Page 13 of Noelle's Secret Admirer

I felt my cheeks burn under his scrutiny. “I don’t know,” I admitted, my voice trembling slightly. “It’s crazy, isn’t it? It couldn’t be you... could it, Max?”

The room was charged with electricity as his gaze locked onto mine. There was a storm brewing in those dark eyes of his, emotions I couldn’t decipher. He looked torn, caught between a confession and denial, and it made my heart pound in my chest. The fear of the unknown, of the dangers lurking in the shadows, seemed to pale in comparison to the fear of what his answer could mean.

We were teetering on the edge, a single word away from tipping us over into the unknown.

Chapter Six

Maxwell

Myheartseizedinmy chest. She saw me and I couldn’t lie to her, could I? Here she was outright asking me and I still couldn’t bring myself to answer her, so I deflected.

“You’re certain you saw a person out there tonight?”

“I don’t know, really. It was more like a shadow.” Her voice was quiet, but her gaze was steady.

I reached for the bottle and poured myself another shot while pointing at the bottle of water in her hand. She drank it as I poured myself another shot and threw it back before pouring a fourth. I knew I was making a mistake, but I couldn’t slow my heart and calm the fear of losing her that had been running through me. If she caught me on her own and I didn’t have a chance to explain, she would never forgive me.

I fell back onto the couch next to her and stared out the windows that glowed with the Christmas lights of our little downtown. “Okay, maybe it wasn’t a person, but I don’t want you going home tonight. You’ll stay here and in the morning I’ll fix your blinds, then we will figure out what to do about the letters. ”

Noelle’s head dropped to my shoulder. “Thank you.”

I lifted my arm and pulled her into my side, loving the scent of her. “You don’t have to thank me.”

We sat there in silence for a few minutes. Her hand was on my chest as I held her to me, but when she started stroking my skin, I felt like I was burning up inside. I couldn’t bring myself to stop her, either. I took in a sharp breath as her fingers slipped down my chest and to my waist. The sound of it caused her to freeze mid-motion. She pushed herself up and looked at me with desire and fear in her eyes.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

Her voice cut off, but her lips kept moving as if she ran out of words without realizing it. I reached for her chin and let my fingers run softly down the side of her neck. Looking at her now, I could see it. So many times I convinced myself it was my desire that was clouding my judgment with Noelle, but there was no doubt in that moment she was feeling it too.

“Don’t apologize to me.”

I felt the muscles in her neck contract as she swallowed, and her lips parted.

“Tell me what you’re thinking, Noelle.”

Her eyes went wide, and she tried shaking her head no, but I still had a hold of her.

“I can’t,” she whispered.

“You can do anything you want to do. You’re an adult now and you can make decisions on your own.”

“But they are always bad.”

I shook my head slowly, “No, they aren’t and you already know that deep in your heart.”

The pulse under my thumb quickened as I traced the contour of her throat. The world outside the window seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of us.

“Noelle,” I started, my voice sounding more intimate than I intended, “Your decisions are your own, no one else’s. You’re capable and smart.”

“But what if…” she started, her voice barely above a whisper, “What if this decision is more than just a decision, Max? What if it changes everything?”

My eyes searched hers, hunting for the words she couldn’t say. “Some changes... they’re worth it.”

“But what if I get it wrong? What if I misunderstand something, and then... and then…”

She couldn’t finish her sentence, her eyes filled with fear.

“There’s a chance you might,” I told her, “But what’s life without risks? We make mistakes, we learn, we grow. It’s a cycle. You don’t have to be afraid.”

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