Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 34941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 116(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 116(@300wpm)
-Noelle Henry
There's not a single word in the whole email that hints at our encounter, and I can't fault her for it. It's exactly what she should have done, and yet, her cold, professional tone has a chill running through me. She's acting like it didn't even happen.
I can't believe she's already gone.
I know she can't have an open, obvious relationship with me here, but if she had just said a couple more words, I would have felt less like a dirty old man. Now she's leaving the state, and it's my last day here, and I have no way to get in contact with Noelle. This information goes against everything I've been telling myself for the past two days—that Noelle is mine, that we'll be together now that school is out.
I only know one person who knows Noelle, and hell will freeze over before I ask Danny how to contact her.
Hours pass in a sort of blur. I head back to Gray's office, nursing the slim hope that she might come to the office to see me before leaving for Washington. I know it's a long shot, but I can't bring myself to leave while there’s still a chance.
I do a lot of paper shuffling before finally settling into grade essays to pass the time. The storm kicks up into high gear outside, stronger and more violent than any of the weather reports made it seem. The rain comes down in heavy sheets, and the thunder is furious, interspersed with flashes of fierce lightning.
Noelle never comes. My phone chirps again and again with weather warnings, flood warnings, and even a rare tornado watch, but I ignore it all. Finally, I'm done with my actual work and check the time. Christ. It's almost 10 PM. I'm probably the last person left on campus, and I'm not even a permanent employee.
I have a new plan to contact Noelle—calling the phone company and getting the call records from Danny's phone, which I'm still paying for of course. It might take weeks to sort through it all, but I refuse to leave things the way they are. I must have hurt her more than I thought, leaving her dorm that night. This can't be the end.
My stomach shakes me out of my thoughts with a loud rumble, and I sigh, standing to gather my things to head home. I drove the Wagoneer this morning instead of the Porsche, which should serve me well since it sounds like the world is ending outside.
Pissed beyond measure that I fucked things up so badly with the one perfect girl for me on the entire planet, I open the door to the building only to have the wind jerk it out of my hands and slam it against the brick. At the same time, a deluge of rain hits me in the face, and I hiss in annoyance. Damn. This weather is no joke.
I turn the collar of my coat up and run for the car. Once inside, the wind buffets the vehicle, pushing it back and forth, and I curse under my breath. Fuck this. Rain isn't going to be the death of me.
I turn on the radio, and the first thing I hear is a broadcast telling me, "The severe thunderstorm warning is still in effect until 9 AM tomorrow. All local flights have been canceled, and we recommend taking shelter until the storm is done."
Half listening, I turn the engine over and put the car into reverse, backing out slowly to make sure the Wagoneer isn't pushed around. As soon as I get on the main road, the realization of what the radio just said hits me like a ton of bricks. All flights canceled? That means...
Noelle.
I turn the wheel hard, tires squealing as the car slides in the rain. I turn the opposite way of my house and start heading toward the airport. What if she's stranded? What if she's alone?
Noelle might not want anything to do with me. Hell, she probably doesn't. But I can't just leave her stranded somewhere. Especially not when the weather is like this. I'll drive her wherever she needs to go and then I'll leave. That's it.
That's the only thought in my head. I'll get her to a hotel, somewhere warm and dry, and then leave her alone. That's the only way I'll be able to let her go.
The closer I get to the airport, the heavier the rain gets. It's so thick that the beams of the headlights barely make a dent in the darkness.
I've got my foot all the way down on the gas, and my nerves are fraught with tension as I try to push the Wagoneer faster. My windshield wipers are working overtime, and still, the water is pouring down so fast that it's nearly impossible to see the road. The car slides sideways as I round a corner, and I curse, correcting the steering.