Dirty Little Secret

Chapter 7: A Message

Emma's POV

    The sun shines through the opened curtains in my room, the warm light heating my bare skin. Pulling the blankets up over me, I slowly open my eyes, immediately regretting the decision. My sunlight burns my eyes and a pounding headache makes me curl up into myself in pain. I roll over, putting myself closer to Noah in the bed beside me and pray for sleep to return. I know I shouldn't have drank like I did last night, but if this is all I have to deal with, I'll take it over the drama that caused me to drink in the first place. Even with this horrid hangover, I will admit that i had a blast going out with Noah, Amber, and Liam. It's been a while since we've gone out drinking and dancing and I forget how crazy Amber can get and when she gets crazy I tend to join in. Noah and Liam never really drink a lot whenever we do go out because they know us girls are going to be a mess in no time and they will have to look after us. We'll have to have a party here at home one day soon so they can drink just us much as Amber and I because they are hilarious when they are drunk. Through my headache, I'm still left with the memory of the vicious words my supposed mother said to me less than 24 hours ago. A knot forms in my gut as I replay her threat over and over in my head. What if she follows through? Surely she doesn't have the resources to get past my dad, but then again, she can get a man to do anything for her, so who knows who she has on her side. I suddenly feel very nauseous thinking about the possibilities and I push myself further into Noah's side trying to fight back the sick feeling coming over me.

    I can still feel the sun beating down on me even through my heavy comforter and it, along with the haunting thoughts, keeps me from falling back asleep, though I'm quite comfy snuggled up next to Noah. I try counting to one hundred in my head, hoping it might help distract me enough to be able to go back to sleep, but before I can even get to twenty-five, I hear my phone vibrating on the bedside table. I try ignore it, but the vibration continues, aggravating me. With a huff, I roll over and pick up my phone, struggling to clear my blurry vision as I glare at the bright screen. Finally able to see what I am looking at, I see I have 20 text messages from an unknown number. I feel Noah shift in the bed behind me and then I feel his arm over my side and his chin resting on my shoulder.

    "Who is it babe?" he asks, sleep still heavy in his voice, rubbing his eyes to see the screen more clearly. His eyes focus in as he waits for me to open the messages.

    "I'm not sure. I don't recognize the number." I say to him as I swipe the screen to open it and click on the messages, new ones coming through by the second.

    Unknown: "Are you ready?"  The first message read. The next 21 messages read out a countdown; one number for each message.

30.. 29.. 28.. 27.. 26.. 25.. 24.. 23.. 22.. 21.. 20.. 19.. 18.. 17.. 16.. 15.. 14.. 13.. 12.. 11.. 10..

    I sit up, Noah following me and we both stare confused at the screen for a minute. We exchange a look, trying to understand what this unknown person could possibly be talking about.

    "Maybe it's a wrong number?" I offer, breaking the silence between Noah and I.

    "But what is the weird countdown about?" he asks, confusion still written all over his face. "I just have this weird feeling that it's not a wrong number, but who could it be?" his voices trails off as he thinks over the many options of who could possibly be sending these messages. The same sickening knot in my stomach from earlier returns and deep down I know who it is. As if he could read my mind, Noah seems to come to the same conclusion as me just seconds after I do. "You don't think it could be..her?"

    "Honestly, I have no clue, but I wouldn't past her. This is just the type of thing she would do. But what does any of it mean?" I think aloud. "Surely if it was her, she would have said something. She doesn't know how to do anything quietly. She loves attention way too much. Maybe it's not her after all." I try to convince myself, unsuccessfully. Noah places a hand on my back, rubbing soothing circles.

    "Maybe we should call your dad and tell him and give him the number just to be safe." Noah says, still trying to sooth and calm me.

    "I don't want to bother my dad. This is probably just some kid texting a random number that just so happens to be mine and playing some trick to make his friends laugh. It's nothing serious. I haven't even got anymore messages and it's been a few minutes since the last one came through, so it's definitely nothing." I lay my phone back down on the side table and turn to Noah, smiling. "You know, I heard that the best cure for a hangover, is a morning quickie." I smile at him and begin to climb on his lap. He leans back against the headboard and wraps his arms around my waist.

    "Well then, we better get moving because this hangover is awful." he says as he pulls my into him, kissing me passionately. His hands slowly slide from my waist down to my butt, grabbing it roughly, and then grabbing hold of my thighs and pulling me even closer to him. Through the thin material of my panties, I can feel his hardened bulge pressing against my sweet spot. His lips slowly move down my jaw and neck and then across my shoulder, sliding the strap of my tank top down, exposing my breasts. He makes his way down my chest and captures one of my hard n*****s between his teeth, gently grazing it and sending a wave of pleasure rocking through my body. Removing one hand from my thigh, he grabs the other n****e between his fingers and pinches and rubs sending another wave through me. I moan loudly and my back arches, pushing my chest further into his face. Just as the passion is building between us, I hear a vibration on the side table. I try to ignore it, but Noah pulls away from me instantly.

    "Check it." he says, suddenly nervous. Rolling my eyes and letting out a load groan, I climb off of him and reach over to the table picking up my phone. I see I have one new message, so I swipe up unlocking the screen to see the new text message. Another message from the unknown number. I open the message and my heart stops and my breath catches in my throat.

    "Who is it? What does it say?" Noah asks, seeing the sudden panic on my face. I sit frozen, unable to answer him or even pull my eyes away from the phone screen. My eyes keep reading the message over and over, trying to grasp what it is saying. Impatient, Noah rips the phone from my hand and reads the message himself, freezing next to me in sudden fear. All of our worries that we tried to ignore and look past, confirmed in one little message.

    Unknown: "Only 10 seconds left. Better run if you want to live. Mommy loves you."