A'S

Noah twel

't answ

t my phone as rain hammered against the windows.

Just tell me

ivered, but the

calling

cem

ssing the phone against my

th

warning from the night bef

oyfriend to

f he'd decided to confront Dante bec

y jacket an

ely noticed. All I could think about was Noah and the

ry few seconds along the way. Each time the screen re

Students hurried beneath umbrellas, laughing a

to scream

inue as usual when my ent

h sometimes parked there when he stayed late to stud

heard a

n's

trance, my breath c

oa

n came from d

ra

en I s

. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and one of his eyes was already swelli

's injuries that m

n standing in

e Va

ne hand tucked into his pocket. He watched Noah as if the sig

I sc

head t

one of the guards before throwi

, spreading my arms.

aze settl

moved over my wet hair, my trembling h

kered across h

ickly that I wondere

the way," one

ifted a

mediately

ard Noah. "A

, but the movemen

ed. "What are y

" I stared at him in d

ut one of Dante's me

go!" I

d. "You're giving or

you to stop

two differe

lease, Dante. Whatever you want from me

his head

a, d

im. "Please don't

th blood on his face, he s

change with an expre

uched in fr

was unhurried

said quietly, "I'll bury you som

blood onto

sn't y

age wen

into a smile, but the

that

his chin. "Y

before he could stand. "He's not

at my hand wrapped

s if I'd touche

I whispe

eyes full of pain. "Ser

bear to l

the smell of fresh bread, and Noah standing beside me every morning. Now he

ldn't pro

hit the

xpression

reathe. "I'll marry you. I'll go wherever you tell

Noah s

y eyes o

et him, I hated how small I fe

ral seconds. Then he reache

lin

not

but he didn't release me. Ins

eel to me

onfused by the qui

for

ened. "Then sto

over my shoul

him

sed Noah i

inst the car. I tried to rush to him, but

eed a doctor," I

l get

upposed to

only have to understand that he's a

d to sl

ntil the entire city

ah into his car. His face was bruised, his shirt

" he c

gainst Dan

oa

houted through the open car door.

r slamm

r pull

taillights disappear

turned

ate

t look s

in th

N

ned. "That was

aid

to the vehicle. Instead, he stepped closer,

ou can scream until everyone in this garage knows my name

that he

ther had handed my

ted that Noah had bee

the car withou

limbed inside, folding my arms tightly acro

inutes, neith

watched the city pass through the window, blinki

s if nothing

y, he

, you tell m

toward hi

e contacts you, I want to know. If you

trol every par

tened around the

tch

terly. "You'r

rha

nocent man beca

alleng

e he lo

glancing at me, "is exac

red a

dangerous.

pression turned cold

ce between us and caught my ch

ell me everything.

the lump i

ate

hed my chin be

e said. "

his attentio

ou'll think

indow, refusing to le

ed behind the rain, one thou

sn't just forcin

every person I loved until he