Page 51 of Lust & Lies

He shoved his phone into his pocket as he looked my way. Relief washed over his features. It was a look that almost broke me, that almost made me reach for him. I clenched my hands into fists at my sides.

Ellie... Noelle.

If I asked who she was, would he tell me the truth? Both of us being called Noelle was too much of a coincidence. And I didn’t believe in coincidences. I wasn’t sure I was the real Noelle Park. And if I wasn’t Noelle Park, did that mean I wasn’t his wife?

More pain sliced through me as Aiden rushed to my side and sat on the edge of the bed. He reached for my hand. I jerked it back, not wanting him to touch me. If he wasn’t my husband, did that mean he was her husband?

Was she the woman he’d cheated on me with? And now here I was, living with him. Did that make me the mistress? No. That made no sense. Or did it? I was so confused. Aiden stared at my hand, then up at me.

“Baby,” he whispered, giving me a look that made me feel guilty as hell.

“I’m still shaken up,” I whispered, allowing him to hold my hand when he reached for it again.

“I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. I should’ve been paying attention,” he told me, giving my hand a gentle squeeze.

I stared at his hands. Those same hands had held me, hugged me, helped bathe me, and caressed me. They’d brushed my hair from my face, even helped me garden. How could those same hands be responsible for my accident?

I wanted to believe in this man. But I also wanted to get as far away from him as I could. In that moment, I couldn’t decide which was stronger, my love for him or my fear of him.

“You okay, baby?” Aiden asked.

“She’ll be fine,” Dr. Mercer assured him. “She just needs rest. Let’s have her stay in bed for a couple of days and limit her stress. No going out. Just rest. She’s still healing from the first accident. I’ll write up something for the pain.”

“Okay, doctor. I’ll walk you out,” Aiden said, then turned to me. “I’ll be right back. I’ll bring you some blooming tea when I get back. It should help you relax.”

I gave him a small smile and a nod. I had no plans to drink whatever the hell he brought me. Once the door closed behind them, I let my smile fade. With them gone, I felt like I could finally breathe.

Relaxing against the pillow, I stared up at the ceiling. The more my memories returned, the more I felt cornered. Trapped. Like I’d been shoved into a cage and told it was for my protection.

I couldn’t just lie around, waiting to find out whether Aiden wanted me dead or not. I had to do something. A phone. I needed a phone. I couldn’t ask to use Aiden’s. Wait. There was a landline in the house.

It rang one night, and Aiden rushed from the room to answer it. So, we had a phone, but who would I call? 911 maybe. And tell them what? That my husband might have wanted me dead in the past... maybe?

Or that I was living as Noelle Park, but I’m pretty sure I wasn’t her? And if I wasn’t her, that meant I wasn’t Aiden’s wife. And if I wasn’t Aiden’s wife, then why the fuck was I here? Why the hell were we living a lie? And by the way, what the fuck was my name?

I swallowed back tears. Fuck it. I was calling 911. My gaze darted to the door. It should take Aiden a few minutes to make the tea. If I acted fast, I should be able to go to the guest room and use the phone before he returned.

By the time he realized something was off, the police would already be there. But could I trust the police of this small town to handle Aiden Park? I could tell he had connections. Could I trust them not to be on Aiden’s side?

Okay, so maybe I wouldn’t call the police. Who else could I call? Hatfield Orchards! But I didn’t know the number. If I saw the phone, maybe the numbers would come back to me. It was worth a try.

I threw the covers off and got out of bed. I crossed the room and eased the door open, wincing when it let out a soft squeak. Peeking my head out, I looked both ways. The coast was clear.

I slipped into the hall and quietly rushed over to the stairs to listen. I didn’t hear anything. No voices. No footsteps. No one moving around at all. Maybe Aiden was still outside with the doctor.

Now was my chance, probably my only chance. I tiptoed down the hall, not even sure which room to check. I opened one door. It was a guest room. No landline. I tried another. Another damn guest room. Still no landline.

My heart was pounding now. If I didn’t hurry, I’d get caught. The last door I tried was an office. There had to be a phone in there. There it was. I rushed over and picked it up. But there was no dial tone.

I pressed a few buttons. Still nothing. Impossible. I could’ve sworn I’d heard this phone ring one night, and Aiden had gone to answer it. If it didn’t work, why was it even here? I pressed a few more buttons, then checked to make sure the phone was plugged in.

It was. So, why wasn’t it working? Could it be that the phone could receive calls but not make them? Fear threaded through my veins as the truth dawned on me. Aiden had rigged the phone to only allow inbound calls, preventing me from calling for help.

What type of house of horrors shit was this?