I averted my gaze and he reached down and took my chin in his hands, titled it up so I was forced to look at him. “That is the past,” he said. “And you, Charlotte, you… you are my future.”
I nodded, trying to ignore the jealous feeling in my stomach, the raw and ugly envy that burned through my veins.
“Is there anything else?” Noah asked.
“Well, just… we should talk about other things, too.”
“Like what?”
“Like our families.”
“My mother will be coming to visit New York soon,” Noah said. “I’m assuming you’d like to meet her?”
My heart leapt. “You still talk to your mother?”
“Yes, Charlotte. She’s my mother.”
“I just assumed …” I trailed off.
I wanted to press him, wanted to ask why he would talk to his mother after he’d hinted at the horrible things she’d done to him.
But before I could, my phone rang. It was in my bag, which was sitting on the couch in the living room.
“You need to have your phone on you at all times,” Noah admonished me. “What if that were me calling?”
“But it’s not,” I said lightly. “You’re right here.”
The side of his mouth twitched up into a slight grin, and he shook his head. I loved making him laugh, loved seeing him relax just a little bit. It was enough to make me skip across the room to my phone.
I pulled it out of my bag.
UNKNOWN flashed across the screen, dark and ominous.
My heart stopped.
It didn’t mean it was Anonymous, I told myself. I got calls from Unknown numbers all the time. It could be a bill collector, or someone from school, or the DA’s office calling to set up a time for my deposition.
I pushed the green answer button and raised the phone to my ear.
There was a silence, and I waited for the familiar buzz of a recording or the friendly voice of a telemarketer.
But there was only heavy breathing.
A dark thick fear shot through me, and my instinct was to hang up.
I saw Noah watching me from the dining room, and I gave him what I hoped was a reassuring smile.
“Hello?” I said into the phone. My head had begun to throb and my mouth had gone dry.
“Charlotte.” The familiar voice of Anonymous hit my ears, that same distorted creepiness that sent fear racing up my spine. But although I recognized the voice almost immediately, his tone sounded different. When I’d spoken with him before, he’d sounded friendly, almost helpful, like he wanted to be friends.
Now he sounded angry, evil. It could have been because now I knew his intentions – he’d sent me to Audi, after all. But it was more than that. Something had changed, almost like I’d done something to anger him.
“Yes, this is she,” I said, struggling to keep my voice even.
Noah was looking at me, his eyes narrowing.
“What the fuck have you done, Charlotte?” Anonymous said.
“What?” I asked.
“Writing that email to that reporter? Did you think that was funny, Charlotte? Did you enjoy pulling that stunt?”
“It wasn’t a stunt,” I said.
Noah rose from his chair and came into the living room. He held his hand out. “Give me the phone,” he demanded.
“Is that him?” the voice on the other line spit. “Is he there? Oh, Charlotte, you have really crossed the line this time. I am going to love killing you. I am going to love wrapping my hands around your throat and choking the life out of you. Will you scream like Katie did, Charlotte?” He giggled, and the blood in my veins turned to ice.
“Charlotte!” Noah said. “Give me the phone!”
But Anonymous wasn’t done with me. “On second thought, strangulation is too nice for you, you stupid slut. I’ll gut you. I’ll cut you up and let you bleed out. Maybe I’ll even keep you alive for a while. I would so enjoy hearing you beg for your life.” He giggled again. “Soon, Charlotte,” he said. “You’ll be dead soon. Within a day, I’d think. I can’t wait to see you! I can’t wait to see you! I can’t wait to see you!”
Bile rose in my throat as he crowed like a madman, like an insane person capable of horrific things.
The line went dead.
I couldn’t breathe.
“Charlotte?” Noah demanded. “Who was it?”
I opened my mouth to speak, but I couldn’t.
Noah was right.
I was in way over my head.
And now I was going to pay with my life.