No longer a pushover (Noelle and Cedric) novel Chapter 1095

Noelle looked at the man standing in front of her, and her heart began to race. The truth was, she'd always liked Cedric—she never stopped. Especially after finding out how kind he'd been to her in her past life, too.

She couldn't help but think that she could've escaped the Liddell family back then if only she'd had the courage.

Cedric was the only one who had treated her well in both lifetimes. It was he who saved her during that car accident. And it was Cedric she genuinely liked—deeply, truly.

They were standing so close now that the air between them shifted.

Cedric tilted his head, glancing toward the hallway. "I think they're gone."

But just then, Noelle leaned in and kissed him. She didn't hesitate—because, at that moment, she really wanted to do it.

Cedric froze, staring at her in shock. Last night, she'd kissed him while drunk, and he didn't think much of it, but now, she was doing it again, sober.

Did this mean she had finally accepted him?

He swallowed hard and pulled her into his arms, holding her close. His voice dropped into a whisper. "Noelle... now that you've kissed me, you have to take responsibility."

"And what if I just wanted to kiss you without all that responsibility?" she teased.

Cedric immediately pinched her waist. "Nope, not happening. I made a promise to your parents' graves earlier—I said I'd take care of you. If you try to run now, I'll tattle."

Noelle was exasperated. She looked up at him and murmured, "I broke up with you because you lied to me."

Noelle chuckled. "What if we'd been caught?"

Cedric grinned. "Wouldn't matter. You were the school's top graduate, remember? Your photo is still hanging on the honor wall. If anyone comes back, they're probably up to no good—but not you."

Noelle suddenly remembered she was kind of a big deal at this school. She straightened up proudly. "So you're basically riding on my coattails, huh?"

Cedric leaned in and kissed her. "I'll take you somewhere else in a bit. A few places you might remember."

"Sounds good." She laced her fingers through his, and the two of them walked off hand-in-hand, their shadows intertwined under the sun.

However, not too far from them, inside a parked car, a cold pair of eyes was watching their every move. Noelle suddenly felt a chill down her spine. She turned around and glanced over her shoulder.