Page 104 of Catching My Dreams

His hand tightened around the strap of his gym bag at the reminder of how few friends he had left.

“What do you want, Riley?” he asked, his voice lacking the usual warmth he spoke to his stepsister with.

“I want you to tell me why you broke up with Ella,” she replied, her tone challenging rather than hurt.

Noah sighed. “Like I said, I couldn’t deal with the drama on top of everything else going on in my life.”

She shook her head before he was done speaking. “No. I want you to give me the real reason. Not that bullshit excuse.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, his words sharp and cold.

“I know you, Noah,” Riley said, her eyes narrowed on him mercilessly. “You’re not the kind of guy who breaks up with a girl because she’s got struggles. And you’re certainly not dumb enough to break up with someone you’re completely in love with for something as petty as what you’re saying.”

“It’s not petty to break up with someone because they’re self-centered,” he retorted, the words tasting vile and untrue on his tongue.

Riley scoffed. “Oh, please. You don’t think Ella’s self-centered.”

He lifted his brow. “Do you not remember how I treated her when Asher was missing?”

She scowled. “I remember you being an absolute ass just fine, but I know you don’t think she’s selfish anymore. You never would have started dating her otherwise.”

She was right, but Noah couldn’t tell her that. No matter how much he wanted to. “Look, Ella and I are done. It’s over. End of story. Nothing you say will change that, so there’s no reason to talk to me about it.”

“So you don’t care that she and Archie have been staying at the pool house with me for the last two days?” Riley asked, her gaze far too knowing.

Noah gulped. “No,” he lied, his voice tight.

He wanted to ask her why. He wanted to ask her if Ella was too scared to stay at her house alone. He wanted to ask a million questions about Ella, but he couldn’t because, for all he knew, Brett was standing right next to them, listening to their every word.

Riley rolled her eyes. “Sure, because that sounded convincing.”

“I need to go,” he said, refusing to engage with her further when it was clear she didn’t want to believe anything he was saying.

He moved to walk around her, but she shot her arm out in front of him. He turned to her with an impatient sigh.

She pursed her lips together. “You know, at first, I thought maybe you were that much of a dick, but I’m not buying it. You love Ella. I know you do.”

She spoke with conviction, with certainty, and Noah didn’t know if he felt relieved or scared that someone was seeing through his lies.

“And this morning, I realized something. What would force a guy to break up with a girl he’s in love with?” she mused. “Maybe he felt like he didn’t have any other choice. Maybe he was threatened. Maybe,” she continued, her gaze softening, “he had to.”

Noah’s heart was pounding loudly in his ears, his palms growing damp with sweat. He didn’t know how, but his stepsister had figured it out. He should have felt happy, less alone, but all he felt was fear.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he hissed out in a whisper as panic swelled in his chest.

“We’re alone if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“What?”

Riley gestured to their surroundings with a circle of her finger. “Brett isn’t here. If he was, I’d be able to sense him.”

Noah swallowed. “You need to leave this alone,” he told her, keeping his voice low despite her promise that it was just the two of them.

“What did he threaten you with?” Riley asked, matching his volume. “We can help you,” she pressed when he didn’t answer the question.

“Who have you told?” he demanded to know. “Did you tell anyone else about your suspicions?”

“No one,” she assured him.

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