Noelle

Noelle Monroe remembers only flashes of the few short years spent with her father. He disappeared when she was young, and now she wants to know why he left her behind when her dreams portray a man who loved her. Nothing else seems to matter as much as answering this question, especially after years growing up with her rage-filled mother, who insists that he abandoned them. She finds herself traveling across the country alone to the small town her father grew up in. Someone must remember the man now existing only in blurry memories and dreams.

It's here that she meets West Harrison. He's tall, gentle, and determined to get to know the closed off girl who has appeared so suddenly in his remote Montana town. Slowly but surely, Noelle begins to put together the pieces behind her father's disappearance. But everything is not as it seems, and she will have to learn how to trust again or risk losing this new life she has begun to build in Aspen, Montana.

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Later that night, I'm bundled up in the truck next to him, my converse lying on the floor and my arms wrapped tightly around my legs. It's quiet except for the sound of the heater blasting away the coldness. The moon is a brilliant glow in the dark sky, and rays of light fall across his face every now and then. Our eyes meet in the dark, his expression heavy and thoughtful.

We sit in silence for a moment, our gazes locked, before he slowly reaches out and brushes warm fingers gently across my jaw. He looks down at my lips and I feel something I've never felt before. I'm not scared, and yet I'm terrified.

It feels like an eternity passes before he swallows hard, pulling his hand away. It's dark for a moment, and then the moon emerges from behind a cloud, and everything is light. I take it in with wide eyes. This feels like magic, if magic could exist.

I feel the warmth of his hand on my lower back. It's steady, comforting. I like it.

And I...

I wish he had kissed me.