Meanwhile…
Haines sat on the couch in the living area, eyes fixed on the table where his phone rested, arms propped on his legs. After the conversation, he had been sitting there alone, thinking about everything he'd heard.
'So, Noel… 'he thought. 'She…'
Another deep breath escaped him, still unsure how to fully process it. Learning what happened to his former lover had given him a kind of closure he never knew he needed. But just when he thought there was nothing more to uncover, he realized—
This was far from over.
Even so, it all started to make sense.
It explained why Noel had always felt a little distant, even when she was physically close. Why she seemed restless at times. Why she'd sometimes look at him with guilt or longing, even while in his arms.
Why her story had never quite added up.
Why she had been in the place where she died.
It now made sense to Haines—and it was clear what her answer would've been had he asked her that night to be with him.
