ELLE'S POV
When I woke up, I saw someone's back to me. He was pacing with his arms akimbo. Then he turned and our eyes locked.
Noah.
"Elle?" He rushed to me, his expression a mix of relief and concern. "How do you feel?"
I almost rolled my eyes but my head was banging. Then it came rushing back. Steven. I went to the party with him and then...what happened? My memories were fragmented, fuzzy around the edges.
"Are you okay?" Noah asked again, caressing my face so gently I barely felt it. I glanced around to see I wasn't home and it was still dark outside. My eyes darted to the wall clock and I saw the clock struck 12:10 am.
I jerked upright and he grabbed me, steadying my swaying body. "What happened? Where am I?"
"You're at my apartment," Noah said, his voice soft but tense. "Do you remember anything from the party?"
"I remember going upstairs with Steven and..." I pressed my fingers against my temples, trying to force the memories to surface. "He gave me water and then everything went fuzzy."
Noah's jaw tightened. "That bastard drugged you."
"Drugged me?" The words felt strange on my tongue. Things like that didn't happen to people like me.
"If I hadn't heard you scream..." His voice trailed off, and something dark flashed across his face.
"You saved me?" I whispered.
Noah nodded, not quite meeting my eyes. "I was upstairs trying to avoid Maddy, and I heard you. When I found you, Steven was..." He stopped, clearly not wanting to say it.
"What did you do?" I asked.
"I dragged him downstairs and called the police," Noah said, his voice hardening. "They took him away. Tyler and some others gave statements about what they saw."
"Oh my God." I facepalmed myself, mortification washing over me. "Everyone at the party knows?"
"Hey," Noah wrapped his arms around me, the gesture so unexpected I froze. "Everything's fine now. You shouldn't worry about what people think. You did nothing wrong."
His warmth was comforting, and I found myself leaning into his embrace before I realized what I was doing. I pulled back abruptly.
"Can I use my phone? I need to call my mom."
Noah handed me my phone from the nightstand. "The hospital checked you out before I brought you here. The drug was already wearing off, and they said you'd be okay."
I dialed Mom's number, but she wasn't picking up. I was about to send her a text when I saw her message: "I won't be back home tonight. Sorry darling. Lock the door properly."
I sighed. I was thinking she'd be dead with worry about me since I wasn't back from the party. But apparently, she was too busy to worry. Thankfully it worked to my advantage because I couldn't imagine telling Mom what happened over the phone.
She'd lose her wit.
"Everything okay?" Noah asked, watching me carefully.
"She's not home," I said, setting the phone down. "Is this what you meant when you told me Steven was a bad person?"
He nodded slowly. "I tried to warn you."
The question that had been nagging at me since the party bubbled to the surface. "Who is Amanda?"
Noah stared at me for a long while, conflict evident in his eyes, before sinking down onto the edge of the bed.
"Amanda lived in our old neighborhood," he began, voice quiet. "She was friends with my sister. Steven, Mason, Amanda, and I all grew up together."
"What happened to her?" I prompted when he fell silent.
"Steven raped her at a party," Noah said bluntly. "Just like he tried to do to you. Same M.O. – slipped something in her drink when she wasn't looking."
"Oh my god," I whispered, bile rising in my throat.
"She reported it," Noah continued, his fists clenching. "But before the police investigation went anywhere, Steven's family suddenly moved. His father has connections, money. They made it all disappear."
"That's why he was so angry when you mentioned her name at the party," I realized. "And why you hate him so much."
Noah nodded, his expression grim. "Amanda was never the same after. None of us were."
A tear threatened to escape, and I stood up abruptly. "I should go."
He shook his head immediately. "No, you can spend the night here."
"I don't want to inconvenience you," I protested weakly, though the thought of going home to an empty house made me shiver.
"I'll sleep on the couch," Noah insisted. He hesitated, then added, "You shouldn't be alone right now."
I wanted to argue that I was fine, that I didn't need his help, but the truth was, I didn't want to be alone with my thoughts.
"Okay," I whispered.
Noah stood up and walked to the door. "Goodnight," he said softly.
I nodded at him, and he hesitated at the door before asking again, "Will you be fine?"
The concerned look in his eyes was my undoing. I shook my head and began to cry, the shock of the night finally catching up to me. Noah rushed back in and jumped onto the bed beside me. He held me in his arms as I let it all out, my body shaking with sobs.
"It's okay," he murmured against my hair. "I've got you."
"Why would he do that?" I choked out between sobs. "I trusted him."
"That's how guys like Steven operate," Noah said, his arms tightening around me. "They make you trust them first."
"But you saved me," I said, pulling back just enough to look at his face. "Why? After all the horrible things I've said to you..."
Noah's eyes softened. "Because despite what you might think of me, I'd never let anyone hurt you, Elle."