All I wanted was Hegan, I needed him there with me. Needed him to swoop me up in his arms, and save me from the insanity beside me. His face was forming in my mind, the wonder if he was looking for me had taken hold.
I wasn't going to let Stefan drag me down, I needed to be strong. I was strong, and always had been. He could try and keep me trapped, try and wriggle his fingers in between Hegan and myself.
But, deep down, I knew there was something between us. All of this had started as a messed up story, a fucked up proposition and demand for me and my body.
Now, now it was real. It wasn't about what he could do for my mom and my family anymore.
I knew I...
I loved him.
And hopefully I'd get the chance to tell him more than that.
Chapter Twenty
Hegan
My head was pounding, chest aching. Noella wouldn't have left without telling me, I knew that. We've grown close, a lot closer than I ever expected. My stomach was in a ball of knots, turning and grinding against my insides.
I have to go find her. She would've never left without finding me first.
Pressing my feet to the pavement, the ice crunched against the soles of my shoes. Each crack was enhanced by a thousand, snapping through my body, and hitting my nerves.
When I find him, he's going to wish he never fucked with Noella; with what was mine. Throwing the front door open, I pushed through the crowd of people to the closet. Searching through the mass of jackets, my fingers swiped across a smooth fabric. Gently, I pulled the coat out; it was Noella's.
She doesn't have her jacket, why doesn't she have her coat? Running my fingers over the black suede, my mind was a mess of horrific images. She had left with Stefan, left without anything to keep her warm in the cold air. Tearing the coat off the hanger, I draped it over my arm.
She didn't go willingly, I knew that. There was no way in hell she would have just gone outside with no protection from the weather. A hard bulge pressed against my hip, reaching my hand into the pocket, I pulled out her wallet and phone.
My heart sank. I couldn't breathe, the air wouldn't go down. No matter how hard I tried to force my lungs to take it in, the oxygen couldn't break the seal of my throat. The entire room turned to black, my eyes coating in a shade of red.
Stefan is dead. Forcing my head to clear, I knew I had to get to her. She was in danger, he had taken her, and I was going to get her back.
Glancing around the room, I looked through the faces, searching for my father. For everything he hadn't done for me since I was born, he was going to help me right then and there.
Finally, I spotted him leaning against the far wall, with an ice pack clinging to his jaw. My mother was caressing his shoulder, whispering into his ear. My dad was motionless, except for his chin moving side to side beneath the ice. I had hit him pretty hard, he was definitely going to feel that for a few days.
Making a direct line for him, the people in front of me were a blur. Voices chimed into my ears, but the sounds were a blend of just wordless tones. I wasn't stopping for anyone, a fire was burning inside me, and there was no calming the flames.
Half way across the room, I broke into a run. My dad's eyes enlarged, his back stiffening against the wall. Pressing a hand to my chest, my mother stepped between us. “Hegan, enough! No more fighting!”
Wrapping my fingers around hers, A worried expression fell over my face. “He took her, he took Noella.” Looking over my mother, I stared at my dad. “Did you tell him to do this? Why, huh? Why did you have him take her?”
“What are you talking about?” My mother glanced between us, brows raising high. “Who took Noella?”
“Stefan, he took her and I think he's bringing her to your boat. Where is it?!” Rocking on the balls of my feet, fear had started to roll up my spine. I could taste it, a mix of rotten meat with sour lemon. The flavor was creeping to the surface, coating my mouth.
“Hegan, why would he take her? Maybe she needed to go somewhere, the poor girl was just embarrassed.” Cocking her head, she glared at my father.
Holding up her jacket, I yanked the items from the pocket. “Without her jacket? With out these?” Shaking the wallet, I stepped in closer to my father. “Where is your boat docked?”
“Hegan, I didn't tell Stefan to do anything with Noella. Look I'm sorry, but—”
Cutting him off, I said, “But nothing! Where is your fucking boat?!” I had been so fixated on us, that I hadn't noticed the entire party had stopped. Every eye was set on us; on me. But I didn't care, let them gawk at me; none of them meant a fucking thing to me.
“It's at the marina, dock twenty.” My father placed his hand over my shoulder, squeezing firmly. “Go, go get her.” Letting the ice pack fall from his chin, he jammed his hand into his pocket, pulling out his keys. “I'm calling the police, but you go get her. I know you really care for her, Hegan. And I'm sorry, I shouldn't have acted like that.”