Page 81 of Until Then

I’m surrounded. Endless questions and chatter fill my head.

There’s a sinking sort of weight in my gut.

I screwed up. Bad.

It’s crushing.

It’s too much.

It’s not long before the murky thoughts swallow me whole.

TWENTY-FOUR

Hayley

Noah is all over the internet. Adaline has sent me two different angles of the moment my boyfriend struck Shane in the jaw.

Justin and Milton drove us through the night. Nearly nineteen hours in the truck and my body aches, but my mind won’t stop reeling. It took at least five hours to get a message from Rees. Once their first show ended in New York, I’m certain he was filled into the uproar online involving his brother.

I don’t know what’s going on. Everyone has a different opinion, but one thing is obvious to me—Shane put hands on Noah first.

The worst piece of everything is his phone is still off. No messages. No calls. Noah seems to have shut himself away from the world.

For a moment I thought there was a hint of him through a post on his social media pages, but in the end it was a statement written by a woman named Kim, some assistant to his manager or something.

A simple statement, vague and professional:

The incident earlier today is regrettable. A full investigation will be conducted, but until then we ask forprivacy for Noah and his family. He would like to apologize to anyone he disappointed by his actions, and does not condone violence.

It doesn’t sound like Noah.

I blow out a rough breath and watch the buildings fly past as we weave toward the shore.

My phone won’t stop going off.

Carter: Still no luck?

Me: No. His phone’s off. I’m on the way to his place now.

Carter: Good. Keep me updated. Hayley, Noah would’ve only done that to defend someone. Since you said that jerk is your dad, I’m guessing it was something about you.

Me: Are you trying to talk me into staying with him? Because trust me, that’s not an issue.

Carter: Good.

Briar: Tyrell is on the phone with the studios. We told them what we can assume about the situation, girl.

Me: He’s not going to lose his place in the show, right?

Tears burn in my eyes. Shane Holston is not a nobody in L.A. He’s a big somebody, and he’s a man who doesn’t like to be challenged. He’ll come for Noah, and if he loses his career over this . . .

I can’t go there.

I need to speak with him, hear his side.

Briar: Ty’s the showrunner. He’s going to do all he can to stand against anyone who tries to boot Noah. We’ve got his back, Haze.

Mom: Anything yet?

---