He hit me hard. But clearly, he had no intention of killing me, since I’m still here. Or maybe my skull is just that thick.
I open my eyes, blinking, the sun like a bolt of lightning that sears the back of my eyeballs. After a few seconds, I adjust to the light, and see that I’m sitting in a small room with nondescript furniture: there’s a window on one side of the room, a television set in front of me, a rather threadbare rug at my feet, and below me, I feel the velvety touch of a polyester couch. Peeking out from a door on the other side of the room is a tiny hallway that leads to two other doors.
“What the fuck?” I wonder out loud, and one of the two doors opens at once. Noel walks into the living room, and though he’s not as big as the other Angels, his bulky frame still seems to take up all the space.
“Awake, I see?”
I lift a hand to my head. “Guess so. Where am I?”
“New York.”
I frown. It’s far too quiet here for such a big city. At the same time, my heart thrills with anticipation. I’ve never been to the Big Apple. It’s always been a dream of mine.
I move to get up, half expecting him to stop me, but he doesn’t budge from the doorframe he’s currently leaning against. I sway dangerously as I stand, darkness invading my vision momentarily, and I nearly fall. But the darkness fades, and Inotice that he still hasn’t moved. He looks at me with a slightly amused smirk as I go over to the window and peak out.
My heart drops. I may never have been to New York, but I know enough to realize it doesn’t look anything like this lush countryside with its tall mountains cleaving the sky.
Not that it isn’t beautiful, but it feels awfully desolate. And after spending the past six months at Damien’s side, I’d thought my lonely days were behind me.
“New York State,” clarifies Noel, noticing my bemused expression. “We’re in the Catskills.”
“Okay,” I say. “Why?”
He shrugs. “Why not?”
The lancinating pain feels like a screwdriver being twisted into my brain. I close my eyes and try to keep my voice steady. “You put me in a hole, dug me back out, and brought me to the Catskills, and the only explanation I get is ‘why not’?”
“How aboutyousay ‘thank you’? Or don’t you do gratitude?”
I plop back down on the couch, willing my headache to ebb enough to let me think. “What do you want from me?”
Noel walks in and sits on the one chair opposite me. “It’s what Idon’twant from you. Idon’twant you to leave this place. Idon’twant you to go looking for Damien Wells. He’s already moved on, and he doesn’t want you. Sodon’tgo after him. Move on, too.”
I sit up, my heart constricting. “I don’t believe you. He wouldn’t move on from me.”
He snorts. “Sorry, I misspoke. You’re right, he didn’t move on from you. He was neverintoyou. He just used you, and he paid Angel good money to get rid of you. I felt sorry for you, so I dug you out of the hole and brought you here. Gabriel doesn’t know and neither does Damien, and I’d like to keep it that way.”
My hands are clenched as I listen to his explanation. I never doubted Damien since our happy months together. I figuredthe only reason he didn’t come for me was because he couldn’t find me. It’s hard to believe Noel’s words. At the same time, it’s hard to believe anything other than his explanation. When I remember how perfect, how beautiful, how special Damien is… how could I possibly accept the idea that he really wants me?
“Didn’t he already try to kill you, once?” chortles Noel. “This shouldn’t exactly come as a surprise.”
“He didn’t try to kill me,” I protest. “It was a punishment. A trick. And…”
“Sure,” cuts off Noel. “That makes sense. But youknowwhat would make even more sense? It wasn’t a punishment. Hedidmean to kill you. You know, the simplest explanations are often the right ones.”
I sit back, stunned.
“But… but… why would he have taken me back, then? Why would he have gotten me treatment for my wounds? Why would we have spent months…” I interrupt myself, a painful blush spreading on my face.
“Probably to cover his tracks, if his murder attempt was uncovered,” shrugs Noel. “Who can tell, with sociopaths like him? I don’t know everything going on in his mind. All I know is the evidence.”
He reaches a hand in his pants pocket and withdraws a phone. He offers it to me, and I take it with trembling hands, my heart beating so fast I wonder if I’m going to throw up again. Luckily, apart from the shower water, I still haven’t eaten or drank a thing.
I stare down at the screen and see a picture. He’s sitting next to a voluptuous woman in a flight attendant costume. She’s got thick lips, an hour-glass figure, sparkling white teeth. Her shiny blond hair is in a loose ponytail. She’s stunning. Everything I’m not.
“That’s his girl,” comments Noel, looking at the photo overmy shoulder, and I feel cold all over. “They’ve been together for years. He’s been messing around all that time, but she’d be pissed if she found out.”
It’s not hard to believe he’s with her. It’s devastating, but it makes perfect sense. She looks like a Playboy model. I look like… well, me.
