A Rainy Night Reunion at My Noodle Cart Chapter 09

A Rainy Night Reunion at My Noodle Cart Chapter 09

On the way home after picking out my wedding dress, a violent downpour came out of nowhere.

I panicked and ducked under a store awning.

Finn had to leave early because something came up at the Foster Group, and I smiled and told him to go ahead while I headed home alone.

I had barely wiped the rain off my face when a handkerchief with a strange scent was clamped over my mouth and nose.

The last thing I remembered before everything spun out was Cameron’s face, flashing past.

When I woke up, I was tied to a bed, staring warily at an unfamiliar room.

Cameron stared at me with obsessive intensity, lifted my hand, and pressed it to his cheek.

“Ava,” he said softly, “after all that circling around, we missed out on so many years.”

“You don’t have to worry about Lila getting in our way anymore,” he added. “She’ll never show up again.”

A chill ripped through me.

“What did you just say?”

Cameron smiled the way he used to when we were young, gentle and warm, like he hadn’t heard my question at all.

“Ava, from now on we’ll be together again, just like before.”

“We’ll have a cute baby,” he said, eyes shining. “Our baby.”

“Do you know?” he went on, voice soft with a kind of fever. “After the divorce, I dreamed about you again and again.”

As if something had just occurred to him, he reached out and smoothed my hair, his tone intimate and tender.

“Ava, I gathered proof your father was embezzling funds and taking bribes, and I turned it in.”

“He’ll spend the rest of his life in prison.”

“And Whitman Holdings will be back in your hands soon.”

“Everyone who ever hurt you,” he said, eyes darkening, “I’m not letting a single one of them go.”

My skin crawled.

Then my fitness band gave a faint buzz.

My eyes lit up.

Finn was tracking my location.

After we got together, he bought each of the three of us a band with built-in GPS, so we could always see each other’s location.

My heartbeat steadied, one slow breath at a time.

I glanced around the room, forcing my smile to look natural.

“Cam,” I said softly, “I want cinnamon rolls, so go get me some.”

All I could do was buy time, get him out of the room, and keep myself alive.

He didn’t seem like he wanted to hurt me, but his mind was clearly slipping.

Hearing that old, intimate name made Cameron break into a delighted grin.

He nodded hard, stood up, and threw on his coat.

“Ava, wait for me,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”

Before he left, he leaned down and kissed my forehead.

Then the lights clicked off.

The door locked, and everything disappeared into darkness.

I didn’t know how much time passed before the door crashed open.

Finn burst in with the police.

He rushed to untie the ropes, pulled me into his arms, and let out a shaking breath of relief.

“Ava,” he murmured, squeezing me tight, “you’re okay. You’re okay.”

I patted his shoulder and forced a small smile to calm him.

Outside the door, Cameron, who had come back with the cinnamon rolls, was arrested almost immediately.

Even as the officers dragged him away, he fought wildly, still trying to shove the pastry box into my hands.

Finn leaned close and spoke in a low voice by my ear.

“Cameron and Lila got into a fight, and he accidentally killed his wife.”

“The Caldwell family estate’s living room was covered in blood.”

“He kidnapped you right after it happened,” Finn said, voice tight.

“Good thing we had the GPS, or I wouldn’t have found you this fast.”

I nodded, shaken, and finally understood the meaning behind Cameron’s unhinged words.

A month later, Finn and I had our wedding.

My daughter wore a princess dress and looked beautiful as she walked ahead of us as our flower girl.

When we exchanged rings, Finn held my hand and lowered his head to kiss it.

“Ava,” he said quietly, “I’ll love you and our girl for the rest of my life.”

I met his eyes with a smile and nodded.

“Me too.”