Chapter 28: Victorious

Chapter 28: Victorious Noelle carefully slipped her feet out of her flats, wincing slightly as she did and checked for any damage. Thankfully, it was all good. But the redness was enough proof of the discomfort she'd experienced. A quiet sigh of relief escaped her lips. Out of nowhere, a voice broke through her solitude which startled her. "Excuse me."   She immediately looked up to see a man standing in front of her. He was dressed simply, much like herself, in clothes that blended into the crowd rather than drawing attention. His friendly smile made him seem approachable as he held two bottles of cold water in his hands. "Oh, uh, yes?" Noelle responded, a little caught off guard but tried to mask her surprise with a polite tone. The man who was probably around her age, took a step closer and offered one of the bottles. "Would you like some water?" he asked with a genuine smile. Noelle didn't hesitate. She gratefully accepted the bottle with a smile. "Thank you," she said, twisting of