Free Noah by Justine Elvira Page A

I'm too
anxious to get home. I can walk myself downstairs to the curb and
hail a taxi all by myself.
    The walkway is dark as I hold onto the metal railing
to feel my way. When I reach the stairs , I'm able to see the steps in front of me as
they're lit from the streetlights below. When I reach the bottom
and take a step towards the curb two unfamiliar arms grab me from
behind. I try to scream but whoever's behind me is too fast and
covers my mouth with his dirty palm.
    I twist and turn, trying to get out of his reach, but
this just makes him angry as he pulls me harder until I'm behind
the stairwell.
    I'm going to die. I just know it. I haven't spoken to
my parents in over a week, I'll never get to thank Noah for taking
care of me last night, and I never got to clear things up with
Caleb and tell him I love him.
    I try biting down on my assailant ’ s hand but he must have a strong threshold
for pain because he doesn't falter.
    Are these going to be the last few moments before I
die?
    The large man behind me finally lets go and throws me
down in the dark space behind the stairwell and I take my brief
moment of freedom and scream, "Fire," at the top of my lungs.
    Back when I was in school we had a police officer
come in and talk to us all about safety. He never told us why we
should yell fire, but I remembered if I was ever in a dire
situation and needed help that was the magic word.
    "You stupid bitch!" he yells. I've angered the
beast.
    I continue to yell and he falls on his knees in front
of me. His large frame leans over my petite one and then I feel a
sharp pain in my stomach, and then a crushing pain spreads across
my cheek. My head falls back against the cement floor and throbs
from the impact. My vision begins to blur and I scream out one more
time as my assailant ’ s
hands start to lift the bottom of my skirt up.
    Stupid Kendall for making me dress nice tonight. I
bet if I looked like a hung over slob he would have left me
alone.
    His hands are on my knees, pushing them to the side,
but then suddenly they're gone. I look up and all I see is a blur of punching and
kicking. My attacker and Noah are in an all out fight to the death.
I should get up and help Noah, but I'm paralyzed on the ground, too
traumatized to move and really understand what is happening before
my eyes.
    My attacker lands a clean hit to Noah's ribs, but
then Noah decks him with a hard right hook and my attacker falls to
the ground. He's knocked out cold.
    I begin to shiver, the fear taking over my body as
reality of what almost happened starts to hit me. I was attacked
tonight and could have been raped.
    I feel a hand caress my swollen cheek and I flinch
away, scared that my attacker woke back up, but then I focus and
Noah is crouched in front of me. His light brown eyes expressing
love and concern and I know I have nothing to fear anymore.
    "Did he...hurt you?" he asks as he hesitantly lifts
his hand to stroke my injured skin. "Other than your
face , are you hurt?"
    "Just...my stomach .” M y
voice trembles as I turn and try to sit up. The movement causes my
belly to ache even more. Noah wraps an arm under mine and helps me
up. I wobble on my heels and Noah holds me tighter, making sure I
don't fall over. Noah's scent mixed with his comforting hold is
exactly what I need right now.
    "I should take you to the emergency room."
    "No, I'm fine. I swear. I'm just a little banged
up."
    "A little banged up! That man attacked you. If I
hadn ’ t come when I did
who knows what else he would have done. What are you doing out here
anyway?"
    Oh shit. I know I should be worried about a million
other things, like if my cheek bone is broken or if my attacker is
going to wake up before we call the police, but the only thing I'm
worried about is Noah finding out why I'm under the stairwell of
his office building complex.
    "It's not important right now."
    "Like hell it isn't. I'm going to call 911 and when
the police arrive I need to escort Kendall to a taxi,