Chapter 43: Center Stage I waited, leaning against the brick wall of the Cherry Lane Theatre. The coarse texture of the brick pressed against my jacket, a physical grounding as my mind spun. Ten minutes. It felt like ten hours. Every passing car, every echoing footstep, ratcheted up the tension. I bounced on the balls of my feet, fighting the urge to bolt inside and drag Noah out. My phone buzzed. Finally. *“Fine.”* One word. Typical Noah. Cryptic, infuriating. I pushed off the wall, scanning the street. He wasn’t immediately visible. Had he already arrived and was hiding, trying to get the upper hand? Or was this just another delay tactic, another way to play with me? I walked towards the entrance of the theater, my senses on high alert. The street was bustling with the usual Friday night crowd – couples heading to dinner, tourists snapping photos, theatergoers buzzing with anticipation. But my focus was laser-locked on finding Noah. I spotted him across the street, near a darkened doorway. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, his face obscured by the shadows. He looked…different. More tense, less composed than I remembered. I took a deep breath and crossed the street, the roar of the city fading as I zeroed in on my target. “Noah,” I said, my voice low and hard. He pushed off the wall, stepping into the dim light. He looked even worse up close. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair disheveled, and there was a sheen of sweat on his forehead. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days. “Jim,” he replied, his voice raspy. He didn’t meet my gaze. “Let’s cut the crap,” I said, stepping closer. “I know you’re behind the threats.” He flinched, finally looking up at me. “What are you talking about?” “Ms. Hanover. The calls. The feeling that I’m being watched. It’s all you, isn’t it?” I pressed. He shook his head, his eyes wide with what looked like genuine confusion. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Jim. I swear.” “Don’t play dumb, Noah,” I said, my anger rising. “You knew I’d be looking for you. You even left a message with Greg. You planned all of this.” “I…I just thought you’d be curious about why I left so suddenly,” he stammered. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.” “Then what *did* you mean?” I demanded, stepping closer, invading his personal space. “What’s going on, Noah?” He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing nervously. “I can’t tell you,” he whispered. “Can’t or won’t?” I challenged. “Because if you don’t start talking, I’m going to make you talk.” “Jim, please,” he pleaded, his voice cracking. “You don’t understand. It’s…complicated.” “Complicated? My life is being threatened! I got arrested, Noah! How much more complicated can it get?” He looked down at his feet, shuffling them nervously. “I…I can’t say anything. I’m sorry.” I grabbed him by the arm, my grip tightening. “Don’t give me that bullshit apology, Noah. Tell me what’s going on. Why are you doing this? Why Ms. Hanover? Why Demitra?” He winced, trying to pull away. “Let go of me, Jim. You’re hurting me.” “Not as much as you’re hurting me,” I snarled. “Tell me the truth, Noah. Now.” He finally looked up at me, his eyes filled with a desperate, almost manic energy. “It’s…it’s because of Demitra,” he blurted out. I froze, my grip loosening slightly. “Demitra? What does she have to do with this?” He took a shaky breath, his voice trembling. “I…I’ve been in love with her since we were kids, Jim. Since forever. She was all I ever thought about. All I ever wanted.” I stared at him, dumbfounded. “You’re telling me this is about a crush? That you threatened me, messed with my life, because of a damn crush?” He shook his head, his eyes glistening with tears. “It’s not just a crush, Jim. It’s…it’s an obsession. I can’t help it. I tried to move on, I tried to forget her, but I just can’t. She’s everything to me.” “And what? You thought threatening me would make her fall in love with you?” I asked, incredulous. “No!” he shouted, his voice cracking. “I just…I just wanted you out of the picture. I saw how she looked at you, how she laughed at your stupid jokes. I couldn’t stand it. You were taking her away from me.” “Taking her away? Noah, she’s not a possession,” I said, my voice rising. “She can be friends with whoever she wants.” “But she *doesn’t* want you,” he said, his voice laced with venom. “She’s just being nice to you. She pities you. She’ll never love you the way I love her.” “You’re delusional,” I said, shaking my head. “She doesn’t even like you. You’re just some creepy childhood friend she tolerates out of pity.” His face contorted with rage. “She does like me! She just doesn’t realize it yet. But she will. Once you’re gone, she’ll see. She’ll see that I’m the one who truly cares about her.” “You’re insane,” I said, taking a step back. “You need help, Noah. Serious help.” “I don’t need help!” he screamed, his voice echoing down the street. “I just need you to disappear! You’re ruining everything!” He lunged at me, his hands outstretched, his eyes filled with a wild, desperate fury. I braced myself, ready to defend myself, when suddenly, a figure appeared out of nowhere, moving with a speed I didn’t think was possible. There was a sharp thud, and Noah crumpled to the ground, unconscious. I stood there, stunned, staring at the figure who had just saved me. It was Ms. Hanover. Her face was grim, her eyes filled with a steely determination I had never seen before. She was holding a small, metal pipe in her hand. “Are you alright, Jim?” she asked, her voice surprisingly calm. I nodded, still trying to process what had just happened. “What…what did you do?” “I did what was necessary,” she said, her gaze fixed on Noah’s unconscious body. “He was becoming unhinged. I couldn’t let him hurt you.” “But…how did you know he was going to attack me?” I asked, my mind racing. “How did you know about any of this?” She sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. “I’ve been watching you, Jim. Protecting you. For a long time.” “Protecting me? From what? From who?” I demanded. She hesitated for a moment, then looked me directly in the eyes. “There’s a lot you don’t know, Jim. About Noah. About Demitra. About me.” “Then tell me,” I urged, my voice trembling. “Tell me everything.” She took a deep breath, her expression hardening. “I can’t tell you everything, not yet. But I can tell you this: Noah wasn’t working alone.” “What do you mean?” “There are others involved, people who want to hurt you. And they’re much more dangerous than Noah could ever be.” “Who are they?” I pressed. “Why do they want to hurt me?” “I can’t say,” she replied, shaking her head. “Not now. But I will tell you this: you need to be careful, Jim. Very careful. You’re in more danger than you realize.” She bent down, picking up the metal pipe. “Come on,” she said, gesturing towards the darkened doorway. “We need to get out of here before the police arrive.” I hesitated, looking back at Noah’s unconscious body. “What about him?” “Don’t worry about him,” she said, her voice cold. “He’ll be taken care of.” She grabbed my arm, pulling me towards the doorway. I followed her reluctantly, my mind reeling with confusion and fear. What was going on? Who were these other people she was talking about? And what did Ms. Hanover have to do with all of this? As we disappeared into the shadows, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was stepping into an even darker and more dangerous world than I had ever imagined. Ms. Hanover clearly knew more than she was letting on, and I had a feeling that the truth was going to be far more complicated and terrifying than I could ever have anticipated.