CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Noah
My phone screenlights up but I ignore it. I’m so close to finishing the proposal I’m writing. I just need twenty minutes, thirty max if there are no distractions. It stops and starts again straight away. I sigh, it’s definitely a distraction now. Whoever it is, why can’t they text like a normal person? I reach for it and see it’s my mum, which is odd at this time of day. Quickly I snatch the phone up.
“Hi, Mum,” I say as soon as she answers.
“Hi, Noah hun.”
“Is everything alright?” I can’t keep the worry from my voice. Has something happened to her or Dad?
“I was about to ask you the same thing.” Her voice sounds concerned.
“Me?” Nope, nothing wrong with me apart from needing to get my work finished.
“Yes, Chase called?—”
“Chase?” My voice quivers and my chest goes tight. Has something happened to Chase instead? A thousand thoughts cram into my head of possible scenarios and I start to feel sick.
“He’s fine but he phoned me. He said that if he called you, you probably wouldn’t answer.” The tightness across my ribcage eases and my stomach settles that there’s nothing wrong with him.
“Yeah, that’s true.” I give a little laugh. Chase is definitely on the list of distractions while I’m trying to work.
“Noah, honey.” My mum's voice is the one she uses when I’ve done something wrong. “He said there was a dinner party tonight.”
“Yeah, Nate and Ru . . .” I look up and notice how dark it’s gotten outside. Outside my office, the reception area is dark too. Did Darren go home? I’d have noticed that surely? “What time is it?” I whisper and peer at my laptop screen, my vision suddenly going blurry. When I can focus again I see it’s seven thirty. Shit!
“Noah?” My mum’s voice still sounds concerned.
“Yeah, Mum. I had better go. Thanks for calling.” I end the call quickly and phone Chase with my stomach buzzing like a swarm of wasps. He answers within a second and I start talking before he can.
“Chase. I’m so sorry. I was working and completely lost track of time. I’ll be back soon. I’m just packing up now.” I hope he’s not mad at me.
“Noah, calm down.” His voice is soothing rather than angry and I take a deep breath. Maybe it’s not so bad. “Grant is on his way, he’ll be there in fifteen minutes. It’ll be quicker than the Tube.”
“Okay, thank you, and I am sorry,” I say. He doesn’t answer but I know he’s still there as I can hear talking in the background. Probably Nate and Ru. I’ve really messed up. “Are you mad at me?”
“No, sweetheart. I’m not mad, but we do need to talk.” There’s a tone in his voice I can’t recognise and it makes my skin cold and clammy.
“Okay,” I whisper. As soon as he ends the call I look down at my screen. Maybe fifteen minutes is long enough to finish. I get back to work. In the last month I’ve signed on four new clients, two of whom I’ve managed to get deals with one of the major houses. This is for another. I finish and press send just as Grant knocks on my office door. I throw my laptop into my bag and follow him downstairs. Now I’m not focussed on work I start to worry about Chase’s words. Needing to talk has always heralded really bad news. Maybe he wants to break up with me. I know we haven’t seen much of each other recently, but I’ve been busy and he’s been working on his book.
Once I’m in the car, despite the worry, as soon as I lean back against the plush seats my eyelids start to droop. I blink to keep them open and my eyes water slightly. Perhaps I have been staring at my screen too long today. The iron gates open and Grant drives right up to the front door. Chase is opening it before I’ve gotten out of the car, and I stumble up the steps and into his arms.
“I’m sorry,” I utter when he pulls back to look at me. The frown I’ve seen a lot of recently is even more deeply etched on his face.
“I was worried about you,” he says in a tone that holds more concern than anger at me.
“So you called my mum?” I try to laugh but it falls flat.
“It worked, didn’t it?” His smile is brief before he’s ushering me through to the lounge where Nate and Ru are sitting.
“Hi, sorry I’m late.” I greet them. It sounds lame even to my ears. They make placating sounds, which I don’t really hear as the room starts to spin. A set of arms grab me before I fall.
I hear voices as I drift in and out. I barely catch a word or two, then silence, before I feel myself being lifted up. I don’t have the energy to protest. I just lean my head against the large chest, faintly registering that it’s too large to be Chase.
“Thank you,” I hear Chase say as I’m placed gently on a bed. “Tomorrow after breakfast, I’ve already told the crew.” I blink my eyes open and see it was Grant who carried me upstairs. Then Chase is kneeling before me.
“Hey,” he whispers with a small smile, smoothing my curls out of my face.