Chapter 66 Chapter 66
Chapter 66 Chapter 66
It was like walking into her worst nightmare.
After Claudia moved out of her way and offered to drive her wherever Noémie wanted to be, they both got into the car and drove to the address Vincent had texted. Noémie being too nervous and petrified to think straight, Claudia took it upon herself to cooperate with Vincent Halest as he guided her over the phone through the shortest route they could take to avoid the jam-packed roads because of the heavy downpour.
The hard rain pelted the roof of the car as Claudia glanced over to her side and noticed how badly Noémie’s hands were shaking.
She tried to distract her older sister with frivolous conversation, but Noémie failed to fixate on anything but the man she had loved for so long but couldn’t gather up the courage to confess.
Perhaps things would have been different if she had been a little braver and more honest about her feelings. But no more.
No more she was going to deny the truth.
No more she was going to convince herself with pointless lies.
No more she was going to let anyone tell her what was best for her or not.
Ajax was the only man she had ever loved.
The only man she would ever let in her life.
Period.
Once the car came to a halt in the driveway with a screech, the rain continuing to batter down with no mercy, Noémie was out with the speed of light.
Claudia called behind her. Trying to stop her. Shouting at her to be careful. But Noémie refused to pay mind to anything but only one impulse in her head. Find him.
However, the second the lone guard standing outside the house pushed the double doors open, Noémie stopped dead in her tracks. Her chest rose and fell with bursts of quick breaths while her eyes widened and wildly flipped through the view inside. Reluctance to make a move turned her blood to ice as she took a step back instead of a step forward.
“What’s wrong?” She heard Claudia ask, following right behind and taking a peek inside, hoping to see whatever the hell caught her sister’s eyes.
Noémie whimpered and almost turned around, her arms flying around herself to hold herself tight, keeping herself from falling apart. Her chest felt suddenly too tight. Too small. Too sick.
The flashbacks of the past roared in front of her eyes like a horror she wished to wake up from. She remembered the morning. The pain. The shock. The hurt. The tears. And most importantly…
The betrayal.
Three months ago, she had run from this place with a vow to never return.
Why, why, why?
Out of all the places he could have been, why did he come here? Why?
What was the point of this? Was this some kind of sick joke? What the hell was he thinking?
She had to know for herself, didn’t she?
Hence despite the anxiousness boiling in the pit of her stomach and all the screaming voices in her head, she forced herself to walk through the doors. It was hard. Not a cakewalk to breathe in the same house where her life changed for the worst. She could still hear the voices, could re-imagine bumping into Olivia.
(Multiple Flashbacks)
“Oh my!” Olivia called with relief. “Thank God you’re here!”
The distant look in Ajax’s eyes.
“Are you guys being paid to work or gossip behind my back?”
The way Olivia teased her while pushing the coffee mug towards her.
“Are you sure the boss and you aren’t having some secret affair? Why else would he listen to everything you say and ignore us like a plague?”
The blurred face of a woman she saw before her eyes started to feel heavy.
“Come on, let me take you upstairs!”
(Flashback Ends)
From behind, Noémie could hear Claudia asking for the whereabouts of Ajax and the muffled voice of the guard as he handed out directions.
Noémie swallowed. Hard.
While Noémie stayed still with her arms wrapped around herself, Claudia emerged from her side and motioned to the room downstairs.
With her head abuzz and legs reluctant to move, slowly, Noémie made her way over to the shut door.
The closer she got to the room, the more nervous she became. Sweat broke across the back of her neck while her nerve endings played havoc inside.
It took an enormous amount of strength to merely lift her hand and give a gentle push to the door. But as the door slowly squeaked open and the pale glow coming from inside the room touched her, raking over her face and shipping another ilk of chill down her spine, Noémie felt all her anger and frustration thawing away…
Across the vast empty room, amid the countless white and grey papers strewed all over the place, Ajax sat on the floor with his back against the wall. His head bent down and fingers entangled in his hair.