Obsession His Runaway Bride (Noelle and Adrian) novel Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Cardigan

Chapter 18: Cardigan

“You look like you just ran a marathon,” Evelyn said with a knowing smile, placing the glass in front of Noelle who was wiping down the last table. “Go on, drink up. You earned it.”

Noelle didn’t need to be told twice. She took the glass with both hands and drank deeply, relishing the coolness as it soothed her parched throat.

Evelyn leaned against the counter, arms crossed. “Not what you expected, huh?”

Noelle let out a tired laugh. “Not at all. I knew restaurant work would be busy, but I didn’t think I’d be chasing after customers all day.” She stretched her arms, wincing at the soreness in her muscles.

Peter, who had just finished locking up the register, let out a chuckle. “Welcome to the food business, kid. It’s chaos, but you’ll get used to it.”

Noelle shook her head. “I don’t know. I was hoping to find something quieter.”

Evelyn arched a brow. “Quieter doesn’t always mean better. Besides, you held up well for a first day. Most people would’ve quit halfway through the lunch rush.”

“I thought about it,” Noelle admitted with a small smirk.

Peter laughed. “At least you’re honest.”

“Well, you’ve got steady hands and a good attitude. That’s all that matters here.”

Noelle exhaled quietly, grateful.

Peter clapped a hand on her shoulder. “Well, you survived today. That’s a win in my book.”

Noelle chuckled. “Barely.”

Evelyn smirked. “You’ll be fine. Just don’t drop anything expensive, and we’ll get along just fine.”

“I’ll do my best,” Noelle said with mock seriousness.

Evelyn laughed before gesturing toward the door. “Go get some rest. You’ll need it.”

Noelle nodded, setting the empty glass down and took off her apron. “Thanks for giving me a chance.”

Peter waved her off. “Like Evelyn said, we needed the help. Fair trade.”

As Noelle stepped outside, the cool night air greeted her. She inhaled deeply, feeling the exhaustion settle in her bones.

Noelle wrapped her arms around herself as she walked, the night air crisp against her skin. The restaurant had been alive with movement and chatter, yet out here, the streets were eerily quiet. It was strange how the contrast made everything

seem more still-more lonely.

She glanced up at the sky, where countless stars twinkled like tiny beacons in the darkness. It had been a while since she’d taken a moment to appreciate something so simple.

Then, a sound broke the silence. A faint creaking, rhythmic and slow.

She paused mid-step, tilting her head. It was the unmistakable groan of a swing moving back and forth.

“There’s a playground around here?” she murmured, scanning the area.

Curiosity nudged her forward, and she followed the sound down a dimly lit street, past quiet houses and shuttered shops.

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A few blocks later, she found herself standing at the edge of a small playground. It was modest-just a set of swings, a slide, and a seesaw, illuminated faintly by the streetlamp nearby.

But what caught her attention wasn’t the playground itself.

It was the small figure sitting alone on one of the swings.

Noelle frowned. A child, out alone at this hour?

Concern flared within her, and before she could second-guess herself, she slipped off her cardigan and approached.

The soft rustling of her footsteps must have alerted him, because the boy stiffened, his head snapping up.

Noelle stopped a few steps away, raising her hands slightly to show she meant no harm. “Hey there,” she said gently. “I-I’m not a bad person, I promise. I just saw you sitting here alone, and it’s really cold out.” She held out her cardigan. “Here, take this.”

The boy made no move to accept it.

Even in the dim lighting, Noelle noticed his striking silver-grey eyes watching her with quiet wariness. He didn’t speak, didn’t react beyond the slight tightening of his fingers around the swing’s chain.

Noelle hesitated before crouching down to his level, offering a small, reassuring smile: “Oh boy… it’s freezing out here. Brrr…” She gave an exaggerated shiver, rubbing her arms.

Still, no response.

Noelle exhaled, shifting to sit cross-legged in the sand a few feet away. She didn’t want to scare him off by pushing too much. Instead, she glanced up at the sky. “You know,” she mused, “on nights like this, my mom used to say the stars were tiny holes in the sky, letting the light from another world shine through. I always liked that idea.”

Silence.

Then, after a long pause, the boy finally spoke-his voice barely above a whisper.

“That’s silly.”

Noelle smiled, relieved that he at least responded. “Maybe,” she admitted. “But I think it makes the night feel a little less

lonely.”

The boy’s gaze flickered toward her for a brief moment before dropping back to the ground. His fingers toyed with the edge of his sleeve, but he still didn’t take the cardigan.

Noelle decided not to push. Instead, she simply sat there, letting the quiet stretch between them, hoping he’d understand

that at least for tonight-he wasn’t alone.

But luckily, as the minutes passed, he finally spoke. “My mommy is always busy with work, and my dad does not come home or pick me up after school. I don’t want to go home and try and see if they’ll even notice me missing.” The boy

pouted.

Noelle flinched at the boy’s words. “You ran away?” she asked.

The boy kicked at the sand beneath his feet while his small hands gripped the swing’s chains tightly. “I didn’t run away,” he muttered, though the slight quiver in his voice told Noelle otherwise. “I just… didn’t feel like going home.”

Noelle studied him for a moment and her heart ached at the quiet sadness in his tone. “You don’t think they’d notice you were gone?” she asked gently.

The boy shrugged. “Maybe my mom would. But she’s always busy, and my dad…” He trailed off, scowling. “He doesn’t

care.”

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Chapter 18 Cardigan.

+15 Poins >

Noelle swallowed the lump in her throat. She didn’t know the boy’s story, but she knew what it felt like to feel unwanted

and to wonder if someone would even care if you disappeared.

“That’s a pretty lonely way to think,” she said softly.

The boy shot her a skeptical glance. “You don’t know anything about it.”

Noelle chuckled lightly. “You’re right, I don’t. But I do know that there are people who would be really worried if you didn’t

come home.”

The boy huffed. “Like who?”

“Your mom, for one.”

“She’s always working.”

“Because she has to take care of you, doesn’t she?” Noelle pointed out, tilting her head. “Maybe she doesn’t show it the way you want her to, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t love you.”

The boy didn’t answer, but his pout turned into a frown.

Noelle sighed, rubbing her arms against the cold. “You know, when I was little, I got mad at my mom once because she forgot to pick me up from school. I thought she didn’t care about me, but it turned out she was working overtime just so she could buy me a new dress for my birthday.” She smiled at the memory, though it was tinged with bittersweet nostalgia. “I spent hours sulking before I realized she was doing her best.”

The boy glanced at her as his silver eyes glinted under the streetlight. “Did you say sorry?”

“I did,” Noelle nodded. “And she hugged me so tight I thought my ribs would break.”

The boy stared at the ground, silent for a long moment before finally mumbling, “Maybe my mom would worry… but my

dad won’t.”

Noelle’s heart squeezed at the sadness in his voice. She didn’t want to lie to him and tell him otherwise-sometimes, parents didn’t act the way they should. But that didn’t mean he was alone.

“Well, I think that just means you need to go home and see for yourself,” she said. “Give your mom the chance to notice. Maybe she’s looking for you right now.”

The boy hesitated, then let out a small sigh. “Maybe.”

Noelle smiled and held out her cardigan again. “It’s still cold. You should wear this on the way back.”

This time, after a moment’s pause, the boy reached out and took it.

Noelle watched as he slid his arms into the sleeves, the fabric swallowing his small frame. He looked up at her, his expression still guarded but just a little softer than before.

“Are you gonna walk me home?” he asked hesitantly.

Noelle stood and dusted herself off. “Only if you promise not to run away again.”

The boy frowned, then reluctantly nodded. “Fine.”

Noelle grinned. “Alright then, lead the way.”