Page 111 of I Never Stopped Loving You

“Oh, no, Missy. You don’t get to know the terms of the bet. That would be cheating. Now, get back in there with Prince Charming, and I’ll text you when we get to the restaurant.”

“You’re horrible, you know that, right?” I say sarcastically, of course.

“Yes, but you know you love me no matter what and you’re stuck with me.”

“Am I?” I laugh.

“Until the day you die.”

“Who’s dying?” Jeremy asks as he steps up beside me making me jump.

“No one,” I say flatly.

“Ready to go?” he asks Jenna, and I watch her smile light up as he takes her hand and pulls her closer.

“Yep, ready. Bye, babe. I’ll text you when we get there.”

“Did they move Noah to the new room?”

“Not yet. They said maybe ten more minutes.”

“Okay, thanks. Bye guys. Have fun.”

I watch them walk away and can already tell that this is either going to be the best relationship ever between them or absolute fucking hell. Their personalities are so similar it’s scary.

Taking a moment to compose myself before I head back to Noah, I think about everything they both said. Maybe Jenna is right. Maybe I am trying to find an out like I always do. Unfortunately, there’s still a small voice in the back of my mind saying there’s something more to this.

Maybe he saw me before, in one of the shadow cases I worked on? Maybe he saw me at a conference? I have gone to a few of those over the last couple of years. Dammit. Why can’t my brain just shut off for once and stop trying to pick apart every single detail?

I’m stuck thinking about this all the way back to his room. They’re bringing him out just as I round the corner, and his eyes light up at the sight of me. All the unease seems to fade away when I see his smile and a wave of calm spreads throughout my chest.

Damn this man.

CHAPTER 50

NOAH

FOUR YEARS AGO

I’ve been slowly circling his chair. Each step in rhythm with my slow, steady heartbeat.

Thump – Step – Thump – Step.

Each time my foot connects with the concrete, I can see his body tense. His head is slumped forward against his chest. Blood trickles down the back of his neck where I’ve let my blade barely kiss his flesh.

“So, tell me, Parker…Where have you been all these years?”

“Why does it fucking matter?” he snarls, still trying to maintain a grasp of control.

“Everything about what you’ve done matters to me, Parker. So, enlighten me…What happened that night? Where did you take Willow?”

His head snaps up, eyes wide with fear and confusion.

“Willow? I didn’t take Willow. I thought…”

His voice trails off as he begins to shake his head again, then stops from the wave of dizziness.

“What, James? What did you think?”