Page 100 of One Killer Night

“He’s a Noah, not a Davis,” I say with humor.

The dude frowns, his eyes locked with Noah’s as he works out whatever thought he’s having. But I feel Noah tense under my cheek as his eyes go to the hand still on his shoulder before the guy takes it away.

“Wow. I could’ve sworn ... my apologies.” He gives us a salute before adding, “You look so much like a friend of my cousin’s. I used to visit him every summer in Darkwater Bay ...”

Darkwater... I’ve heard that name somewhere. Where ... where the fuck have I heard that? My eyes drop to the gift being held out in front of me, feeling my pulse throb as I go numb.

My thoughts are racing. So much so that I’m barely aware of the fact that Noah’s said “Open it” while motioning to the gift. I tug the ribbon, feeling a lump grow in my throat.

The bow opens before the fabric floats to the sides of the box, and I reach inside and pull out my gift, feeling sick.

How can he be someone he’s not ... He’s Noah.

My Noah—the man who bought out all the flowers in my shop to tell me he loves me. The one who listens when I speak and holds me when I need a soft spot to land. No. This doesn’t make sense. I’m wrong. My memories are wrong.

I hear myself exhale as I lift my gift out of the box. Noah’s voice calls my eyes.

“The first night we met, you told me you wanted custom shoes for your birthday, but when I asked you when it was, you said I’d have to ‘stick around to find out.’ Well, I stuck around and made the shoes I designed in my head that night, because I only had to lay my eyes on you once to see you for exactly who you are ...”

He is the one person who sees me exactly for who I am.But have you ever seen him?my mind asks before the last memory cuts directly through my heart.

Dark Days in Darkwater

A dark cloud hangs over this small community as fiveteens are found dead in what officials believe started as a lovers’ quarrel and ended in a massacre.

I gasp as if I’ve been shocked by lightning. Oh my god.No ... no. Just ask him. Make him explain.

“Noah—” I start, but then reality grabs me by the throat.Who are you. What have you done? I can’t trust you. You’ve lied about everything ... How can I trust anything you say?

“Killer, don’t cry,” he rushes out, cutting me off. “Just let me get this out because I can’t hold it in anymore.”

Tears cloud my eyes, and my pulse races. I’m blinking fat droplets of sorrow down my face as I only faintly notice the party encircling us. My chest feels so tight I can barely breathe because this can’t be real. This can’t be happening.

Did he do something? Did he hurt people? No, no, no, no.I can’t even hold space for that thought or I’ll crumble to the ground. Not Noah ... He’s gentle and kind and loving and my everything.

He lied about who he is.

He unties something from some shoes ... the shoes that are in my hands. I don’t even know when I took them out because I can’t focus on anything, only the war inside my head.

My face whips to the side to my mom, who’s smiling and crying, but I’m screaming on the inside.

Why is this happening?Someone make it stop. Make it go away.He has to be him. He couldn’t have lied to me all this time. I can’t believe that. But I know it’s true.

Sobs wrack my body, and I can’t move. I’m frozen in place, even if it feels like the ground doesn’t exist underneath me because I have no anchor, no home ... no Noah.

He takes a step back as he lowers himself down to one knee, and I almost buckle.

“Noah,” I cry, but he takes my hand and kisses the top.

My chest burns with agony and truth—Noah isn’t Noah. And that means my entire world has imploded.

My hands shoot to cover my mouth to try and stop the pain from spilling out. I want to beg, to hit him and demand it all to be untrue. But deep down I know it is. With every ounce of my being, I know he’s a stranger.

But I beg anyway. To any god who will listen. My eyes close.

Please ... please. I love him ... Don’t take him from me.

But like vignettes in a movie, moments flash in my mind to prove our love has been a lie, to wake me the fuck up and see. And I do.