Page 210 of I Never Stopped Loving You

“What flavor?” Jeremy asks as he opens the fridge.

“Flavor?”

“Yeah. Chocolate, vanilla, strawberries and cream, banana, or mint chocolate,” Jeremy lists off the different flavors that he stocked the fridge with.

“Uhh…I guess chocolate?”

Jeremy grabs out a chocolate shake for Noah then three water bottles for the rest of us. All of us sit down in the front room and wait for Noah to take a sip of the shake. He closes his eyes for a second letting himself process the taste of the shake. When his eyes open, we’re all staring at him.

“What?” He looks confused as to why we’re all just watching him.

“How do you like it?” Jeremy asks.

“Why? Did you poison it?” Noah teases.

“If I wanted to poison you, it wouldn’t be with a protein shake. I’d wait until you can eat solid food again. Let you enjoy the first few bites before I…” he makes a slicing motion across his throat and groans as he closes his eyes.

“Fair enough. So…Who wants to start?” he asks as he wraps an arm around me and pulls me closer to him.

“Well, how about we start with how much you remember from that night?” I ask as I place my hand on his thigh.

He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes for a moment before pinching the bridge of his nose. I can feel the tension in his arm around me. I know from us being in the hospital that he’s had nightmares. There have been nights when he’s been unable to wake up, thrashing and crying while screaming my name. It was heartbreaking. I haven’t told Jeremy about it or even brought it up to Noah.

“I remember him breaking out of the restraints. I remember pushing you out of the way and getting hit in the head by the chair. Then when I went to attack him, he stabbed me. I struggled to get as close to the stairs as I could because the text to Jeremy wouldn’t send. Once I saw it sent, I blacked out. I vaguely remember Jeremy waking me up and dragging me into the stairwell, but then there’s nothing. Just your screams and then the sound of a gunshot.”

He closes his eyes again, and I can tell that was what plagues his nightmares. The sounds of my screams and the gunshot. He takes another deep, shuddering breath before he places his lips against the side of my head and kisses me.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers.

“Why are you sorry?” I ask as I cup his face and force him to look at me.

“I wasn’t strong enough. I…I almost lost you.”

I can hear the tears in his voice.

“Hey. Stop it. He stabbed you but you were still able to get ahold of Jeremy for help. You are the reason I survived!”

He presses his forehead against mine and takes a few slow breaths trying to calm himself.

“I don’t know what I would’ve done if he…”

“Stop. We’re safe now. He’s gone, and he can’t ever hurt us again. You’re the reason he will never hurt me again, Noah. You’re the one who saved me.”

“Hey, what about me?” Jeremy teases.

A slap is followed by Jeremy groaning from Jenna smacking him. I’ll be hitting him again later.

“I think I’m ready to hear the rest of what happened that night. I need to know what happened and...” He pulls his forehead away from mine and looks over at Jenna. “I need to know how you got roped into this shit show.”

CHAPTER 90

WILLOW

TWO WEEKS AGO

“He’s alive,” I scream, standing just as Jeremy limps through the doorway. “Jeremy…I can’t lift him on my own,” I cry out, falling back down to my knees at his side and glancing back down at the knife.

“It’s okay…Just don’t be mad…” he stammers as he pulls his belt off and wraps it around his thigh just above the bleeding wound.