Norah didn't ask a single question. She grabbed her phone from the nightstand—since that was the only thing she had brought—and followed him.
As they navigated the dark, creaky staircase, Norah instinctively reached out and grabbed Xavier's hand.
This time, he didn't pull away.
Emboldened, Norah slowly tightened her grip until her fingers were fully laced with his.
His hand was large and firm, the skin roughened by years of calluses. Yet, she didn't find it abrasive at all; if anything, she held on even tighter.
In the pitch-black silence of the stairwell, Norah could hear the frantic pounding of her own heart. Thump, thump. It was a chaotic mix of anxiety, embarrassment, and undeniable elation.
Leaving the B&B behind, Xavier drove them down the treacherous mountain road back toward the city.
He tossed his jacket over her lap. In the shadowy interior of the car, his sharp, chiseled profile looked even more stoic and unapproachable. "Get some sleep. I'll wake you when we get there."
But the sheer thrill of a midnight escape left Norah buzzing with adrenaline. She wasn't tired in the slightest. Her eyes were wide open, locked onto the road ahead as she chatted away with him.
"Those sticky traps were totally useless. The mouse just stared right at me from the windowsill."
The mice up there were ridiculously bold. They weren't afraid of humans at all.
Xavier glanced at her. "Then why didn't you call me again?"
Norah turned to face him. "I literally covered my own mouth!"
She had been so worried that he was finally asleep. He had driven for hours and had to be exhausted. She had planned to just sit frozen under her blanket for the rest of the night.
But then she heard the aggressive noises coming from the other room. She had been so mortified she seriously considered jumping out the window with the mouse.
Thank God Xavier had come to her rescue.
The moment he knocked on her door, she had been flooded with overwhelming relief. Somehow, her intuition had known it was him.
Xavier felt a dull ache in his chest picturing her terrified and trapped in that room, but he kept his silence.
An hour later, they pulled into the city limits. Xavier found a high-end villa-style hotel, but when they walked up to the reception desk, the clerk delivered bad news: they only had one room left. It was a double-bed suite.


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Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan)
I like how you are getting all the different love interest committed, thank you for the updates....
Hoping Manly have his own love story here, atleast a short one...
Emily has finally stood up for herself. Now with Charlie's support, her mother and sister in law will be as quiet as church mice....
Another epic ten updates... this is great! I'm sooo enjoying this. Thank you for the updates....
Thank you so much for the continuous updates......
This was soooooo sooooo good! I loved it! Thank you for the updates....
Then Melanie and Noreen will both understand that Emily is his wife, who he chooses and cares to be with. We’ve already had so much drama when Emily took off for three years hiding her pregnancy from Charlie. Emily has already confessed that the only man she loves is Kya father, which Charlie is. Now he needs to boldly claim the only woman he loves is Emily…I just had to add my two cents (he he he)....
Now Charlie needs to take Emily to the marriage office like Gabriel did with Sylvia . Reassure her that he will not take for granted. Thank you for the updates. I’m loving it....
May we please have updates. Thank you....
Wow.. finally they're married now. I thought there will be another separation....