A Home for Noelle Read online

  A Home for Noelle (A Forever Safe Christmas #17)

  It’s Complicated Series, Book One

  Haven Rose

  Copyright © 2019 A Home for Noelle by Haven Rose

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted by U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior permission of the author.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, establishments, or organizations, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously to give a sense of authenticity. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. This story is intended for mature audiences only.

  Cover by: Fanderclai Design

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Acknowledgments and Dedication

  Blurb

  Untitled

  Prologue

  1. Xavier

  2. Xavier

  3. Noelle

  4. Xavier

  5. Xavier

  About the Author

  Stay Connected

  Acknowledgments and Dedication

  My eternal thanks to Elisa Leigh and MK Moore for creating the Forever Safe Series. I’m honored to be a part of it and can’t wait to begin plotting for the next set.

  Finding your one can be…complicated.

  Noelle Perkins has seen the pain “love” can cause, and she wants nothing to do with it. Until she meets her best friend’s older brother. The attraction may be mutual, and she’ll eagerly act on it, but that’s all it can be.

  Xavier Benson has witnessed firsthand the consequences of lust through his father’s many relationships. He wants Noelle more than his next breath, and while he’s not sure what that means, he knows it can’t last.

  Fate has other plans for these two, though, and that’s forever.

  Warning: Inside these pages, you’ll find a man and woman who fall instantly, yet fight it for fear of being hurt. Psst…don’t fret, I always deliver a safe and happy ever after.

  “If you judge people you have no time to love them.” Mother Teresa

  Prologue

  Noelle

  Seventeen years earlier…

  Though I know I’ll get in trouble for not letting an adult get the door, I still run to answer it, excited to see who might be on the other end. I’m only six, so it takes me a bit to do it, but I finally get it. When I see a boy standing there, I realize he’s old, at least ten. I don’t recognize him nor the woman with him. She looks at me and I think she’s about to cry, but instead her face becomes mean.

  “Of course,” she spits out. “I should’ve known.”

  “Mama,” the little boy says as he tugs on her arm. She ignores him.

  “Give this,” she states, handing me an envelope, “this,” drops a bag and suitcase at my feet, “and this,” she pushes her son inside, “to your mom.” And then she leaves. He seems so sad, sniffles coming from him as he hangs his head, that I hug him.

  “I’m Noelle. What’s your name?”

  “Daniel,” he responds, rubbing his nose across his sleeve.

  “Don’t be sad,” I tell him. “I’ll be your friend.” He nods, but doesn’t appear any happier. Then again, if my mom left me, I’d be a mess. My dad, I’m used to him being gone, so I don’t know any different.

  “Sweetie, what’d I tell you about not talking to strangers? Let me get the door.”

  “But mommy, he’s not a stranger. This is my friend, Daniel.” I can’t figure out why she’s staring at him so hard, nor why she looks as if she wants to cry, too, though not in the same way. “This is for you. The lady, his mama, said it’s for you.” She opens it, her expression morphing into one I’ve never seen, then she squats in front of Daniel and introduces herself, a smile once more ono her face.

  “Hi, Daniel. I’m very happy to meet you. My name is Anastacia, but you can call me Ana, if you’d like.” Then she turns to me, tells me to take Daniel upstairs. “You can watch television for a bit, okay? I’ll come get you both soon.”

  Daniel is quiet the whole time, his eyes scanning over everything but the show. When I hear dad’s voice, followed by mom yelling at him, I rush to the top of the stairs. It’s my usual hiding place when this happens, as it has been more and more lately.

  “What else have you been hiding from me?” She screams.

  “Just this,” he answers.

  “Just?” Something falls, or was pushed, and hits the floor. “A woman dropping off your son, one that’s older than our daughter, is more than that.”

  “What’s the big deal? It’s not as if I even acknowledge he exists.”

  “Is that supposed to make this better?”

  “I thought you’d be happier knowing that.”

  “When have you ever cared about my happiness? You simply throw money and expect that to solve your problems. Well, it’s never worked with me. Now I’m about to tell you how this is going to go down. You are going to call your lawyer, I’ve already contacted mine, and sign Daniel over to me. I will give him the life he deserves, the love. You will let all three of us go without contesting the divorce.”

  “How much will that cost me?” He scoffs.

  “Nothing. I want nothing from you. The only thing I wanted; you are clearly incapable of giving. I knew that a long time ago, but stayed for Noelle, and now I’m leaving for her and Daniel. Your children are better off without you. Hell, it’s not like either of them will know the difference.”

  Two hours later, we’re pulling up to a house I’ve never seen before, my uncle Homer standing there waiting. I run to him as soon as I see him and he wraps me in a big hug, swirling me around.

  “You okay, Noey?” He asks. I nod, unsure what’s happening, but I’m with my mom and Daniel, and now him. I am upset dad didn’t seem sad we were leaving, not even a hug bye, but he’s never been affectionate, so I shouldn’t have expected that to change.

  Setting me down, he shakes Daniel’s hand, then walks to my mom and holds her. She’s crying. That makes me hate my dad. I know, I’m not supposed to feel that for anyone, but it’s there nonetheless.

  That night, mommy sat Daniel and I down, telling us we were actually brother and sister. She said the three of us were a family and would stay that way. If we wanted to see our dad, she would arrange it, but she wouldn’t force us. I’m young, Daniel, too, but in that moment, she didn’t treat us as if we were kids.

  I heard mommy crying later, when Daniel and I should’ve been in our own beds, but both of us crawled in with her, each taking a side, and we all fell asleep. That was when I realized love hurts and unless it was my family, I wanted nothing to do with it.

  **Xavier**

  “Son, I’d like you to meet your new mom, Tiffany.” At this point, the sentence is the same, the names the only difference, though they’ve become interchangeable at this point. I never call them mom, I barely had a chance to use it on my own before she was replaced, err left. There were quite a few in between, Missy lasting a bit longer as she gave him my sister, Alexandrea, but she, too, was soon gone. I don’t know what he had to pay, or why he did it, to keep Drea with us, but I’m glad he did. She’s the only bright spot in my life, the age difference meaning I took care of her more than anyone else, in addition to the nanny he hired, then later fired as he was done using her for other things. I am
way too cynical for a sixteen-year-old, but watching my dad go through women so ruthlessly has made me that way.

  I’ve seen how attraction can ruin a man, make him do stupid things like going after women that continually get younger. Tiffany can’t be more than a decade older than me. It’s gross. I’m worried one of these times, I’ll see him flipping through my yearbook, searching for his next wife or girlfriend. At least he doesn’t marry all of them.

  He professes love for every single one, a word he throws around to make himself feel better. He doesn’t know what it means, nor has he ever experienced it. I doubt he feels it for me and Drea. There are times we’re more props to convey the image he wants to project then his children.

  I stopped trying to get along with them years ago, not seeing the point. Drea, on the other hand, craves the motherly bond she was never given and seeks it out with every passing fancy Dad introduces her to.

  And whenever they leave, because they always do, I’m the one who provides the shoulder for her to cry on, the promises that it’ll be okay, when I know the last is a lie. Instead, I’ll protect her the best I can, ensuring nobody tries to use her, hurt her in any way. I know a lot of these women are attracted more to dad’s wealth than who he is, and I refuse to let the same happen to Drea. I’ve resigned myself to not getting attached, to being a loner. It’s easier for me. Soulmates don’t exist. Love doesn’t either.

  Chapter One

  Xavier

  November 14th...

  “Another late night, huh?” I hear my sister ask, and I assume she’s talking to her roommate, Noelle. I’ve never met the girl, but from what I’ve surmised, that’s a good thing. I just wish Drea hadn’t either. She’s one of the students that are there on an academic scholarship, and good for her, yet I’m leery of those who come from different backgrounds than us. That makes me sound like an asshole, and I usually am, but our family name alone is a draw for some, and Drea has been hurt before because of it. If I have to be a dick to stop that from happening again, then so be it.

  I freely admit I looked into this Perkins girl, and discovered she and an older brother were raised by a single mother. She left their father, taking both kids with her – probably to get the child support, not out of any motherly need – moving immediately into a home provided by some guy named Homer. I checked there’s no relation between them, which can only mean one thing…new victim. My check into her was minimal, though it gave me the information I needed.

  Drea has given me the rest without even knowing it. Such as now, it’s eleven on a school night, and Noelle is just getting home from who knows where. And this isn’t the first time I’ve overheard this scenario. Drea and I tend to talk later in the evening due to her course schedule and mine for work.

  I pay for Drea’s tuition and everything else she needs, wanting to remove that area from our dad’s control, lest he try to lord it over her. Oh wait, he has. I nipped that in the bud the second she contacted me, in tears, informing her she had to choose a certain major because it was what he wanted for her.

  I’ll be damned if I let that happen. Nor will I let the party girl she lives with distract her from studying and fulfilling her dream of becoming an elementary school teacher. Noelle comes and goes at all hours, things that Drea mentions during our calls, as well as her informing Noelle she’s made her something to eat, or picked up food for her, etc. It’s not hard to read between the lines and figure out who the bad guy, or girl as the case may be, is in this story.

  Noelle must’ve responded to Drea because my sister follows it up with, “Did you have fun?” I can’t hear her answer, but I can guess based upon Drea’s laughter. I’m sure Drea isn’t a saint, even if I prefer to pretend otherwise, but it’s one thing for her to make those decisions herself, and another to be lumped in with a bad crowd because of someone else’s actions.

  Fully aware I sound like a conspiracy theorist; I force myself back to the present. It’s not as if people are keeping an eye on what she does or who she hangs around with, on the slim chance they can catch her doing something scandalous.

  Then again, being paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you.

  Chapter Two

  Xavier

  November 24th…

  “Hey, sis. Just wanted to make sure you’re still coming home for Thanksgiving.”

  “Duh,” she responds, making me laugh. Apparently, she’s reverting back to being a teenager, though not completely as she’s wide awake and sounds as if she’s messing around in the kitchen. “Crap,” she mutters, instantly putting me on alert.

  “Are you okay? Do you need me to call an ambulance?” I ask her, imagining her hurt and needing help, and I’m an hour away and unable to provide it.

  “I’m fine,” she assures me, exasperated. “Noelle hasn’t been sleeping lately, so I don’t want to wake her up.” A glance at my watch shows it’s almost noon. I know some use the weekends to catch up on it, but this is ridiculous. More than likely another late party. Seems like she’s gone more than she’s home, which is the only reason I haven’t insisted Drea move, that and the fact she graduates next spring. She can easily afford her own place since I’d be paying for it, but it seems silly to do so when she’s this close to coming back home.

  We talk for a while, her admonishing me for working too much, me returning the favor about her studying. “You’re in college, you should be having fun.” Okay, I know it sounds hypocritical considering how I judge her roommate for doing just that, but I trust Drea to balance the two, whereas Noelle apparently can’t. Speaking of, it seems she’s finally decided to join the land of the living as I hear my sister talking to her. “I’m sending out the rent check tomorrow.” Since I’m on speakerphone as Drea wanted her hands free to do some cleaning, I can hear Noelle’s response.

  “If you can cover my half, I’ll give it to you Friday.”

  “No problem,” Drea instantly assures her. The fact she doesn’t appear surprised makes this sound as if it’s a regular occurrence.

  “You’re the best,” Noelle gushes.

  Drea giggles, then tells her, “That’s what you always say.” What the fuck? “Do you need me to drop you off tomorrow? You know I don’t mind.”

  “And that’s what you always say,” Noelle answers. “I’m good. He’s coming to get me.” He? He who? Probably one of the guys she parties with. And though I’ve never met this girl, and think she’s a bad influence on my sister, I can reluctantly admit to myself that it does something to me when I hear her talk.

  Which only strengthens my belief that I’ve made the right decision to be alone. I’ve strived to be nothing like my father, avoiding the opposite sex my entire life aside from my sister and those I deal with on a strictly professional level, yet here I am, wondering if this younger woman that I clearly don’t trust with Drea, is as beautiful as her voice.

  Chapter Three

  Noelle

  November 28th…

  “How’s school?” Daniel asks when I get in the passenger seat. I had a car I’d worked all through high school and saved for, but I was in an accident almost two weeks ago, some jerk not watching where he was going, and had to junk it. He, of course, was at fault, but he refused to admit it, trying to claim otherwise. His watch, briefcase, tailored suit, tie, overcoat, and shoes probably cost more than my ride had, brand new. The sneer on his face as he took in my appearance left me with no illusion to how he viewed me. He’d thrown a couple hundreds at me, literally, and said “that should cover it,” then walked away, his car suffering no damage whatsoever. I told Drea it was as if the universe didn’t dare to inconvenience him.

  “Is exhausting an answer?” I joke, sort of.

  “Not a good one, sis,” he replies, casting a quick glance in my direction. “What have I told you?”

  “Don’t talk to strangers, never leave my drink unattended while I’m out, no guy is good enough for me, and that you’re the best brother in the world.” He laughs, though he doesn’t di
spute any of it, then says my name, the exasperation hard to miss. “To not push myself. That nothing is as important as my health.”

  “Yet you still don’t listen to your older and wiser sibling.”

  “I listen,” I correct him, “I just don’t necessarily do it.”

  “Brat.”

  “This is true, but you love me. It’s normally not that bad, but I’m cramming for all the upcoming exams, working whenever I can at the library, and my clinicals.”

  “Well, at least you’re done soon, and you’ll get to relax at home the next few days. Mom said she has everything under control.” She still lives in the house Uncle Homer helped her get when she left our dad, and while Daniel and I both still have rooms there, we’ve each started the path toward making our own way in the world. We do, however, visit Mom as often as possible, or call if we’re unable to make the trip.

  Being so young when my parents separated, I don’t remember a lot of what happened, nor the struggles we experienced because of it, but I overheard things, saw Mom coming and going from numerous jobs. I also heard the whispers, people not caring that they were discussing my family within earshot of me. Some even took great joy in doing so. In saying my dad had two families, but only acknowledged one, her and I, deeming us the more presentable. Meaning, we fit his public image better, whereas Trina, Daniel’s mom, had – in their words – a checkered past.