Page 99 of The Holiday Grump
Now I felt the urge, right on cue, but my feet remained frozen against Fredrik’s wooden floor, my hand anchored on his ugly bookshelf.
Spencer clicked his tongue at me with a mix of reproach and satisfaction. “Noelle Clarke. You have no idea what you put me through. What a fool you’ve made of me.”
“I… I…” I couldn’t form a sentence, but Spencer didn’t need my words.
He stepped closer and pulled me into a suffocating hug. “Oh, Noelle. Thank God I finally found you!”
He said it theatrically, as if he were performing for an audience. Sudden panic got my limbs moving, and I wriggled out of his arms, spotting the camera guy behind him, holding up a phone.
Then I saw Fredrik. He dove at Spencer, grabbing the lapels of his coat and backing him up against the bookshelf. “You need to get out,” he hissed. “Right now.”
Spencer recoiled, his hands raised and his mouth twisted as if he were being touched by a leper. “What is your problem, man? She’s my fiancée! I’ve been looking for her for a year. She needs help.”
“She needs nothing from you.” He let go of Spencer’s coat but stood between us.
Spencer angled toward me, his voice softening. “Noelle, baby… who’s this guy?”
A crowd of people had gathered around us, munching on pulla. I shot an alarmed look at Fredrik, shaking my head in warning. It was one thing to punch Ralph, who had nothing to his name. But if he did something to Spencer… I was too scared to even think about the consequences.
Spencer glanced at his broad-shouldered friend filming the scene. “I’m here for Noelle. No trouble.” He edged past Fredrik and offered me his arm. “Come on, baby. Let’s go. You can tell me all about your small-town adventures on the way back. I’m not mad. We’ll get you the help you need, and everything will be okay, I promise. Everyone’s so worried about you.”
He gave me a sad smile, his eyes slanted in concern. Itwas the perfect performance. So perfect. But I’d already seen behind the curtain.
I found my voice. “I’m not leaving with you.”
My eyes snapped to Fredrik. I didn’t mean to linger, but I was drowning, and he was my life preserver. Just holding his gaze settled the storm inside me, filling me with quiet faith.
That was my worst mistake. Spencer followed my gaze, reading me like an open book. “This homeless guy is your little side hustle? Noelle? Seriously?”
I was supposed to spare Fredrik from this drama. Instead, I was pulling him into the epicenter of it.
“You don’t know him,” I spat, my jaw tense.
“I canseehim.” Spencer turned to examine Fredrik like he was on display in a boutique, and he wasn’t impressed.
I knew what he meant. In his cardigan and corduroys, his hair a little too long and jaw unshaven, Fredrik looked as unkempt as ever. Yet my heart somersaulted. He was my home. The only reason I didn’tfeelhomeless even though I was. Everything else around me turned into white noise, and I stepped closer.
“I’m so sorry.”
His arms opened, ready to catch me. I nearly melted into him. But Spencer slid between us, addressing Fredrik. “No offense, but she’s using you. If you knew her, you’d understand.” He turned to me. “Fine, Noelle. You’ve made your point. You’re not shallow. You see this diamond in the rough or whatever. It’s very cute. We’ll make a donation to whichever halfway house he’s staying at. We’ll make sure he’s okay. But let’s take you out of here first. You seem so tense. Your hair’s a mess. Look at your nails! I’ll book you aweekend at a spa and a personal shopper. I’ll get you a good therapist. Let me help.”
Fury brewed in my gut. “He’s not homeless, you moron! And I’d rather be homeless myself than one of your fucking assets!”
Spencer looked confused, like I’d deviated from a script we’d agreed upon. “What assets? Come on, Noelle. Let’s go.”
I gathered all my courage and stepped so close he could hear my whisper. “I’m not going back. Not now. Not ever. I’m sorry I didn’t leave you earlier. I let it go on for too long. But we were never good together. You made me feel like I was broken. And I kept apologizing, like everything was my fault. And you never admitted fault. You never apologized.”
He looked perplexed. “What would I apologize for?”
I heaved a sigh, closing my eyes. Exactly. He believed he was justified in everything he said and did. He didn’t second-guess himself or worry about other people’s feelings. That was who he was, and it had taken me this long to see it.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Fredrik’s fingers closing into a fist. I could tell he was holding back, letting me have my say. But I could almost see the steam puffing out of his ears. I had to get Spencer out of here. I had to de-escalate.
But it was too late. Spencer, clocking that he wasn’t going to get his way, launched at Fredrik. “Good luck with this one. She’s after the easy life, you know? She wants the house and the car and the jewelry. But watch out. She’ll run away with it and leave you wondering what happened. She’ll mess with your head.”
“What the hell did I take from you?” I yelled, and then I remembered.
The ring. I’d run off with the ring. Not on purpose, but still. By the time I’d been hiding at my sister’s apartment, planning my exit, it was too late. Holly had taken it from me, promising to “take care of it.” What had she done?
