Page 12 of Noelle's Secret Admirer

“I don’t know. I thought I did when I came here, but now I’m not sure.”

“Is it because it’s me? I could call Eve or Holly.”

“No. It’s okay. I guess I just think maybe I’m crazy, that’s all. It will sound weird if it’s not true.”

I threw back the second shot of whiskey and held my glass out to him. “More.”

His eyebrows raised, but he took my glass and poured me another.

“You know you can tell me anything.”

“Can I?” I asked as he drank another shot and poured himself one.

“Always.”

“But you can’t tell me anything, can you?”

His hand froze as it was moving to put the bottle back on the table.

“Why do you say that?”

“I always feel you are hiding something from me and now I’m wondering if I know why or if I’m crazy.”

“What happened tonight, Noelle? And what does it have to do with me?”

“Probably nothing.”

“Tell me what happened. I’m not going to ask again.”

Max reached and took the glass from my hand, replacing it with a bottle of water.

“There was someone outside my window tonight.”

His face hardened instantly, a scowl deepening the lines of his forehead. His grip tightened around the neck of his glass, but he didn’t take another sip. Instead, he leaned forward on his knees, his intense gaze locking onto me with a fierceness that was both comforting and intimidating.

“Did you see who it was?” he asked, his voice low, a dangerous edge creeping into his tone.

“No, I only saw a shadow, a movement. By the time I opened the blinds, there was no one in sight.”

The room fell into silence, the hum of the heater the only sound to fill the thick tension. His fist clenched and unclenched around his glass, the white-knuckled grip betraying his calm demeanor. This was Max, always the protector, but seeing him so clearly bothered by this news was a cold splash of reality. Maybe I wasn’t as safe as I thought I was. I pretended for years whoever left me the letters would never hurt me. If it wasn’t Max, then who was it? And what did they really want from me?

“You should’ve called me right away, Noelle.” His anger wasn’t directed at me, but at the situation, I knew that. Still, it stung.

“I...” I began, but words got caught in my throat. The truth was, I was scared. Scared of what he might think of me, scared of what he might say. “I was afraid you would think I’m crazy.”

He sighed, running a hand through his damp hair. “Crazy or not, if you’re in danger, you call me, understand? No matter what.”

I nodded, unable to meet his gaze. The intensity in his eyes was too much, too revealing. It was like he was seeing into my soul, picking apart every secret I had ever kept from him. I clutched the bottle of water in my hands, my mind reeling with fear and a different sort of anxiety.

“There’s more, isn’t there?” His voice was softer now, understanding replacing the edge that had been there a moment ago. I glanced up at him, and the gentleness in his eyes pulled at my heart. He was more than just my foster brother, he was my friend, my confidante, my sanctuary. I had to trust him. I needed to trust him.

I swallowed, pulling my knees up to my chest. “There’s been someone leaving me notes, gifts even... and tonight, there was a dress. The dress I tried on when we were at the department store together.”

He took in my words, his gaze never leaving my face. “The dress... that green one you liked?”

I nodded. “Yes, that one. And there was a note with it saying to think of him when I wear it.”

There was a pause. “And you think I’m this person?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

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