Page 123 of Chasing Infinity

“Of course not, but listen to me well, Noah. No one can bring down a McCoy, you understand? No matter who it is, they won’t be able to beat me. Take the Parks’ as an example. I willalwayswin. I’ve been doing this far too long not to succeed at this game.”

My body trembles as I stand there, and there’s nothing that I want more than to launch at him and punch that smug expression off of his face, but somehow I restrain myself.

“And now I’m just supposed to live with that?”

My father stares down at me cooly, and then suddenly, it’s as if he has a realization. Disappointment flashes over his face, and he sighs resignedly. “You’re really giving me no choice here, Noah.”

“What are you—?”

“I think it would be best if you leave.”

He takes me off guard, and I stand there gaping at him. “We’re not done talking.”

“You misunderstand me,” he says, his voice ominous. “I want you to leave town and don’t come back.”

“That’s ridiculous. I can’t just leave.”

My father stands and takes a step towards me, the features of his face hardening into a stormy expression. “You’ll find a way. This is for the best. I realize now that you’ll never be able to conveniently forget what you think happened. I can’t have you trying to undermine me every chance you get. I believe this is the best option for everyone.”

“And how’s that?”

“Because I know what’s most important to you. And I’ll be frank, it would take nothing for me to finish the job,” he says, snapping his fingers. “It would be that easy.”

My stomach churns, and I want to vomit right on his shiny black shoes. “You would hurt Addison?”

“Is that what it will take for you to understand the point I’m trying to convey?” He questions right back, seemingly unbothered about the subject matter as if we were discussing something meaningless, like the weather. “If so, then I suppose I would.”

“So now you expect me to what, just leave Willow Heights and go on as if my life here never happened? As if you didn’t run me out of my town and take everything from the girl I love?”

“Honestly, I think this is the best option. Leave, mind your own damn business, and no harm will come to your little girlfriend. You might think you have the upper hand here, but you couldn’t be more wrong. You step one foot out of line, and I’ll know, and it will all be over. Do you understand me? It’s best if you just cut your losses and leave.”

My jaw goes slack. I can’t believe what I’m hearing right now. My ownfatheris running me out of town because he doesn’t want me stirring up trouble. Suddenly the world shifts underneath my feet, and I wonder if I will collapse from it all. If I stay, then I’m putting Addison in direct harm. I don’t know if I’ll ever see her again if I leave.

I weigh my options quickly in my head and finally conclude that I can’t win here. This is a lose-lose situation. But at the heart of it, I only have one option. I have to do as he says because anything happening to Addison would destroy me. Her safety is more important than my selfish desires.

“Fine,” I finally say. “I’ll go. But you mustswearthat nothing will happen to Addison if I do.”

My father holds my gaze steadily. “I’m a man of my word, Noah.”

“Swear it.”

“Fine. I swear, no harm will come to your little girlfriend.”

“Alright,” I say. I stare at him for another beat and then excuse myself from his office.

My body is heavy as I go to my bedroom to start packing. I can’t help but feel like I’ve just made a deal with the devil. I’ll probably regret this, but now I have no other choice.

I pass my mother in the hallway, and she gives me a concerned look as I breeze past her. “Noah? What’s going on?”

“I need to leave,” I say, and my mother tenses next to me. As I walk into my bedroom, I go over to my dresser and yank open the drawers, pulling all my shirts and pants out and tossing them onto the bed before finding a duffle bag in my closet.

“What? What are you doing? Stop that.” she argues, trying to grab the pair of jeans I’m stuffing into the bag.

“I’m leaving. He told me to get the hell out of town and never come back. And he didn’t hesitate to use her as leverage to get his point across.”

“Noah, I’m not sure if that’s—”

“No,” I say firmly, standing up straight and scrubbing my hands over my face. I’m sure I look like a deranged animal, and honestly, that’s how I feel inside. “Hethreatenedher, Mom. So if this is what needs to happen to keep her safe, then so be it. I can’t let him hurt her any more than he has already.”

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