Dirty Little Secret

Chapter 13: A Better Ending Than Expected

 We enjoy a very elegant and filling dinner and pay our tab before heading out to our finally destination of the day. As we walk from the restaurant out towards the car, Noah notices a dark figure looming near the passenger side of the car and yells out, running towards the car, leaving me behind near the front of the restaurant. I quickly follow behind, but as we both approach the car, the figure has disappeared into the shadows of the night. Noah slowly makes his way around the car finding 2 windows busted out, but nothing really missing that we notice right off.

    "We've got to call the cops and make a report." he says as he reaches into his pocket for his phone. I reach out and stop him before he can even get his phone in his hand.

    "Let's call my dad. You know he will be more help than some local officers." I say, trying to disguise my now very shaky voice. Something in my gut is telling me that this wasn't just some random break in and that my mother is somehow behind it, but for what reason, I don't know. Reaching into my bag, I pull out my phone and call my dad.

    "Hey sunshine. Have you enjoyed your day out with Noah?" he asks. Of course he would already know we what we were doing before anyone else.

    "Hey daddy. Yes, we've had an amazing day until now. Someone broke into the car while we were at dinner. As far as we can tell, nothing is missing, but 2 windows are broken." Turning from Noah, I whisper into the receiver, "..and I have a weird feeling about this."

    "Stay right where you are!" my dad's voice booms through the speaker. "I have a car 5 minutes out from your location and the driver will take y'all to the hotel. I will have a tow truck there to pick up the car in less than 30 minutes, so don't worry. I WILL get this handled sunshine. Don't stress and you two enjoy the rest of your evening worry free."

    "Yes sir. Thank you for taking care of us daddy. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon so we can talk more. I love you."

    "I love you too sunshine. My driver should be pulling in right now, so go and have fun, but not too much fun because I'm too young to be a grandpa." my dad chuckles before verifying that his driver is here for us and hanging up.

    "Come on babe. My dad sent a car for us and a tow truck will be here shortly for your car." I turn to Noah and tell him as I go to the trunk of the car and start to pull out our overnight bags.

    "I'll get those my love." Noah says as he takes the bags from my hands and closes the trunk. We make our way to the car sent by my dad and climb into the back, shutting the door just as the driver starts pulling away. It's a very quiet hour long drive to the hotel we will be staying at and after a very short time, the darkness of the night and car begin to consume me and I soon feel a wave of panic begin to wash over me. My breathing is labored and my heart feels like it is about to beat right out of my chest. What I considered to be dark before, becomes completely black as my vision begins to tunnel and I can feel myself on the brink of unconsciousness. What feels like iron hot ropes, wrap around me, holding my arms in place by my side and I find myself in a paralyzed state; all of my senses completely cut off except for the feeling of the burning ropes wrapped around me. I try to scream out, but no sound escapes my lips and no matter how hard I will my body to move, to break away from the pain, I can't even get a finger to twitch. Inside the deep darkness that is holding me prisoner, I give up the fight to free myself and succumb to the emptiness and pain. 

    It feels like hours have passed when I begin to hear a familiar voice calling my name in the distance. Each time my name is called, the voice sounds closer and more frantic than before. I try to answer the voice; ask it to save me, but still no sound comes from me. A few more moments pass and I can start to see a dim light that is quickly growing brighter. I blink my eyes repeatedly in hopes of clearing my now very blurry vision and after a minute or two, I can eventually make out that Noah is holding my against his chest with his arms wrapped tightly around me.

    "Emma! Emma! Look at my baby! Look me in the eyes! I need to know that you are okay!" Noah's voice is filled with pure panic and worry and I blink a few more times trying to focus in on his face. "Yes sir. Her eyes are open and her body has finally relaxed, but she's still not speaking." I stare up at Noah, confused as to who he is talking to when I finally realize that wedged between his head and shoulder is his cellphone.

    "Who is that?" I croak out, finally finding my voice. I try to pull myself up from Noah's chest, but his arms wrap tighter around me, holding me in place.

    "It's your dad baby. Stay still and we're going to get you somewhere to have you checked out. Don't worry." I feel his lips press against the top of my head and linger for a moment before he pulls away.

    "Let me talk to him." gently, Noah moves me into a sitting position, releasing his hold on me only slightly and hands me the phone. "Daddy?"

    "Sunshine! Are you okay sweetheart? Talk to me! Tell me what happened! How do you feel? The driver is going to take you to the nearest hospital and I'm going to meet y'all there." my dad's words run all together as he rushes everything out, his voice full of worry.

    "Daddy, I'm okay. I don't know what happened, but please do not make me go to a hospital. I'm perfectly fine. I'm pretty sure I just had a panic attack, it was just worse than any I've had before. Just let us get to the hotel so I can shower and rest and if I don't feel okay in the morning, I'll go get seen. But please daddy, the hospital is so unnecessary." I plead with my dad as I turn to give Noah the most sinister glare I can muster up.

    "Fine. But just know that I am not happy about this and I will be keeping a few of my guys at the hotel to keep an eye on things in case anything happens. I love you sunshine, now give the phone back to Noah." I hand the phone back to Noah and him and my dad exchange a few more words and then hang up.

    "Just so you know, I'm on your dad's side with all of this. You nearly gave me a heart attack. I've been with you through a million panic attacks and this was nothing I've ever seen before.." Noah pauses, pulling me back into him. "Your whole body was rigid and then suddenly you started screaming and your arms and legs were flailing around like a mad woman. I was terrified you would hurt yourself, so I wrapped my arms around you to keep you safe and you only screamed louder and tried so hard to pull away. Then suddenly you went completely limp and your eyes rolled back into your head and your breathing got slower by the second and I thought I was going to lose you." his arms squeeze me to him and he lays his head on my shoulder, taking a deep breath. "I don't know how I could ever live in this world without you. Seeing you like that really put a lot into perspective for me and I don't want to waste another minute with you."

    "I'm not going anywhere babe and I promise that I am okay. A lot has gone on in my life in such a short period of time, my body and brain finally just went into shock, but I'm alright." I turn my face to his and place my hands on his cheeks, staring deep into his eyes. "Now let's get to the hotel and finish off our date." I wink and then lean in and gently kiss his lips. We continue towards the hotel, Noah's arms still wrapped tight around me, the driver cutting his eyes to us every few minutes. A few short minutes later, we pull into the parking lot of a grand hotel, fit for kings and queens.

    "How in the world did you manage this, Noah?!" my mouth hanging open as I take in the beautiful building in front of us. I've always lived a lavish lifestyle, so not much impresses me in the way of luxury and glamour, but this hotel is breathtaking.

    "I'll admit, I had to call your dad in for some help." he laughs nervously and drops his head. "I wanted only the best the world had to offer for you today. You're the most important person in my world and you deserve this and so much more my love." leaning in, Noah places a soft kiss on my cheek just as the back door opens and the driver waits for us to climb out. Noah grabs our bags and we thank my dad's driver before we turn and head into the hotel, or more fittingly, the palace. Eager to get up to our room and enjoy the remainder of our evening, we rush through the check in and go straight up to our room.

    The door hasn't even closed good behind us and our clothes are hitting the floor around our feet, our bodies interlaced, beads of sweat already forming along our bare skin. What was supposed to be a very calm and romantic evening, has quickly turned into a night full of fiery passion.