𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝

Prologue

I will always remember the first time I met Noah Taylor. As he stood there in black ripped jeans, his black T-shirt stretched tightly over his muscles and his stormy green eyes staring at me—through me.

"And you are?" he had asked, one dark brow raised and his tone bored.

I didn't know what to say. I just looked up at him in my pink unicorn pajamas, my honey blond hair a mess on my head.

"I..." I trailed off, a little taken aback by this man before me, his face looking like a guy who was constantly up to something—thinking of a witty remark, but the scar above his right eye and the hollow look in his eyes told me a different story.

Of course, I didn't know then what I knew now.

My eighteen year old self didn't know what to do with herself—the only boys I had come across the ones my age. But this wasn't a boy, oh no. Being six years my senior, he was a man. A man at the start of his life, sure. But a man nonetheless.

He rolled his eyes, pushing past me into the house, and I frowned, my fascination turning into annoyance. Who was he anyway? Did I just let a stranger into our house? God, I really needed to grow a spine.

"Uhm—" I started, my heart frantically beating in my chest, but the guy ignored me.

"Isaac, we don't have all night," he yelled up the stairs, and I kept my head down as I walked back to the dinner table, where I was doing my homework before my brother had asked me to get the door.

"Yeah, yeah," my brother huffed as he skipped down the stairs, grabbing his keys and beckoning for his friend to follow him out of the house.

"Bella?" I caught myself staring, but his words shocked me back to reality.

"Yes?"

"Mom and Dad will be home in an hour. Don't open the door for anyone," he warned, and I rolled my bottom lip between my teeth—something I always did when I was anxious or scared.

I nodded, crossing my legs under the table and quickly shifting my eyes back to my homework. I felt the strangers gaze on me, but I didn't dare look up.

"By the way," Isaac said as he turned to leave. "Noah, this is my sister Bellamy."

I still didn't look up, my cheeks undoubtedly turning bright red as I waited for them to leave already.

"What's wrong with her?" Noah asked, probably with a deep frown on his face.

"Fuck you, man." Isaac slapped him on the shoulder and I shot my brother a quick smile, before they thankfully disappeared into the hall.

I let out a long breath when I heard the door slam shut behind them, and I slouched down in my chair.

The tension I felt with this Noah in the house, couldn't be good for anyone. He looked dangerous, mean, and exactly the type to screw people over.

It would be best to stay as far away as possible from him.