Getting out now is more critical than ever. I just don’t know how to accomplish that without ruining Sawyer’s life. I have no claim to him, but he feels like he’s mine all the same. From the day he was born, I’ve taken care of him.Iwoke up in the middle of the night with him as an infant.Iattended all the doctor’s appointments, went to all his school meetings. I've done everything for him that my mom used to do for me.
Lord, I miss her.
She’d have fought to get him out of that house.
Unlike me. I stay because I’m terrified of losing him.
Seth and Karen will ruin Sawyer just to spite me.
“Earth to Noelle.” Jack snaps his fingers in front of my face as I stare at the back door. “There’s a big guy out front looking for you.”
Holden.
Acknowledging him, I sigh as I head out front, noticing the man sitting at his usual table with his usual order. Nerves make me shaky.
His gaze zeroes in on me as soon as I enter the front café, a subtle grin appearing on his face. The one with the dimple that makes me sigh. Oh, how I wish things could be different.
As I get closer, his smile turns into a grimace, and I know he sees my new bruises.
“What the hell happened?” He stands and immediately starts probing at the injury.
I shake him off. “I’m fine. Just bumped my head on a cupboard last night.” I can tell he doesn’t believe me, but he lets it go for now.
“You didn’t call me.” The hand on my head smooths back my hair. When I wince as he touches the sensitive spot, he growls. Like a wolf. A feral wolf. Spinning me around, Holden parts my hair and curses under his breath. “I told you I’d kill him if he touched you.” The words are murmured so softly that I think they must be wrong.
“I said I’m fine, Holden.” That growl again. I get weird flutters in my belly each time he does it too.
“You’re not fine, Noelle. He fucking ripped out your hair.” He spins me again to face him, cupping my neck like he did yesterday. Why does it feel so good? “You’re packing your bags, and I’m taking you home with me tonight.”
My head is shaking before he’s finished. “You don’t get to do that. You don’t know anything about my life. You're not allowed to storm in, thinking you can make all these decisions, and I’ll just comply. I’m not some yes-girl, Holden. I know what I’m doing, and I can take care of myself.” My jaw is locked shut as I seethe.
I see a storm brewing in his dark glare, and I wonder if I’ve stepped in it with him. I don’t want him to give up on me; I have this unnatural attraction to him, but I also can’t risk Sawyer. I’m in a no-win situation, and I hate it.
Slamming his mouth over mine, Holden steals a tempestuous kiss, biting my lip and taking advantage when I gasp by slipping his tongue in my mouth. Slowly drawing back, my eyes follow along as he licks across his lips.
“Not many people stand up to me.” He sounds impressed. “I’ll be back at three. We’ll grab the kid, take him to my mom, and he’ll spend the evening with her and my aunts.”
I gulp. “And what will we be doing?”
“I’m taking you on a real date.” He says this like it’s a done deal.
“No. I don’t have anything to wear.”
He snickers. “My Aunt Meadow is bringing over some of Scotlyn’s dresses. They’ll help you get ready. I’ll spend some time with the kid. Show him the pool, introduce him to the dogs.”
“I can’t do this, Holden.” I love how thought out his plan is, but I was warned last night not to see him again.What if the consequences are worse this time?
“Yeah, Noelle, you can," he interrupts. "You just have to say yes. It’s easy.” And with the last word and one last quick kiss, Holden leaves me standing in the middle of the café. Our argument and conversation were so quiet that nobody heard us, but I felt I had a spotlight on me anyways.
I spend the morning in the back organizing new books that need to be shelved tomorrow rather than serving customers because I need time to think. By the time lunch rolls around, I realize that I need help. I have to get Sawyer and me away from that house because, sooner or later, Seth will kill me.
Grabbing my stuff, I pop my head into my boss’s office and tell her I need to leave for the rest of the day. We share a look for a moment before she nods. I’ve worked here since they opened five years ago, and she knows what goes on at home, even when I don’t say a word. She also knows I’ve been trying to get out. Get safe.
Hailing a taxi, I direct him to a store a block away from Sparrow House—the shelter Lilith Adair helps finance. Over the years, I’ve heard a lot about it. One of the things I’ve thought about most is their ability to help in situations like mine. Getting a child out that perhaps doesn’t belong to you.
Striding quickly down the block, I stop at the entrance to the quaint house I've learned is the entrance to the building behind it. I was told the security here rivals the White House, which gives me hope, even if it is hidden.
A shadow in the window catches my attention as I notice someone standing there, observing me. I inhale, counting the seconds until my lungs fill to capacity before blowing out a breath and entering the yard. Colorful flower boxes line the railings of the porch. The grass is green and cut short. Everything about Sparrow House is misleading but welcoming.