A Known Stranger

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Noah’s POV

                She was like a piece of gum stuck on the bottom of my boot. The more I tried to scrap it off, the more it spread and stuck. In this case, Fae was the annoying piece of gum. Her dark hair, her piercing grey eyes, and her fair skin wouldn’t leave my mind.

                The way she stumbled onto my driveway and gasped out that I couldn’t go through with the deal that was supposed to go down in less than an hour wouldn’t leave. The way her cold fingertips brushed along my jaw and my scar from a few years ago stuck like super glue. The way I had let my guard down for a while and almost gave in into her, how I almost kissed her while at it burned into my brain.

                How she wanted me to kiss her in that moment screamed out to me to remember.

                How a few hours ago I had seen her walking out of the school’s front doors, how I had held her gaze and tired to tell her I was gonna be okay; that everything was going to work out fine. But the look in her eyes told me was she wasn’t convinced; that she was worried.

                That look, made me want to forget about the damn deal, scoop her into my arms and resume where we had left off last night.

                I glanced down at my phone for what seemed like the tenth time in the last ten minutes and stared at the new text message Fae had sent me half an hour ago.

                Be careful.

                Two words, that was all she had sent and they left me conflicted.

                Why did she have to care?

                Why did she have to care and ask me not to go through with the deal?

                Why did she have to weasel her way into my damn life?

                Why had I been stupid and let my guard down with her?

                All it took was a little bit, all it took was me being around her for more than a few minutes for her to get caught up in my fucked up world.

                I left New York for a reason, that reason being I was supposed to get away from the life I was beginning to life here in California. But I couldn’t, I had nothing here in California to keep me entertained, to keep me from making bad decisions. And Fae, as infuriating as she was, she wasn’t mine.

                She could be. The voice inside my head said as I clicked off the screen and dropped my phone into the cup holder of my car.

                Running a hand through my hair, I let out a frustrated groan and smacked my steering wheel. I sat in front of the warehouse- a place that was meant to be a safe haven for us. Yet, I never did feel comfortable here, I never fully felt comfortable anywhere and as corny as it sounded and as much as it made me want to puke just by thinking about it, Fae had been the only one to make me feel comfortable enough to let my guard down.

                Her sitting figure perched up on top of the rocks out by the ocean popped into my head. The way her shoulders leaned forward, the way her hands were hidden by the sleeves of her sweater as her legs were pushed up against her chest, the way her eyes would stare into the deep, dark waters as she looked down at the chaotic waters in the middle of the night.

                She thought she was alone- that no one knew she was out there- wondering what it would feel like to just jump down and drown.

                She was depressed. Yet, she wouldn’t admit that to anyone- but she had to me.

                I knew there was a lot more to Fae than she let be seen. She had secrets that no one knew. She felt things she wouldn’t admit. She was just as fucked up as I was.

                I closed my eyes and rested my head onto the headrest and sighed, wondering if getting involved with this sort of thing again was a good idea.

                Of course it isn’t you idiot.

                Another frustrated groaned escaped my lips and I angrily pushed open my car door, the autumn wind hitting me like a car as I slammed my car door shut. “Fuck it.”

                I didn’t want this.

                I didn’t want to live this life anymore- not anymore.

                I want out.

                And the only thing- the only person- pushing me to get out of this life was the girl I had tried to ignore for twelve years.

--

                “You can’t just leave this life whenever you feel like it.” Tucker laughed as he sat behind his big ass desk. His dark hair was combed neatly, and he was as cliché as every big time drug dealer with his suit and all that bullshit, hell he even clasped his hands in front of him.

                “You’re one of my best workers,” he continued, looking at me as if he knew this day was coming. “It would be stupid on my part to just let you walk out of here- especially when you agreed to do a job that’s scheduled in less than an hour.” He leaned forward, hands still clasped together in front of him. “But that’s exactly what I’m going to do- I’m going to let you walk out of here.”

                I knew there was a catch, and by the smirk tugging at his lips he was going to tell me what it was.

                “But I’m pretty sure walking will be quiet difficult. Noah you know the rules. You’re clicked in; you’re clicked out.”