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 ofsomethingthrough me and he takes a step closer.
“The real question is, what areyoudoing 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.
