Page 149 of Fraternizing with the Enemy
“But you could keep them from playing.”
Noah shrugged. “They have, what, five games left this season? Let’s be honest, they’re not talented enough to be scouted, anyway.” To that, he smirked. “I appreciate the offer, though. It’s just… bringing it back up also brings back up what I did, you know? And I’d rather just let sleeping dogs lie.”
“What you did?”
“The whole thing with the bribe. You know that part, too, right?”
I frowned. “I thought they asked Logan to take the bribe.”
Noah stilled. “What?”
“Yeah, Logan said that they tried to offer him money, he said no, and broke your leg in retaliation.”
“They offeredmemoney,” Noah corrected, still seeming stunned. “Like, a half hour before the gamestarted. Paid me to fumble a few times, miss a pass, that sort of thing. But they—they went to Logan before that?”
“Yeah, I think he said they’d gone to him the day before the game.”My fingers slid a little on my coffee, the gears in my mind turning along with his. “Wait, so youdidaccept the bribe?” Logan had said they’d told him he was easier to bribe than Noah.
“Yeah, c’mon. It wasthree hundred bucks.”
Well, I mean.Fair.“Logan never said?Younever told Logan?”
“He—I always thought he knew. When—when he said Jade threatened to frame him for a bribe last year, I thought that meant he—” Noah broke off with a swear, letting his head hit the seat of the booth as his eyebrows screwed together. “Always freaking keeping everything to himself.”
My chest ached. “Mr. I Can Handle It.”
Noah reached up and pressed his fingers into his eyes. “When he said Jade threatened him about the bribe, I thought he knew. I didn’t know they’d tried offering him money first. So that means this entire time he was just—God, he probably just thought it was all his fault.Idiot.”
I could hear the frustration in Noah’s voice, and the affection. The two twined around each other, alongside a third emotion—guilt. Even though he was usually so hard to read, I understood him perfectly in that moment, because they were the same emotions I’d felt.He probably just thought it was all his fault.“I think we’re all… idiots.”
“Amen.” Noah’s hands dropped into his lap, but the pained look on his face didn’t fade. “I screwed myself over, Logan made a deal with the devil, and you… well. You cut out all your toxic friends. I’d say you’re the sanest among us.”
“I’m healing my idiocy.”
Noah snorted a little, borderline a laugh. “I appreciate the apology, though. And the offer to right the wrongs and everything. Now I have a long overdue chat with Logan, too.”
That was where I was an idiot, still. My long overdue chat.
“I’m sorry for not giving you a fair shake,” Noah went on. “It was childish, honestly.”
“My friendsbrokeyourleg. I get it.”
The door to Expresso’s opened then, the bell chiming the announcement of the newcomer. “I’ll be right with you,” Noah called to them, rising from the booth with a little sigh. He turned to me one final time. “They’re performingRomeo and Juliettomorrow at Jefferson.”
I sucked in a breath. “That’s tomorrow?”
“Yep. Hypothetically, if you tell the ticket collector you’re Noah Park’s plus one, you’d get in for free.”
Going to the Jefferson play? Seeing Logan there, after everything? The idea was terrifying.
Noah didn’t wait for me to try and form an answer. He glanced at the counter, where the customer was still looking over the menu, and gave me a little nod. He started to walk away.
“I’m not mad at him,” I called to him, not knowing why I felt the need to say it. “Logan. It’s not him.”
“Believe me, I get it.” Noah nodded again, this time like he was bobbing his head to his thoughts more than to me. “But when you forgive yourself, and if you ever think about calling him, just know he’ll pick up on thefirst ring.”
And with that, Noah turned around and headed to the counter. I looked down at my iced coffee, at the melting cubes inside the soft brown liquid.When you forgive yourself. It wasn’t until that singular moment, with those words echoing in my head, that I realized that that was what I needed. To forgive myself.
Apparently, just as I’d understood a bit more of Noah, he’d understood a lot more of me, too. And it made me smile.
