Chapter 188
Inside, the living room lights are on and Noah is pacing. His jaw locked, shoulders tense and eyes angry. The moment he sees me, he freezes, then storms toward me with a glare so sharp it feels like a slap.
“Where the hell were you p>
I blink, startled. “I was meeting p>
He doesn’t let me finish, his voice cutting my words off like a knife cutting butter.
“I got a report that you ditched your security.” His voice rises, trembling with anger. “Do you realize how dangerous that was? Do you have any idea p>
“I didn’t ditch them,” I say quickly, but my voice shakes. “I just asked p>
“You don’t get to ‘just ask,‘ Sierra.” He cuts me off, stepping closer. “There’s someone out there who tried to kill you. You know that, and you still walked around without protection p>
The force of his words hits something raw inside me.
“I didn’t mean to p>
His voice sharpens further. “You know you’re in danger. Being reckless isn’t a fucking option you can afford.” 2
My throat burns. The humiliation. The exhaustion. The fear I’ve been swallowing down since the attack. I know I made a mistake. It’s not like I’m refusing to own it, but he won’t let me fucking talk!
I feel the sting behind my eyes, but I clamp it down hard. I won’t cry. I refuse to cry in front of him or show him how his anger and his words were piercing me in ways that left me bleeding.
He keeps going, words like stones thrown one after another.
“What if something happened tonight? What if p>
“It did.” The words slip out before I can stop them.
Silence slams into the room.
Noah blinks. “What p>
My voice cracks, but I force the words out. “You don’t need to yell at me. I already got the warning of my life tonight. Someone tried to kidnap me p>
He stops breathing… Literally stops.
I take a shaking breath, lifting my chin even as my voice trembles. “So please, don’t stand here and lecture me. I know exactly how reckless it was. I know p>
“Sierra p>
I hold up a hand, asking him silently for a moment.
He waits. For the first time since I came, he waits.
I inhale, long and slow, steadying myself. When I finally lower my hand, his voice comes out different, almost gentle… but I don’t trust it. Not when his first instinct was to yell at me and scold me.
“Are you hurt p>
“No,” the words slip past my lips. “I’m just shaken p>
“What happened?” He steps closer again, but slower this time, like he’s afraid of pushing too hard.
I shake my head. “I was going home after a meetup, and someone grabbed me. My friend saved me before the man could pull me into a van p>
His eyes narrow at the word “friend,” something unreadable flickering there. But he doesn’t comment.
“Did you see him? The car? The plate number? Anything p>
“He had a mask and he pulled away before any of us could get the plate number,” I answer, remembering the mask stayed intact even after Adrian punched him.
He exhales and then stares at me for such a long time that I start shifting from foot to foot. I hate that I couldn’t read his emotions, but then again, what does it matter?
“You must be exhausted… go rest; I’ll handle everything else,” he finally says, his voice low. 1
I don’t argue. I just needed a hot shower and sleep. “Okay p>
I turn away and start walking toward the stairs, and that’s when it hits me. I don’t like comparing people, but the contrast between Noah and Adrian hits so deep it feels like a physical blow,
While Adrian provided soft warmth and comfort, Noah was cold towards me, and that just says alot.
I swallow hard. If I didn’t know better, I’d say the universe is telling me something. 8