The Kiss List

Chapter 11: Secrets Unveiled

The next afternoon, Olivia stood outside the coffee shop on 5th, her stomach churning with nerves. She had debated whether or not to come, but curiosity—and a lingering fear—had won out.

She pushed open the door, scanning the room. A woman sat alone at a corner table, her dark hair tucked behind her ears, her expression unreadable. Olivia hesitated, then approached.

"Are you the one who texted me?" she asked.

The woman nodded. "You must be Olivia. Please, sit."

Taking a cautious seat, Olivia studied her. "Who are you? And what do you mean about 'the truth' regarding Noah?"

The woman exhaled. "My name is Emily. I used to date Noah. And I think you need to know what he’s capable of."

Olivia’s heart pounded. "Capable of what?"

Emily hesitated before pulling out her phone. "Look at this."

Olivia leaned forward as Emily swiped through old text messages, voicemails, and pictures. Each one painted a picture of a different Noah—one who had a pattern of leaving, of making promises and breaking them.

"I’m not trying to sabotage you," Emily said softly. "But I was in love with him too, and I thought he had changed. He didn’t."

Olivia’s mind reeled. Could she trust what she was seeing? Or was this a calculated attempt to ruin something she was just starting to rebuild?

"Why are you telling me this now?" Olivia asked. "Why not sooner?"

Emily sighed. "Because I didn’t think he’d do it again. But then I heard about you, and I knew I had to say something."

A mix of emotions swirled inside Olivia—anger, confusion, doubt. Had she been naive to believe Noah had truly changed?

She stood, her hands trembling. "I need time to think."

Emily nodded. "I understand. Just... be careful."

---

Olivia walked aimlessly through the city, her thoughts a tangled mess. Should she confront Noah? Or was this all a misunderstanding?

When she finally made it home, she collapsed onto her couch, staring at her phone. After what felt like an eternity, she typed a message.

**Olivia:** *We need to talk. Can you come over?*

Noah responded almost instantly.

**Noah:** *Of course. Be there in 20.*

Her heart pounded as she waited. When the knock came, she opened the door, meeting Noah’s warm yet concerned gaze.

"What’s wrong?" he asked, stepping inside.

She took a deep breath. "Who is Emily?"

Noah stiffened. "Where did you hear that name?"

"She reached out to me. She told me things, Noah. Things that don’t match what you’ve been telling me."

His jaw tightened. "And you believe her?"

"I don’t know what to believe!" she burst out. "That’s why I’m asking you. Tell me the truth, Noah."

A long silence stretched between them before Noah finally sighed, running a hand over his face. "I dated Emily, yes. And I made mistakes. But whatever she told you, it’s only part of the story."

Olivia folded her arms. "Then tell me the whole story."

His eyes searched hers, filled with something she couldn’t quite read. "I will. But you have to promise me one thing—let me explain before you decide what to do next."

She nodded slowly. "Okay. I’m listening."

And with that, Noah took a deep breath and began to speak.