Chapter 11 Secrets In The Dark

• Noah’s P.O.V.
• I couldn’t move.
• Liam’s words echoed in my mind, over and over, until they became a dull ache in my head.
• “It doesn’t matter. Because it’s too late.”
• Too late for what?
• My heart pounded against my ribcage as I stared at the space where he had been standing just seconds ago. He had walked away, leaving nothing but the suffocating weight of the words he just dropped.
• I made my way out of the bar and stumbled to my car. I couldn’t walk upright not when the emotions hitting me were enough to cut my air flow.
• In the midst of the war in my head, there was laughing and I turned to the source only to be met by Veronica’s annoying presence once more.
• Why was she here? This stupid bitch was trailing me, there was no explanation of her being everywhere I was but somehow this saved me the stress, we had scores to settle and I was doing it here.
• “Why are you following me?” I spat out.
• “Me?” She feigned innocence and stared at me in mock pity. “I saw you leaving work and happened to be behind you.”
• Stupid blondie! God, I despised her.
• “No love, you are trying to keep your ‘fiancé’ on a damn leech, afraid you might find him in my arms once again?” I smiled sweetly at her.
• “You should learn to stay in your place, Noah,” Veronica’s voice cut through the storm in me.
• I finally turned fully to look at her, my fingers curling into fists by my side.
• I hated her. I hated the way she spoke as if she owned him, as if Liam wasn’t his own person, as if he—as if he wasn’t mine.
• “Excuse me?” I said, my voice dangerously low.
• Veronica took a step closer, tilting her head as if she were speaking to a child. “You must think you’re so special,” she mused, eyes gleaming. “That just because you two have history, you have some sort of hold over him. Let me make one thing clear, Noah. Liam is my fiancé. He belongs to me now. Not you.”
• I clenched my jaw so tightly it ached.
• He belonged to her?
• The words felt like a slap across my face, but I refused to let her see the cracks forming in the facade I struggled so hard to put up.
• “If you really believed that,” I said, forcing a smirk, “you wouldn’t be standing here trying to convince me.”
• Her eyes darkened, her lips parting slightly as if she wanted to snap back, but she didn’t. Instead, she simply smiled, stepping even closer, her breath ghosting against my skin.
• “You’re nothing but a distraction,” she whispered. “And distractions? They don’t last forever.”
• She turned on her heel and tried walking away when I called out to her.
• “Veronica, how did you know about the letter?”
• She glanced at me with a wide smile that made my eyes sore. “Oh, that letter? I guess you will never know.” She said those words in such a nonchalant manner then she turned and walked away, leaving her words to fester.
• I exhaled sharply, raking a hand through my hair. I couldn’t be here anymore.
• I needed air, I needed to breathe.
• I needed—I didn’t know what I needed.
• I just knew I had to get out of there before I lost my goddamn mind.
• ❧
• The drive home was a mist. I barely registered the city lights flashing past me, barely heard the hum of my car’s engine. My mind was a chaotic mess, tangled in everything I wished I could forget.
• Liam.
• Veronica.
• His words.
• And that damn letter.
• I still didn’t know what was inside it.
• A part of me wanted to tear through my entire house, to flip over every single thing in the house until I found it, until I had answers, maybe it had gotten lost in the mail, at a corner in the house.
• But the other part of me, the part that was buried deep in fear, knew that whatever was in that letter was only going to open old wounds, and was only going to drive me deeper in pain.
• And there was only so much pain that I could take.
• By the time I reached my apartment, exhaustion had settled deep into my bones. I pushed open the door, barely bothering to turn on the lights as I stepped inside.
• But the second I did, I froze in my steps.
• Something was off. I could sense the distinct smell of perfume that wasn’t mine but it made my mouth water for some unknown reason.
• The air felt different, charged with something I couldn’t quite place, something that sent chills down my arms, leaving goosebumps in its wake.
• I paused and listened, my heartbeat thundering in my ears. And then I saw a shadow move in the corner of my sitting room.
• My breath hitched as I reached out for my phone to call the police.
• “Who’s there?” I asked but was only met with silence and then my asshole of a boss voice came next.
• “Noah,”
• “Fucker!” I swore, dropping the lamp I had managed to carry.
• I took my time to study him as he stepped into the dim light, his face was unreadable. His tie was undone, his hair a disheveled mess. He looked….
• Wrecked.
• A mess—not the Liam I was used to seeing.
• My pulse spiked. “What the hell are you doing here?”
• Liam didn’t answer, he just stared at me, something raw and desperate flickering behind his eyes.
• “You shouldn’t be here,” I continued, swallowing past the lump in my throat. “Veronica—”
• “Fuck Veronica,” he snapped.
• My eyes widened slightly. Liam was always careful, always composed. But now, he looked anything but that. He looked like he was hanging by a thread and stared at me like I was his damn savior.
• Fuck, he shouldn’t look at me that way, my legs felt jelly underneath me that I wanted to crumple underneath his gaze.
• Those eyes, Christ!
• His shoulders rose and fell with every heavy breath he took.
• I took a step back. “Are you drunk?”
• He let out a bitter laugh. “Not drunk enough.”
• His words sent a strange sensation coursing through me, one I wasn’t ready to acknowledge but knew damn well where the sensation ended.
• His eyes strained to my crotch and he swallowed.
• He shouldn’t be here staring at me that way, he was going to undo me without realizing it.
• I turned away, running a hand through my hair for what felt like the fifth time this night. “You need to leave.”
• Silence.
• And then he croaked, “I tried, Noah.”
• I froze.
• Liam’s voice was quiet now, so low that he sounded almost broken.
• “I tried to stay away. I tried to pretend like you didn’t exist. Like we didn’t exist.”
• I turned back to face him, my chest tightening. “Liam—”
• “But it’s fucking impossible.”
• His words were sharp, slicing through the fragile walls I had built around myself. It didn’t feel too strong around, it felt like nothing but paper in Liam’s presence.
• I swallowed hard. “Don’t do this.”
• He took a step closer. Then another, each step taking him closer to me.
• “I hate you,” he murmured.
• I stiffened.
• “And I hate myself even more for not being able to stop wanting you.”
• A breath caught in my throat.
• Liam reached for me, his fingers grazing my jaw, his touch scorching my skin, leaving heat in his trail.
• Everything in me screamed to move, to push him away, to remind him of the life he had chosen—But I didn’t.
• I couldn’t, not when he stared at me that way. Not when those icy blue eyes compelled me to stay.
• His lips were inches from mine, his breath warm against my skin. My entire body was on fire, every nerve ending buzzing with anticipation.
• “Liam,” I whispered, but it came out as a plea.
• His eyes flickered with something dark and the blue in his eyes seemed to expand. Something I recognized.
• And then a sharp, piercing sound shattered the moment.
• A knock.
• No, someone was pounding on my door.
• My blood ran cold. I didn’t get to kiss him.
• Liam tensed, his hand dropping from my face as we both turned toward the door.
• The pounding continued, growing louder. More urgent.
• And Veronica's voice came next. “Liam, I know you’re in there.”
• My stomach twisted into knots.
• Liam cursed under his breath. I could see the panic flicker across his face, the reality of what was happening crashing down the emotions I felt minutes ago like a tidal wave.
• This was bad.
• This was so bad.
• I swallowed hard, taking a shaky step back. “You need to go,” I whispered.
• Liam hesitated, his jaw clenched so tightly I thought he was pissed.
• Another round of pounding.
• “Noah,” Veronica’s voice was sharper this time. “Open this fucking door.”
• I turned back to Liam, my chest heaving.
• His eyes searched mine, filled with an unspoken word, the yearning in his eyes clear as day light.
• The door rattled and the doorknob twisted.
• My breath caught and Liam’s eyes widened as the door flew open and Veronica stepped inside.
• Fuck, I didn’t lock the door.