Bed of Nails

Chapter 34

"She was my girlfriend in high school."

I looked at him in disbelief, but I found him looking back at me with his cold blue eyes. His words once again brought those unwanted memories back. I averted my eyes and looked back at my half-eaten salad. Noah seemed surprised when he heard that. 

"Girlfriend!" I mocked him with a dry chuckle. 

"I don't think we can say that. It was all in the past when we were naive and stupid, and now we are not that same person anymore," I said, and it made the air even thicker around us. I don't know how we even ended up on this topic. I don't want to discuss my personal life. I was pulled out of my thoughts by the loud ringing of the cell phone. Noah excused us to take the call. I kept playing with my salad, my mind wandering into my unwanted memories. 

"I'm sorry guys, I have to leave now. It's urgent," Noah said when he came back once he was done talking. 

"Something serious. Is everything okay?" I asked in concern when I saw a distressed look on his face. 

"Don't worry, everything is fine." He smiled faintly and bent down to take his jacket. 

"I will see you soon," he said and then kissed my cheek before leaving. I smiled at him. Erick was trying to kill him with his intense gaze, but he turned around and thanked him for dinner, unfazed by his glares. I had lost my appetite, so I kept playing with my salad until everyone was done eating. Everyone said bye to us and thanked him for dinner before leaving. I had twisted my ankle, so I had to take a cab to work this morning. Evelyn's boyfriend picked her up, and Aria was going to give lift to Alice because they stayed in the same direction. She offered to give me a ride too, but I stayed in the opposite direction. 

"I will take a cab," I said to her with an assuring smile on my face. 

"It looks like it's going to rain soon," she said while looking out of the window. 

"Are you sure?" she asked, still not wanting me to wait for a cab. 

"Yes, I'm sure. Now go before you get stuck in the rain," I assured her. I don't want her to wait until my cab arrives. She left after a few minutes. Almost everyone had left. I took out my cell phone to call for a cab, only to find it dead. 

"Shit," I cursed under my breath, still trying to somehow switch on my cell phone. I have to go to the main road to get a cab before it starts raining. I was on my way when a car stopped beside me. I ignored him and continued to walk, but a window rolled down and he was sitting behind the wheels. 

"Get in the car," he said again. I resumed my walk. I didn't reply to him and kept walking. As if I would get into his car. He kept driving beside me at a slow pace. 

"I said get in the car," he said in frustration when I refused to get in his car. I walked to the main road. It took me a good fifteen minutes. He kept following me. I tried to stop a cab, but they didn't stop. There was thunder in the sky, and then it started raining. 

"I hate New York's weather," I cried out, looking at the dark sky. One day it's sunny, and the other day it starts raining. 

"Get in the fucking car!" he yelled, but I ignored him and still tried to stop the cab, but to my bad luck, not even a single cab was stopping. I don't know why they are even on the street if they don't want to take passengers. I would prefer to stand her in the rain rather than get in his car. Suddenly, my arm was held in a tight grip, and I was being pulled to the car. 

"What are you doing? Let me go! I shouted, not wanting to get in the car. 

"Stop manhandling me. I don't want to go with you," I said in my mad voice, trying to get my arm out of his hold.