Page 4 of Forbidden Whispers
They’d met at the start of their junior year when he’d signed up to get an honor society member to tutor him in chemistry. Maggie was a total brainiac, ending up as their class valedictorian. And she had been an incredible tutor. She’d helped him pass that dreaded class. And during the time they’d spent together, he’d fallen head over heels for her. She was sweet, talented, and beautiful. And he dreamed about a relationship with her. But unfortunately, she was already taken. She dated the football team’s quarterback—the most popular guy in school—for all of her junior year and part of her senior year. So, he’d settled for the friend zone.
As a result, he’d focused all his energy on making music and getting gigs with his band. He and Maggie had remained close until the end of their senior year. But then they’d gone to different colleges. He’d tried to keep the friendship going, but Maggie hadn’t responded to his emails or texts, and he eventually gave up, believing he’d never see her again.
When his sister-in-law Alex had suggested using a matchmaking service to help him overcome his ongoing reign of dating disasters, he’d hesitated. But she’d insisted that friends of hers had experienced great luck with Matches by Maggie, so he’d let her arrange his initial interview. At the time, he’d had no idea it was his Maggie.
When he’d walked into the coffee shop for their first meeting and saw her, he’d almost turned around and walked right back out. But she’d spotted him in an instant, waving him over to her table. She had been friendly and polite, but barely acknowledged their former friendship from a decade ago. She simply assured him that she’d work hard to find him his perfect match.
However, from the moment he saw her again, the secret feelings he’d harbored for her came bubbling back to the surface. Recognizing how he still felt had made him feel awkward when it came time to share his dating background with her. And there was no way he was going to tell her the whole truth about the issues he’d been having in the dating arena. Not Maggie Milena! So, he’d played down the real reason that he needed professional help getting dates, simply telling her that since he had recently started his own business, he preferred the convenience of keeping his personal life offline.
Noah and Boon reached the door, and Maggie stepped aside to let them back in, shutting and locking it behind them. Then she turned to face Noah, her eyes snagging his. “So, what do we do now?”
“Uh...maybe we should go back and look in that closet where we found Boon,” Noah suggested. “There might be a clue in there that will help me remember something.”
Maggie agreed, and Noah, still holding Boon on his leash, led the three of them back to the second bedroom. The closet for this bedroom was much smaller than the master bedroom’s spacious walk-in closet. There was a simple rod with a couple of men’s shirts and pants hanging on one side. A large black suitcase lay on the shelf overhead. But the closet held nothing else.
“Anything spark a memory?” Maggie asked.
Noah shook his head. “Nope. And those are not my clo–”
He was shocked into silence by the sound of sudden, loud banging at the front door of the condo. “We know you’re in there, Tina! Let us in! NOW!”
Maggie and Noah looked at each other, eyes wide. Boon began to growl.
“Tina!” More banging.
Noah shushed the dog, uncertain what to do.
The banging stopped and the voice grew softer, yet somehow sounding more dangerous. “You and your boyfriend are gonna pay for what you did, Tina. Going to the cops like that. And you never should have lied to Papa Dom about your bachelorette getaway. Next time, make sure you let all your little girlfriends in on your plan. He knows the truth now and he’s not happy, Tina. And even worse for you, I’m not happy. If you open the door now, it’ll go easier for you. At least, I promise not to leave any visible marks.” A pause. “I’m not making the same promise for your boyfriend.”
Noah watched Maggie’s face grow pale, and he quickly put his arm around her waist to support her sagging legs.
“What’s happening?” she whispered. “Who is that guy?”
The voice came again, barely above a whisper now but clearly audible in the quiet of the condo. “Last chance, Tina. Open it, or I’m busting it down.”
A couple of seconds of dead silence ticked past and then there was the sound of violent kicks against the door.
Noah made a split-second decision. “C’mon!” he whispered, pulling Boon and Maggie with him through the open closet door. Boon growled again. “Shhh, no!” he commanded the dog in a firm whisper. He pulled the closet door shut just as the sound of the cracking doorframe shattered the air.