The Confession
1111 Words
Noelle's PoV :
"Noelle ." Someone called out in the dark .
My heart started beating, who could it be , The figure in the dark was a male figure, He came out sweating.
"it's me, Jeremiah . I was in the locker room and noticed the lights were going off, I came back to take something from my locker ."
He pulled out a black hoodie from his bag ."This"
"Okay," I said with uncertainty. "Let's go," he said .
We left the rink, and I locked the doors and placed the keys in my pocket.
I headed straight for my dorm while he went outside to pick a cab, I entered my room, still confused, and I
shrugged it off and went to shower and headed to bed.
---
Eli Navarro knew me before I became someone worth lying for. That's why he was the only person I couldn't lie to.
The text came in at 7:14 a.m., three days before classes started.
Have you unpacked yet? Or are you still living out of that same suitcase from high school?
I smiled before I could stop myself. Eli always knew.
Barely unpacked, I typed back. Maya's already taken over 70% of the room.
Sounds about right. Coffee? I'm at Mama Lena's.
I should have said no. I had research to organize. The rink schedule to memorize. A plan to execute.
Instead, I pulled on jeans and walked across campus in the cold September morning.
---
Mama Lena's was tucked between the bookstore and a closed-down pizza place. Warm light spilt out of the windows. The smell of fresh coffee hit me before I even opened the door.
Eli was in the back corner, the same corner we always claimed in high school. He looked up when I walked in, and his whole face changed.
That was the thing about Eli. He didn't hide how he felt. It was always right there, written across his features like an open book.
"You look terrible," he said as I sat down.
"Good morning to you too."
He pushed a coffee toward me. Black, one sugar. He remembered.
We sat in silence for a moment. The coffee shop hummed with other students — laptops open, conversations bouncing off the walls. Normal people living normal lives.
Eli leaned forward. "How bad is it?"
I didn't pretend to misunderstand. "I started at the rink this week."
"I know. You told me."
"I ran into him. Literally."
Eli's jaw tightened. "And?"
"And nothing. He was nice. Too nice." I wrapped my hands around the warm cup. "I didn't expect him to be… a person."
"He is a person, Noelle. That's the problem." Eli's voice was quiet but firm. "You built him into a villain in your head. But he's just some guy. A guy with a father who ruined your family. That's not the same thing."
I looked away. "You think I don't know that?"
"I think you're in danger of forgetting why you're here."
---
Eli reached across the table and took my hand not in a romantic way. Not quite. Just… there.
"I didn't come to Harlow for the scholarship," he said quietly.
I froze. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, I got into three better schools. Better programs. Better money." He held my gaze. "I came here because I didn't want you to do this alone."
My chest ached. "Eli…"
"Don't." He squeezed my hand once and let go. "I'm not asking for anything. I'm not saying it to make you feel guilty. I'm saying it because you need to know that someone in this town is on your side for you. Not for the plan. Not for revenge. Just… you."
I didn't know what to say.
So I said nothing.
But the weight of his words sat between us like a third person at the table.
Eli Navarro had followed me to Harlow.
And I hadn't even asked him to.
---
When I got back to the dorm, Maya was sitting on her bed, staring at me.
"You're back late," she said.
"Coffee with Eli."
"The guy from your hometown?"
"Yeah."
Maya nodded slowly. Then she looked at my desk drawer. The one with the folder.
"You know," she said, "I'm not stupid. I know you have secrets."
My heart stopped. "What?"
"I saw you shove something in that drawer the first week. And you get these looks sometimes. Like you're somewhere else entirely." Maya's eyes were sharp. "I'm not gonna pry. But whatever you're doing, Noelle… just be careful, okay?"
I stared at her.
She knew. Not everything. But enough.
"I will," I said quietly.
Maya smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Good. Because I like you. And I don't want to see you get hurt."
She put her headphones on and turned away.
I sat on my bed, my heart pounding.
Maya was watching. And she was too perceptive for my comfort.
He walked me back to my dorm afterwards. The morning had warmed up slightly, but the wind still cut through my jacket.
"He texted you, didn't he?" Eli asked suddenly.
"Who?"
"Cole." Eli's voice was careful. Flat. "You mentioned he was nice. That usually means he made a move."
I stopped walking. "It wasn't a move. He just told me I left my water bottle at the rink."
"And you believed that?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
Eli turned to face me. "Because I've seen the way guys like Cole Whitmore operate. They're charming because they have to be. It's survival. And girls like you — girls who don't fall for the charm — you're a challenge."
"I'm not a challenge. I'm a pre-law student with a job."
"You're a beautiful girl with a secret," Eli said softly. "And secrets are magnetic to people who are used to getting what they want."
The words hung in the cold air.
I wanted to argue. I wanted to tell him he was wrong.
But I couldn't.
Because he wasn't.
When I got back to my dorm, Maya was gone. I sat on my bed, pulled out my phone, and stared at Cole's text from two nights ago.
I still hadn't replied.
Eli's voice echoed in my head: Secrets are magnetic to people who are used to getting what they want.
I typed a response.
Thanks for saving my water bottle. I'll grab it tomorrow.
Then I added, before I could stop myself:
See you at practice.
I hit send and threw my phone across the bed like it had burned me.
Three seconds later, it buzzed.
I took the phone, and when I opened the message, my heart skipped a beat.
- Writer
