Doran had been prepared for Noah to be at least a half an hour late but when the clock hit 8:00, he began to doubt if she was going to show up at all. But they’d agreed to meet, it wasn’t like he’d imagined their agreement. Or was this a way to get back at him? Get his hopes up only to crush it last minute. Against his will, a habit he had no control over, his feet tapped the ground anxiously as he sat in his chair. Noah wasn’t the kind of person to make a ploy like that. If she had intentions of hurting Doran, she would hit him directly where it hurt, not take a corner like this. If it wasn’t a ploy then why wasn’t she here? Worry assailed him all of a sudden as negative thoughts raced through his mind. Had something happened? Was she hurt? He leaned forward in his seat, his hand

