I speak very cautiously.
“It is lovely to see you, but we shouldn’t talk with the court case open. You could get in trouble since my dad and I have a temporary restraining order.”
He rubs his arm nervously. “I know, but this is important.”
He steps forward, causing me to take a step back. He sighs and puts his hands in his pockets, but doesn’t come closer.
“I just want you to know my brother is not a good guy.”
I swallow. “Oh?”
“No. Jack isn’t like us. He isn’t Christian. He isn’t going to heaven.”
“Well, it’s never too late to ask Jesus into your heart, is it?”
Noel’s eyes narrow. “No, he’s hopeless. Morgan, he tricked you. He made you do those things.”
I hug myself and glance around, hoping nobody heard him.
Noel continues. “Don’t feel bad. Jack’s good with women. He seduces them and uses their bodies, then throws them away like trash.”
I suck in a sharp breath. I don’t want to hear these things.
He doesn’t stop.
“Jack told me you didn’t have sex. God had me walk through that door just in time. I saved your purity.”
So many thoughts and feelings crash down at once. My chin trembles.
“Oh, no! Don’t cry,” Noel soothes with genuine concern in his tone. “I won’t tell anyone how far it went. I just wanted you to know who my brother is.” He looks down and kicks a loose rock across the asphalt. “And that you and I? We’re the same.”
From his backpack, he pulls out a small box and sets it on the hood of a nearby truck.
“I’ll leave this here for you. It’s a necklace.” He backs away slowly, and before turning, he says, “You lookreal pretty, Morgan.”
I watch him walk away. I don’t let my eyes leave him until I know it’s safe. I grab the box and hurry to my car, locking myself inside.
I don’t delay and drive home. Only then do I open the box.
Inside is a silver necklace with a cross. On the back is an inscription is Thessalonians 4:3-5.
I know the Bible verse. It means abstaining from sexual immorality and controlling the body in holiness.
Noel is probably harmless. He’s just in a parasocial relationship with me because I’m a public figure. He’ll get over it.
But I should tell Jack... what if he does use women? Was I tricked? I never thought about what would’ve happened after. I assumed I’d be as happy as I was in the moment. Maybe Jack would’ve tossed me aside. He hasn’t contacted me. I’ve been thinking about him nonstop. That would’ve hurt more if we’d gone all the way and then he ghosted me.
Gosh, Noel got in my head.
I don’t know if God sent Jack to save me from Gabe.
Or if God sent Noel to save me from Jack.
Chapter 11
Morgan
Isign my name in big, loopy letters on the inside of my new book,Young and Christian. Holding it up, I pose for a picture with the last fan.
