ELLE'S POV
I pinched myself to be sure I wasn't dreaming. Did Noah Roth just ask me to be his girlfriend?
I blinked several times, but he was still staring at me intensely, his eyes never leaving mine.
"If this is a joke, stop it Noah," I said finally. "I've had a rough night to last me enough trauma for the rest of the year."
Noah looked at me, vulnerability written across his features. For the first time since I'd known him, all his walls were down. This wasn't the arrogant, teasing Noah who ruled the school. This was just a boy, asking if I felt the same way he did.
"I'm serious," he replied, no hint of his usual teasing in his voice. "Will you be my girlfriend?"
"But you hate me," I whispered. "You've tormented me since day one."
Noah shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. "I've liked you since day one, Elle. I've been waiting to tell you that for so long."
"Since day one? You mean..."
"Ever since you showed up at the gate of De-Fountain on your first day," he confirmed. "You were wearing that blue dress with tiny white flowers, and you looked so nervous but determined."
I couldn't believe it. But then I remembered that day vividly. I had noticed how he was staring at me so seriously across the courtyard. I hadn't given it much thought afterward because he became my bully shortly after. It started with teasing, and then he began to call me Fluffy.
"Why did you start bullying me if you liked me?" I asked, genuinely confused.
"I didn't know how else to get your attention," he admitted, looking slightly embarrassed. "You were always so focused on your studies, and every time I tried to talk to you normally, you'd give me these one-word answers and run away."
"So you decided to torment me instead?"
"Not my proudest strategy," he conceded with a grimace. "But at least when I was teasing you, you'd actually look at me, talk to me. Even if it was just to tell me to go away."
I shook my head in disbelief. "You're ridiculous."
"Can I ask you something?" Noah said, suddenly serious again. "Why do you call me Fluffy?"
Noah smiled and reached out to touch my hair. "Because you are fluffy," he said, his voice soft. Then he started tickling me again.
I laughed and squirmed, trying to escape his fingers. "Stop it! Noah, stop!"
When he finally stopped, there was a tension in the air that hadn't been there before. I didn't know who initiated it first, whether him or me, but suddenly we were kissing.
His lips were warm against mine, gentle but insistent, and for a moment I forgot everything—the party, Steven, all of it.
Then I remembered Steven and pulled away abruptly.
"What happened to Steven?" I asked, my voice shaking slightly. "Where is he now?"
"The police took him into custody," Noah said, his expression darkening. "Tyler and a bunch of other people gave statements about what they saw. And there's hospital documentation about the drugs in your system."
"Oh god," I whispered, reality crashing back. "What will my mother say if she hears about this?"
"You don't have to tell her right away if you're not ready," Noah said gently.
Another thought struck me. "What about the musical contest? Will Steven be there?"
"I don't think he'll be showing his face anywhere near our school anytime soon," Noah assured me. "His parents might try to make this go away like they did with Amanda, but too many people saw what happened this time but I'm not sure."
My stomach growled loudly at that moment, interrupting our conversation. Noah jumped out of bed without warning and strode out of the room. Confused, I followed him.
"Where are you going?" I called after him.
He turned back shortly with a tray of toast and some coffee. I raised a brow at him.
"You made this while I was sleeping?" I asked, surprised by his thoughtfulness.
"I toasted some bread while you were asleep because I knew you'd wake up hungry," he explained, setting the tray down on the nightstand.
"How did you know I'd be hungry?"
Noah's expression turned serious. "The drug Steven put in your water—it's known to cause hunger when it starts wearing off. It's part of the side effects."
"What drug was it?" I asked, suddenly needing to know exactly what had been done to me.
"Rohypnol," Noah said quietly. "The same thing he used on Amanda."
My jaw dropped open. I'd heard of roofies, of course—everyone had—but the reality that someone had actually drugged me, that Steven had planned to...
"Hey," Noah said softly, sitting beside me and taking my hand. "He didn't get away with it. He's never going to hurt you or anyone else again."
I looked at Noah—really looked at him. This boy who had tormented me for years, who had saved me tonight, who was now looking at me with such tenderness it made my heart ache.
"You still haven't answered my question," he said after a moment.
"What question?" I asked, though I knew exactly what he meant.
"Will you be my girlfriend?"
I took a deep breath. After everything that had happened tonight, after years of thinking I hated him, only to discover that maybe I didn't hate him at all... what was I supposed to say?