NOELLE
I slip out of the bedroom and press my back against the cool wall just outside the door, one hand resting over my racing heart. My pulse is so loud in my ears that it drowns out everything else. My legs feel like jelly, but I force myself to stay upright.
Inside the room, Azren curses, his voice laced with frustration.
"Noelle?" He calls out, his voice strained.
My name on his lips sounds wrecked. It feels like he's chasing something he can't quite reach.
I let my eyes slip closed for a moment, basking in the warmth of relief.
It's working.
The jealousy. The distance. The little barbs I threw on my way out. He felt it. He's feeling it right now. The spell might still have its grip on him, but something is cracking.
I let out a shaky breath and slide down the wall until I'm c
