Page 2 of Finding Noah
I had a vague thought of fingerprints, but quickly dismissed that thought. No way was I taking this to the police. I should be thanking the anonymous photographer—not giving the police the evidence to arrest the man, or woman, who had lifted the veil from my eyes.
Who had destroyed my happiness.
Whatever. Move on.
My best friend tucked the envelope into his messenger bag and plopped next to me on the stoop. “I won’t ask you if you’re okay, because clearly, you’re not. Nor should you be. That sucks.”
“Thatfuckingsucks.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, that too.” He didn’t swear, so he didn’t repeat my words. He slung an arm over my shoulder and pulled me close.
I went willingly—reveling in his strength. He only had a couple of inches on me, but he was a big, broad guy. If he had more padding and less muscle, he could pass for a teddy bear. He definitely had the temperament for one. Unlike me, who could be…sharp. I was muscular and slender. That made me more angles and fewer curves.
“What are you going to do?” He rubbed my shoulder.
“I should confront him, right? And then I should dump his ass, right? And then…” I floundered. Then I sighed, which turned into a sob. “I live in his apartment, for fuck’s sake. So, either I move back in with Mom—and the charmer who’s there now—or I try to find a place of my own. In this town?” My voice broke on that as well.
The factory, the main employer in town, had recently gone on a hiring spree. People from all over the state—and even beyond—came for the jobs. Not great jobs, but—given the economy—any job wasappreciated. The newcomers had snapped up every rental and cheap house in town.
Mom worked for the factory, and she had a nice, two-bedroom apartment. Which was great when we were just the two of us. But became super crowded when one of her skeezy boyfriends was living with us. More frequently, of late—which was why I’d moved in with Leroy. “Why, Christian? Why did he cheat? Why was I not enough? Why am I never enough?” For my dad, who took off. For my mom, who is always looking for the nextoneto fill up the empty well inside her soul. For, apparently, Leroy.
“That’s above my paygrade.” Christian tipped my chin up so our gazes met. “Only you can figure out stuff like that, Noah. Or you can see a therapist to work through your issues.”
I thought he was kidding, but seriousness radiated from those soft-green eyes.
He smiled. A little wistful. A little melancholy. All empathy. “Look, if you could do anything, go anywhere, what would you do?”
I blinked. The answer sure as shit wasn’t to move back in with my mother and live in this factory town for the rest of my life. I worked as a teller in the bank, but I was still tied to the factory’s fortunes—whether I liked it or not. I took a deep breath. “I’d move to Foggy Basin in California and start a dog-training business.”
“Why Foggy Basin?”
“Because I read this tourist brochure and it sounds amazing. Small town, friendly, and in Northern California. Nice climate. I guess…” I hesitated. What was I trying to say? “Fresh start, you know? On the other side of the country.”
Christian smiled. “Then let’s do it.”
“What?”
“Let’s do it. We can pack up and go. Do you have to give two weeks’ notice at the bank?”
“They owe me two weeks’ vacation. I could just take it and not come back.” Again, I blinked. “We? You’d come with me?”
“Yes, us together. Absolutely. Get away from this place. I’m not needed here. Every time the Frankstons see me, they’re embarrassed. And Laura can’t come home and hold her head high because I’m still here. If I go, then she can come home.”
Laura was Christian’s ex-fiancée. The woman who’d broken his heart. Yet, in this moment, he only thought of her and her comfort with being able to show her face in town after what she’d done to him.
Personally, I was tempted to put the photos of Leroy cheating on me all over the internet. Hell, the town square as well. Except I didn’t want pity and, to my surprise, I didn’t recognize the other dude who was getting ass fucked by my soon-to-be ex. I could accidentally ruin some rando’s life. That wasn’t me. Taking down a creepoid ex? Sure. Destroying someone I didn’t know? Wasn’t in me. “Together?”
“Yep. You and me. I’ll get a retail job, and you can do your dog stuff. We’ll split the bills.” He offered the grin women often swooned over.
I’d thought Laura was one of Christian’s admirers. Clearly, I’d been wrong.
“Just like that?” This felt way too easy.
“Dad’s going to blow a gasket if I tell him I’m quitting, so I vote we just pack our cars and go.”
For the umpteenth time, I blinked. “We can’t just pick up and drive across…” I squinted, bringing a map of the States in my mind. “Six? Seven states?”
“Seven,” he confirmed. “If we go that way.”
