Pierced by Love (23 page)

The next morning while Noelle was eating a breakfast burrito—she’d run out of cold cereal—Melody floated into the kitchen. There really was no other word to describe the way her face glowed, her eyes sustaining an ethereal quality that seemed beyond the realm of the here and now.

Noelle had endured three hours straight of nonstop wedding talk, including everything from the flowers to the cake to the all-important gown. Melody had finally found one that she deemed perfect after hours of searching. Through it all, Noelle had gritted her teeth and said, “That’s nice” about a thousand times.

“Oh, Noelle, I forgot to tell you last night that Mom and I found the most beautiful dress for you. I just know you’re going to love it!”

Noelle put her burrito down. “For?” she asked, dreading the answer.

“Your bridesmaid dress, silly.”

The food felt like lead in her stomach. “Melody, I never said that I would be your bridesmaid,” she said quietly.

Melody gave a cute little laugh. “Well, not exactly, but I figured that you’d say yes eventually. Asking you was just a formality.”

Noelle set her burrito down. She’d lost her appetite. “I’m still thinking about it.”

Melody looked askance at her. “Noelle, you can’t back out now. Wait until you see the dress. It’ll look gorgeous on you. In fact, we’re scheduled to return to the bridal boutique in two weeks to have the dresses altered.”

Noelle stared at her sadly. Was she really so unimportant to her family that her feelings were never considered? Shaking with anger, she balled her fists and said in a calm but steely voice, “I need to leave now or I’ll be late for class, but I will give you my answer tonight. Bye.” She grabbed her backpack and keys and left the apartment without looking back.

Pierce was just leaving his apartment when he saw Noelle unlock her car door and literally throw her backpack across the seat. He winced, hoping that she didn’t have her laptop in there. Her face was contorted in pain and she looked like she was ready to cry. “Noelle?” he called. She looked up, frowning at him. Pierce approached her, undeterred. “Hey. What’s going on?”

She huffed in obvious anger. “I don’t have time to talk about it right now. I’m going to be late for class.”

“Call me as soon as you’re finished for the day. All right? We’ll get some smoothies and you can tell me why you’re upset.”

She hesitated for a second, but then nodded. “All right. Thanks, Pierce. I owe you one.”

“No problem. See you later.” She started the engine and peeled out of the parking lot in record time. Pierce sighed. Something big must have happened to put her into such a mood.

After last night’s conversation with Chase, he was a volcano waiting to erupt too. He’d almost convinced himself that staying away from Noelle really was the best decision, but the cynical side of Pierce didn’t trust Noelle’s ex-boyfriend to stay away from her himself. Maybe his perspective had become jaded through his parents’ experience, and maybe Chase’s attention toward Noelle was strictly that of a brotherly nature, but Pierce wasn’t about to leave her to Chase’s so-called brotherly care just yet.

EIGHTEEN

B
Y THE END of his school day, Pierce was seething. The situation at the institute was worse than he originally thought. Chase had set in motion a rumor that far outreached the limits of decency—and it made Pierce want to break something, preferably Chase’s nose. While sitting on a bench under the tall oak trees at Wheeler Park and drinking their smoothies, Pierce tried to focus on Noelle’s explanation of the incident with Melody from this morning. Taking a deep breath, he asked her, “Have you talked to your parents about not wanting to be Melody’s bridesmaid?”

Noelle sighed. “No. Do you think it would do any good?”

“I don’t know your parents, but whenever you talk about them, I can hear the love you feel for them in your voice.”

A shadow passed over Noelle’s face as she looked down at her strawberry-banana smoothie. “I’ve kind of shied away from my parents lately. I know they love me, but lately I feel like I’m disappointing them with every decision I make.”

“How so?”

Noelle hesitated. Pierce suspected that what she was about to tell him wasn’t easy for her. “Sometimes I feel like I’ll never measure up to Melody. She’s so beautiful and refined. Of course, my parents will want me to attend her wedding and be her bridesmaid. Supporting each other is what families do.”

Pierce grimaced at the mention of the wedding. At least he had some good news to give her on that count, even if he wasn’t thrilled about attending it.

Noelle’s voice broke into his thoughts. “I really don’t have much of a choice.”

“Family duty.” He peered out at the street and the cars passing by for a long moment without really seeing them.

She must have noticed his preoccupation because she asked, “Pierce? Is something wrong?”

He brought his eyes back to hers. “I wasn’t going to tell you this, but now I can’t avoid it. Last night, Chase came to my apartment and warned me to stay away from you.”

Noelle’s took another sip of her smoothie before responding. “Why would he do that?” she asked cautiously.

“Because he’s an idiot.”

Noelle chuckled. “So you told me once before. But what does that have to do with us now?”

“He doesn’t like the fact that we went to San Diego together.”

“Nobody does,” she muttered under her breath.

“Let me guess,” he said derisively. “You got the same lecture from Melody that I got from Chase.”

Noelle stuck her fisted hands out, holding her thumbs upside down. “It wasn’t a lecture, exactly. More like a bad movie review.”

Pierce nodded tightly. “You and I both knew that we were going on that trip as friends, but I knew what it would look like to everyone else. I shouldn’t have asked you to come.”

“Pierce, I was aware of the possible repercussions too. Didn’t you tell me to not let other people’s opinions limit my choices?”

He winced. “Sorry for offering bad advice. Now it’s gotten us into a tough situation.”

“What exactly did Chase tell you?”

“He accused us of . . . uh,” Pierce stammered.

She held her hand up. “You don’t have to say it. I think I know. My roommates are speculating about the same thing.”

He nodded grimly. “To hear Chase tell it, Melody’s still worried about you hanging out with me. However, there’s a new twist to the story, one that you’re not going to like. According to him, he and your family members are now questioning your worthiness to enter the temple to witness Chase and Melody’s sealing. Or they will be soon, if he gets his way.”

“W-wait,” Noelle sputtered, clearly shocked. “What do you mean, ‘if he gets his way’? When I talked to my parents at your dad’s house, everything was on the up and up. What’s changed? Has he threatened you in some way?”

When Pierce didn’t answer immediately, a note of panic crept into her voice, twisting his gut into knots. “What is it, Pierce?”

“Did you go to the institute building today?”

“My Book of Mormon class was early this morning. I haven’t been there since. Why?”

“Did anybody . . . say something to you?”

“About what?”

Still, he couldn’t say the awful words. “About us. Did anyone say anything at all?”

Noelle let out a nervous chuckle. “Why would they? Although now that you mention it, I noticed a few people giving me strange looks.” At his continued silence, she cried shrilly, “Pierce, please! Just tell me what’s going on!”

Pierce gritted his teeth. He might as well get it over with. “Noelle, there’s no easy way to say this. Garret called me just before lunchtime and informed me of the malicious rumor that’s spreading like wildfire about us at the institute. That after we returned from San Diego, we . . . spent those few nights back in Flagstaff before everyone else arrived together.”

Noelle’s mouth dropped open. “Chase wouldn’t do that to us, would he? Oh no, Pierce! What are people going to say? What will they think?”

“I hate to break it to you, honey, but I can guarantee they’re already thinking it.”

“You mean the damage has already been done?” she screeched.

“Afraid so.”

Noelle’s face scrunched up for a moment, then her jaw clenched and her brows narrowed. She shot up from the bench, threw her empty cup angrily in the trash, and started pacing. “No, Pierce. I can’t go through this kind of thing again. I-I just can’t deal with everyone thinking the worst of me! I’ve already been the institute freak once. This can’t be happening again! Why can’t everyone just leave me alone?”

Pierce stood and pulled her shaking body to his. “Take deep breaths, Noelle. That’s right,” he said soothingly. “In and out. Again. Just focus on the crisp, clean air.”

He held her until the tremors subsided. When at last he felt she was in control of her emotions, he offered, “It’ll be all right, Noelle. You’ll see.”

“But what are we going to do? And how come I’m the only one who’s worried about this?” she wailed.

“You’re not. I haven’t been able to think of anything else since Garret told me.”

Angry tears spilled down her cheeks. “My reputation is ruined, Pierce.” Her voice cracked.

Gently, Pierce swept his hands across her cheeks and framed her face with them. “We can salvage it, if you’re willing to give it a try.”

“No offense, Pierce, but how can we salvage it when everybody thinks you’re a player?”

“It’s not my reputation I’m worried about. It’s yours. We need to put this fire out as quickly as possible. If we present a united front to our roommates and to your parents, everything should work out.”

“How?”

“You came with me to visit my dad and Tamara. I’ll do the same. When you and Melody go home in two weeks to try on those dresses, I’ll go with you. You’ll need to introduce me as your boyfriend and explain that the reason you went to California with me was so that you could meet my family.”

“So soon after I broke up with Chase? They won’t believe me.”

“What’s so incredible about it? They believed and supported Melody and Chase in their lightning-quick engagement.”

“Not without some serious consequences,” Noelle blurted. “When my parents came up here after Chase broke it off with me, my dad told me that he’d gotten on Chase’s case for his indiscretion.”

Just then, Noelle let out a loud gasp. “Oh!”

Pierce looked at her sharply. “What, Noelle?”

“I just had a crazy thought. What if Chase is trying to cast doubt on your character to get my parents, particularly my dad, off his back? He’s been taking some heat from them after the way he treated me. What if he’s trying to escape more of my dad’s wrath by diverting his attention to you?”

“Reverse psychology, you mean?” Pierce wondered. “Would he really do that?”

“He threatened you, didn’t he?” she demanded.

“Yeah, but—”

“That proves he’s a manipulator.”

“Hold on, Noelle. I haven’t made up my mind about Chase. I mean, sure, he’s definitely pressing our decision to go to California to his advantage, but he’s not stupid enough to risk his engagement to Melody if she finds out about his threat. Since he says that he’s concerned about you like an older brother would be for his sister, maybe we should give him the benefit of the doubt.”

“Okay.” Noelle sighed heavily. Pierce hated seeing the look of defeat on her features. “Even so,” she cautioned, “your idea won’t work. I can’t lie to my parents, Pierce. How can I pretend that you’re my boyfriend when I don’t feel ready to date anyone? Especially after this latest fiasco? I’m tired of the dating scene. Not to mention that with the suspicion Chase is casting on us, my parents wouldn’t trust you at all.”

“That’s just it, Noelle. We have to convince your parents that my intentions are honorable, that I haven’t taken advantage of you nor do I plan to. As for the institute population, they’ll believe what they want to. We won’t be able to convince everyone that we’re innocent. But if we head this off as quickly as possible, we’ll at least keep the damage to a minimum.”

“And how, may I ask you, are we going to convince anyone that your intentions are honorable when you’ve never dated a girl more than once or twice?”