Chapter 18

It was dark by the time Noelle got home from work, but then, it was almost always dark when she got home from work, whether it was the dead of winter like it was right now or the middle of summer when the sun stayed up until almost 9:00. Still, as she got out of her car and headed toward her apartment, it just seemed like she had missed out on most of the day. She loved her job but hated the fact that she was at the shelter for so long, she often missed out on the fun parts of life, especially this time of year.

A light snow had started falling not long after Brady had left the shelter. Though it had stopped, her feet crunched through a light dusting as she headed toward the stairs that led up to her apartment. She’d have to be careful in the morning in case it froze over.

Once upstairs, she unlocked her door, wondering why she ever even bothered to lock it in Holiday Hills, and pressed inside, flipping on the lights and dropping