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Chapter 19
The cop car’s blue light reflected on the dark highway as its siren demanded cars to part ways for me. The sky had turned black as I made my way along the dark roads, driving like a maniac—not endangering others, but perhaps myself. A few times, when merging on the highway, I felt the car’s wheels slip under my quick turns, and each time it shot a storm of shivers down my spine. But I honestly didn’t care. I checked the ETA on my phone for the Grand Hotel every few seconds, my stomach churning as I tried to swallow a painful lump in the back of my throat. At this pace, I should be able to beat the tactical unit—but we were talking only minutes here. I had to get there first.
“Thank God!” I sighed in relief when I saw Portland ahead of me.
All in all, this was one of the worst moments of my life, only comparable to when my parents had passed away. I felt like I was going to throw up.
I slowed the car at the stoplight to make sure traffic was stopping for me, then I ran the red light and took Congress downtown to the Old Harbor district, Portland’s most expensive neighborhood. The Grand was a brand new, super-luxury hotel built into an old brick factory. Located right in the heart of the historic district, it was an attraction on its own. I knew about it but could never afford to stay there.
Turning my siren off, I quietly cruised down the last few streets to the hotel and parked at one of the back entrances. Hastily, I snatched the siren off the roof and threw it in the backseat. Like every hotel, one needed a room key to get in any entrance, so I quickly made my way through the lobby and to the staircase. Mila’s room was on the second floor: 221. I wiped the sweat off my forehead as I took several steps at a time up to the second floor. I was drenched in sweat. My heart was racing like a wild stallion, hammering against my chest as if it was trying to escape my body. I yanked the door open to the second floor so energetically its handle hit the wall with a crunch, and dust drifted to the floor.
It didn’t matter. All I cared about was her.
Turning my head in all directions, I moved quietly yet quickly over the red rug to room 221. For a moment, I just stood there, trying to breathe, listening to the sound from a TV show coming through the door.
Then I lifted a trembling hand and knocked.
Please be there, please be there, God please let her be there!
At first, there was nothing; the silence almost killed me, but then I heard footsteps. Shortly after, the door cautiously opened, and there was Mila, safe and undisturbed. Her blue eyes grew big in surprise, her glasses slipping to the end of her nose. She was wearing jogging pants and a white t-shirt. Just seeing her again made my heart skip. Her expression of surprise faded into a sincere smile.
“Noah! You were serious about coming up to—”
I pushed her backward into the room and kissed her. Like her lips were the only cure for my poisoned body and soul.
The feeling of relief almost brought me to tears. She pulled away slightly and smiled at me.
“Geez, Noah. Is everything alright? You’re sweating as if you’ve just run a marathon.”
The bracing feeling of the situation took over again. I looked around for her sweater and grabbed it.
“I’m fine. But I need you to come with me,” I said.
Her head jerked back. “Right now?”
I nodded. “Yes, baby. Right now. I can explain in the car.”
Mila scanned my unruly look, then turned as if she was looking in the direction of Andrei’s room.
“Is everything okay?” She walked up to me and took my hand.
I shook my head. This woman wasn’t stupid. To pretend that everything was fine would be an insult to her.
“What’s wrong, Noah?” she asked.
I smiled, trying to keep her disturbance to a minimum. “I’ll explain in a minute. For now, I need you to come with me. Please.”
Mila frowned in thought. I pulled her into my arms, squeezing her tightly. To feel her warmth on mine again was more than I could’ve ever asked for.
“I know this is asking a lot. And I feel terrible for putting you in this situation. But please, Mila, please come with me. I need to talk to you and show you something. Just the two of us.”
For a moment, nothing happened, then I felt Mila’s gentle hand rubbing my back.
“Of course I’ll come with you if you need me.” Her voice was soft and sweet against my shoulder. With a reassuring smile, she looked at me. “I know you’d do the same for me.”
She grabbed the sweater in my hand and walked to the door. “Ready when you are.”
If we weren’t in such a hurry, I could have stood there all night staring at the incredible woman in front of me. She truly was one in a million. She trusted me blindly, a mistake she’d never make again. But the fact that she did, no questions asked, gave me one of the most incredible feelings I’d ever experienced. This is what poets like Shakespeare must have been talking about all the time. Unconditional, pure love.
