Chapter 22

I sat back in the seat thinking about what I had just seen.

“No, there’s nothing to talk about.”

Noah said nothing but I felt his eyes on me when be backed out of the street and went back out through the secret road and joined the main traffic again.

I was wrong about Lindsay. I thought she was an annoying rich girl struggling to climb the social ladder in school. I thought she was treating me as a pity case, trying to befriend the outcast like a social savior of some sort. But her life was far from that she was…sad. Very sad.

I couldn’t get the image of her toasting her sandwich in the pan and the sound of her tears from my mind. Why was she crying? Did even need to ask? Wasn’t it obvious? The way she hurried to make sure the vase was okay…I don’t know what else to think.

I slumped back in the seat and reached into my boots for the note that I stuffed there.

Who could have written it?

Emerald had many enemies and anyone could be one of them.

“Whatever you are thinking about, is it really important?”

Noah’s voice caught me by surprise. His gaze was focused on the road and I studied his face.

“It is?” he asked. “You seem more disturbed than normal.”

“It’s…it’s…I guess.” I sighed. “There was an accident in school. Someone pushed a student over the gallery and she uhm…she died, that was the official story but now I think she might be alive.”

“A friend of yours?”

“Not in a million years. Emerald is a snake. If she was here I’m sure she will make my life a living hell.”

“So why do you care? I thought you were cold and uncaring?”

“Well I am but now people think I have something to do with her accident because…there was an incident. Remaining cold won’t bail me out. Besides, I thought I could play detective and find out who is truly behind her accident.”

“Why do you care?”

I looked at him and this time he had take his eyes from the road. Those hazel blue eyes that hid so much were questioning and there was a new look in his eyes like he was seeing me for the first time. I hid a smile realizing that he was surprised to know that I actually have a heart. Well, he should have realized that months ago when we were attacked by followers of the former assistant leader of the Dark Storm pack, Maggie’s uncle, Noah had been injured during the fight but when I tried to heal him he shied away from my touch. I get that sometimes I can be difficult but when it matters I do care about people – when it matters and for some reason this matters to me.

But maybe Noah is right, maybe it shouldn’t matter.

I shrugged my shoulders. I don’t really have an answer to that question but I had one ready just so he could get off my back without pushing. “I guess I’m just trying to feel like I’m doing something good for a change.”

His brows bounced like he got some kind of clarification to something I wasn’t saying then as silent as ever he turned to the road again.

“What’s up with you, Noah?” When his only response was to arch a brow I sat up in my seat and glared at him. “You are kind of…different. You didn’t strike me as the type to want a conversation but here you are talking to me. Let me guess, you are starved for good conversation after spending more than a day with Aurora?”

“And you are responding because you have no one else to talk to.”

I sighed. Just when I thought we could both be friends he just had to go ahead and roast my ass. I know I attacked first but…I rolled my eyes. “I actually thought you were holding out the olive branch here Noah.” Thanks for reminding me about just how alone I am. “And FYI I am not as lonely as you think. We had this conversation because you couldn’t help being nosy about my life and honestly I think that’s weird as fuck.”

“I was just kid…”

“Can you not talk to me anymore?” I raised my voice and reached out to turn on the radio, tuning until I found what I was looking for. But it wasn’t enough, I needed something that would hurt my feelings and Dido was just the right option. She knows how to make my heart bleed with loneliness.

As soon as Noah rolled the car into the mansion and packed just outside the garage, I got my bag and got out. He did the same.

“Ginger…”

“It’s Miss Ginny to you. And what do you want from me? You’re my bodyguard remember, my personal life doesn’t concern you and honestly sorry I brought you along on my little stalking trip, you don’t have to worry about it happening again because that will be the last time. Now if you’ll excuse me I need to go.”

He frowned, wondering at the change in my behavior and honestly I wondered at the change in my behavior too. But I knew what I was doing. He pointed out the truth of my loneliness and I didn’t like it not just because it hit hard to home but because pointing it out meant he was trying to break through my defenses. No one breaks through my defense.

“What is wrong with you…”

“What is wrong with you?” I shot back then let out a mirthless laugh. “Oh my God, don’t tell me. You heard the emo girls are actually wild cats in bed and you want to try your luck? Noah, I’m 17, I’m under aged. Even if I wanted to have sex, it wouldn’t be with you. Now can I go or do you have more questions?”

He looked like he was about to say something. Whatever it was that I saw in his eyes earlier was gone, replaced with the usual hardness. “You have a habit of annoying men, don’t you?”

I shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s another gift I possess. Add that to my many desirable qualities,” I shot over my shoulder as I walked away from him, aware that his eyes followed me until I was inside the house. Once inside I released a sigh. That wasn’t very fair. He was nice to me for the first time in my life when I was conscious of my head, attacking him for striking a conversation isn’t the best way to say thank you for that.

Well, that’s just how I am, I thought to myself, trying to feel better about my behavior.

I left the front hall and found Stark and the others in the living room. Asher was just coming down the stairs and I hadn’t finished responding to the greetings coming from the living room when he snatched my arm and led me upstairs to my room.

“What the hell, Asher?”

“What is going on with you and Noah?” he asked.

“What?”

“I saw the way he looked at you yesterday before you left for school and today at the garage.”

My heart leaped with fear. Asher is that overprotective father figure. He’s Alpha and for the longest time of my life he is the only ‘dad’ I know. Yet, he has never been this protective about me. He looked like he was restraining himself from matching off downstairs to choke Noah to death.

I deflected. “You were at the garage?”

“Don’t try to play dumb with me, Ginny, you know what I’m talking about. You’re a child…”

“That’s the first time you’ve accused me of being a child, Asher,” I laughed as I moved away to drop my school bag. He wasn’t having any of my foolery and he followed me.

“Ginny, I am a man and I am not blind. You are a growing girl and if Noah is trying to take advantage of you in anyway…”

“I turn 18 in a few days, Asher and thanks for the vote of confidence,” I said angrily.

He scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed. “Okay, I’m sorry. I just…I can’t help but worry you know? Maggie told me about what happened to you at school and I thought that might make you vulnerable.”

“I am tougher than that,” I said as I went into the closet to take off my clothes and changed into a dress towel.

“I know that I’m just concerned.”

“Don’t you trust Noah?”

He finally calmed down and sighed again. “I trust him. I guess I’m just paranoid. I know how you like to keep to yourself and it’s hard to get to know you that way. But if you feel sad or if Noah tries anything, he’s a man you know? You can always talk to me.”

“Yes dad. Christ, you and Maggie worry too much.” I said jokingly and practically pushed him out of my room with a smile. Too bad they are the only ones who care and Leo who I thought actually cared turned out to be an ass licker. So much for my hope to mate with him.

As soon as I closed the door after him, I locked it and made my way back to the closet to check my laptop which I had locked in a drawer.