Aftermath

Prologue

His lips tasted like coffee, bittersweet but they woke her up. Noelle ignored the warning signs that were going off in her mind. The strangers hands were all over her body, but the whiskey dulled her senses. It’s going to be okay. She repeated it quietly in her mind till she almost began to believe it. The strangers hands arched beneath her shirt and Noelle pulled away.

“Stop,” it came out in a quiet mumble, but he just laughed.    

“Come on darling, I know you want this,” his face blurred before her eyes as he forced himself on her once more.      

Mustering up the last little bit up her strength, Noelle pushed him off of her. Perhaps it was the suddenness, but the man stumbled back in surprise. Without hesitating, Noelle took that as her cue and staggered drunkly out of the club’s bathroom. The music pounded against the walls deafening her further. The crowd swayed, moving to the pulse, but all she wanted was to get out of there.     

It was her first night in a new town, and she’d already screwed herself over. Pushing her way through the tight packed group of people, she looked for the exit. Everything around her was blurry, and spinning.       

“Excuse me,” she repeated multiple times in a slurred voice as she tried to reach the door. Opening the door was harder than it should have been, but she did it. The fresh air engulfed her as she stepped outside. Noelle took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The cold brought her back to her senses. She looked for her phone in her small purse.      

“Shit,” Noah cursed as she realized she hadn’t brought her phone with her.

She rummaged through her purse again, hoping that it was somewhere near the bottom. Once again, she came up empty handed. Noelle let out a steady stream of colourful words that would rival a pirates vocabulary.    

“Are you okay?” Noah spun around, looking for where the voice came from. A tall boy, dark haired and pale, faced her. Words didn’t form in her mouth, the whiskey controlled her now. Everything was spinning, and she stumbled even while trying to stand still.

“Hey, you okay?”      

Noelle looked up, “Everything is good.”

It came out sounded like gibberish.      

The boy laughed, “Do need help?”    

“Can I borrow your phone?” This time her voice was understandable.      

He gave a questioning look and pulled a cellphone to of his back pocket, “Here you go.” Noelle reached for the phone, but stopped midway.    

“What’s wrong?” He asked.      

Noelle shook her head, smiling at her thought, “You have beautiful eyes.” It was true. He had eyes you could write a story about. Blue like the ocean, rimmed with back. All the stories those eyes could tell. The things he must have done.      

“You are way too drunk,” he replied, putting the phone in her outstretched hand.      

Noelle dialled the number of the only person she could think of, her brother. It rang three times before he picked up, “Hello?” Owen groggily answered.      “

It’s me,” Noelle said, she could hear Owen sigh.    

Noelle looked around at her surroundings, “I’m at the club near the intersection of Abbot and Winterswood.”      

“I’ll be there in five.” Owen sounded frustrated, “Try not to get killed.” He said before hanging up.      

Noah handed the phone back to the boy, “Thank you.”      

He waved it off, “Will you be okay?”      

She nodded and he waved goodbye. Even as he walked away, Noelle kept thinking about his sad eyes. She knew that even if she didn’t remember his face in the morning, she’d remember those hands.