Chapter 21 The Hotel Encounter
Lina's POV
I rushed out of the hospital, and I could hear my heartbeat drumming in my ears.
The cold air outside the hospital slapped my face, mixing with the wild thoughts in my head.
My hands trembled as I unlocked the car. I sank into the driver's seat, fumbled for the seatbelt, then wrapped my shaking fingers around the steering wheel.
Maybe I'm not supposed to be doing this, but I'm clearly fueled by curiosity. I hope I don't regret this.
I rubbed my palms down my face and took in a quick inhale, then I glanced at my phone again. Should I really text him? After walking away the other day, should I really submit to seeing me tonight?
Still lost in my thoughts, my phone suddenly buzzed in my hand. I quickly swiped up to see who had just texted me, and again, it was him—Noel.
“Please, Lina. I really need to see you. I know you're mad at me, but will you at least hear what I have to tell you. It's important!” The message read.
“Where are you?” I texted back immediately. I was done overthinking things and I can't give this any more thoughts, so I simply replied blindly.
The reply came just as fast—an address. It was the address of a hotel.
My pulse jumped. “A hotel?!” I thought. Why there?
Of course, no overthinking. So I'm doing this.
I dropped my phone by my side and locked my eyes on the road ahead as I started the engine—the hum echoing through the silence.
As I drove into the street, my mind wouldn't stop spinning. Why now? Why after everything? Seven years of silence and he suddenly reappeared, only to vanish again when things went dark.
Maybe I'm wrong to feel this way, but I can see myself not trusting Noel that much.
I gripped the steering wheel tighter as flashes of moments with Noel filled my memory. Noel and I used to be more than colleagues, we were more than friends also.
Noel and I were something more. But the last thing I ever expected was him disappearing out of the blues. And just like he disappeared, he reappeared again, just that this time around—he seemed fulfilled.
I've no idea what happened to him. What he did. Why he disappeared? But tonight, I'm getting answers to all my questions. I don't care how, but I'll.
The day Noel left the case…the same night I fainted at the office and found myself walking into that other world—that twisted world that didn't feel real. He walked away right after that. Why? Why would he walk away when I expected him to stay?
Noel never walks away. But he's suddenly a coward now.
Maybe he saw something that day too. Something no one else did.
I scoffed, “You better have answers, Noel,” I muttered under my breath, as I slammed my foot on the pedal, increasing my speed even more. I don't seem to be speeding enough, I can't just wait to get to the hotel already.
I was so lost in thought that I didn't even realize I'd reached the hotel until the car rolled into the driveway.
I pulled the car to a stop, unbuckled my seatbelt and jumped out of the car in a hurry.
I didn't wait to even confirm if I locked my car properly. I hurried towards the entrance door where Noel was waiting for me.
I sighted him immediately, hands in his pockets. He was smiling faintly but it seemed forced.
“You came,” he said simply, his smile widening smoothly.
“You asked me to, right?” I replied sharply, barely hiding my irritation.
I looked around restlessly. I just wanted to be sure that no one has followed me here, and I'm safe talking to Noel here.
I rolled my eyes impatiently and said to him coldly, “What do you have to say, Noel?” I looked around again. “Let's go inside already!” I fired.
“Oh yeah yeah yeah. I'm sorry…I'm sorry…” he stammered as he opened the door for me to step in.
We walked into the hotel and the moment we reached his hotel room, I looked around again before stepping in.
He took off his jacket and flung it on his bed, then he rushed to his laptop and grabbed it in a hurry.
I dropped my bag on his bed and walked to his side. I sat beside him on the couch and watched as he focused his attention on the laptop screen, punching hard on the keyboards as if he couldn't just wait to show me whatever he wanted to show me.
“You better have something really important to show me tonight or you're dead!” The voice in my head screamed.