor just outside of the bathroom when her voice stops me. “Noah?”
I look back at her over my shoulder. “Yeah?”
She gives me a soft smile. The first one I’ve seen in a long time. “Thank you.”
The sincerity and gratefulness in those two small words cause a lump to form in my throat and instead of responding with words, I dip my chin and take another step forward before sinking down onto the floor.