Page 39 of Who's Saving You
“I don’t know what to believe anymore,” she says finally, her voice quiet but sharp.
“You still know me.”
She shakes her head. “I knew the version of you that showed up in daylight. At the hospital. With the team. That guy, he’s not this.”
I laugh. “You didn’t believe that guy either. Give me the truth here, please. You didn’t believe anything Saint Nik did or said.”
She turns, facing me head-on now. “Saint Nik was too good, a little cocky, and a lot charming. But your whole image is so squeaky clean, and no one can be that perfect. Clearly, Nik Papas isn’t.”
“I’m both of those men.”
She stares at me like she’s trying to see through every version. “Then show me.”
I step forward. One more step and I’ll be close enough to touch her. She doesn’t move either; she just stands her ground, daring me to react.
“You’re dangerous,” she whispers.
“Naí.”
“No?” She laughs. “Want to rethink that?”
I shake my head. “Naí,” I say again, “means yes, in Greek. I’m agreeing with you.”
She eyes me. “You’re still lying about something. I can feel it.”
I look at her, she’s got fire and all the instinct in the world, and she’s right. But how much more do I tell her when I’m not sure I can trust her?
~~
It’s almost one in the morning, and my adrenaline is still pumping like I just played a game. I can’t tell if it’s from the way the night unfolded, or because she’s here in my place.In my shower.She asked to clean up, said she wanted to wash off the lies of the night. I ignored the dig and pointed down the hallway to the bathroom.
After a moment, I heard the shower turn on, and my mom’s voice ran through my head about being a good host. Not sure if a forced sleepover is considered hosting, but I went and knocked on the door, calling out loudly, “There are towels in the closet. Extra T-shirts in the dresser in the adjoining room. Help yourself.”
I ignore the raging hard on that’s trying to blind me and come back out to the living room, falling onto the couch. My phone begins to ring and I see it's Stone, Dante’s bodyguard.
“What’s up?” I answer, lying my head back on the couch.
“I’m at her house now.” He pauses, and his tone immediately sets my nerves on edge. “There are scratches near the lock.”
I sit up. “What?”
“Not just one, several, and they look fresh. Like someone was trying to use the wrong key, but nothing about this looks like an accident.”
I scrub my face with my hand. “Anything look moved inside?”
“No, the place is pretty neat. Nothing overturned. So whoever was trying to get in was only looking for one thing.”
“And she wasn’t there.”
“Bingo.”
I let out a breath, quickly trying to figure out how this is going to go down. “Grab some of her things, but don’t make it look like she’s packed for a month away.”
“You got it. See you soon.”
I end the call and place the phone on the table. Noelle is going to lose her mind when I tell her. She’s going to want to go back, she’s going to want her own things, and it just can’t happen. I’ve no idea how this entire scenario has turned so quickly, how the Pitbull of a reporter is all of a sudden someone I have to save.
And I just know she's going to fight me every inch of the way.
