Through the flames *MMG REVISION-COMPLETED✔️*

Part Two - Chapter Twenty-One: Lets Get Down to Business

Noah told Addie to go to his room, and she ran off but not before casting me one last concerned glance.

The door had hardly swung shut before I leaped at Noah. He caught me and held me close, pulling me away from the door and windows and back into the living room.

Noah turned off the TV, settling me back against the couch and throwing a blanket around my shoulders.

"Okay," Noah muttered, kneeling in front of me.
"Tell me everything."

So I did.

When I started, I couldn't stop. I told him about the club and meeting Leo, how he had lied and tricked me. The mall and what Leo had said and done. I told him about what happened after he drove me back home and the dinner. Finding Leo again. His threats and promises. My mom loosing control and hitting me before I ran away. Finally, I got to the phone call.

"My mom never talked about my dad," I sputtered. "She always told me he didn't matter. She made me promise not to look for him. I always just thought it was because he was a prick who ran away when she got pregnant. But..." I swallowed and squeezed the blanket. "But now I think it was she who ran away."

"What did he say?" Noah frowned.

"He said - he said-" I sucked in a shaking breath and closed my eyes. "He said I was his and that he would hurt everyone I love in order to get to me."

Slowly, I opened my eyes to see Noah watching me. His face was pale and his eyes wide. "I see," he said quietly.

I gritted my teeth. "I'm so sorry Noah. It all makes so much sense now. I understand if you don't want to be around me any more and -"

"Wait, what?"

"Because you have Addie to take care of and-"

"Cherry," Noah laughed, grabbing my arms. I swallowed and blinked down at him. "I'm not going anywhere." He smiled, and I felt like a giant weight had been lifted from my shoulders. But his smile was tight around the corners, his hands shook as he held me. Noah was terrified. Just like me.

"Okay," I whispered. "What do we do?"

"First," Noah stood up and took his phone - which I must have dropped - and left the room. I heard the sound of a fridge door slamming and the teeth-grinding crunch of a shattering phone.

"Noah!" I yelped, jumping from the couch. He reentered the room with the remains of his phone, snapped in half and held together only by the screen protector.

Noah tossed the pieces in the garbage. "He contacted you through me. Who knows how he found me."

I nodded and sank back down to the couch.

Noah continued, running his hands through his hair as he mused aloud. "If he knows about me he must know about the others. Do you have Rachel's address?"

I nodded. I had it memorized.

"Okay. We should meet up and come up with a plan."

"What about the police?" I asked.

"What about them?" Noah raised a knowing eyebrow, and I blanched. Right. The police had stopped them from saving me. My father must have them under his payroll.

I nodded. "Okay. No cops. How are we going to get everyone together when we don't have phones?"

"Flisbee." Noah said with a shrug. "At least for now." He glanced towards where Addie had vanished to before looking back at me. "How soon can you leave?"

"I just had my backpack..."

Noah nodded and strode from the room, yelling for Addie.

I sat on the couch, numb. I felt like I was dreaming - no, I felt like I was in a nightmare. Any moment, I would wake up and I would be in my bed, and nothing from the past 48 hours would have happened.