Page 175 of Chasing Infinity

“Oh,” I say. “Is that a good thing?”

Noah scrubs his hand against his face again, then shoots me a hesitant smile. “I guess I’ll find out next week.”

A heavy silence falls over us. I can’t help but wish that we could have a normal life. A life without all the drama of whatever the hell is going on with Noah’s father and a life where we could be free to be together. We have gone through so much at this point that a happy ending seems so far-fetched. I often wonder if it will ever end or if we’re destined to live this way for the rest of our lives.

Finally, after what feels like another few hours, Noah extracts himself from our embrace. I look at him questioningly, and he smirks. “I thought we could go back up to the main house and see if my mom made anything for dinner. I’m famished.”

I chuckle but nod my head, removing myself from the cozy confines of the bed and finding my shoes. As soon as we’ve got what we need, we walk hand in hand back to Catherine’s house. The minute we walk through the door, I’m hit with the smell of home-style food, and my stomach grumbles.

We go into the kitchen, where Noah’s mother is just pulling the casserole pans out of the oven. She glances up as we enter, and her face lights up. She finishes getting everything together and then instructs us to take a seat. A few women join us, each finding their place at the table as Catherine walks around and serves the casseroles.

The meal is quiet, aside from Catherine’s questions, trying to get the conversation going. As soon as the women are finished eating, they disappear, quietly thanking Catherine for the meal.

“Noah?” a soft, timid voice asks, pulling Noah’s attention away from his almost empty plate. A woman is standing next to him, looking between the two of us sheepishly. “I was wondering if I could speak to you about something?”

I observe the woman. She has ebony black hair that falls around her shoulders. She’s tall and lanky, her frame thin. Noah glances at me as if asking for permission. I nod, and he gets up, ushering the woman off to the other side of the room where they can talk.

Catherine and I still sit together at the table. I can see Noah and the woman on the other end of the living room, sitting together on the couch. Noah leans toward the woman, still allowing plenty of space between them as he speaks with her. She listens to him raptly, every once in a while brushing a hand up to her cheek to wipe away a tear. I’m not sure what Noah’s saying to her, but deep down, I know he’s trying his best to assure her of something. The gentleness on his face and the way his lips form his words tell me that he’s speaking to her with honesty.

Catherine watches Noah with a proud expression on her face. The way she holds herself is regal; her head held high, shoulders squared. Her bright blue eyes are piercing but kind. She watches everything with a sharp gaze, not missing a thing. “I think he enjoys working with them, the women,” she muses. “He’s got such a protective soul.”

I nod my head in agreement and take a sip of my water. I am curious. I’ll have to ask Noah how involved he is in his mother’s work. I could easily see him finding solace in helping the survivors of his father’s operation get their lives back.

“He told me about what’s been going on back in Willow Heights,” Catherine says, looking over at me. I furrow my brow at her, unsure what she means. “About the girls who have gone missing near town,” she clarifies.

Oh. “He seems to think that Declan is behind it, trying to send him a message,” I tell her.

“And you don’t?”

I raise an eyebrow now and look down at my lap for a second. “I don’t know, it seems far fetched. I don’t see him as someone who would risk his power just to make a point.”

Catherine laughs lightly and looks away. “Then I’m afraid you don’t know my former husband well at all.”

“What do you mean?”

She takes a moment to gather her thoughts. “Declan thrives on the mind games. His business involves the entire North East, including New York City, Boston, and Philly. You mentioned power, which was a valid point but I’ll turn it back around on you.Whywouldhe risk picking up his next victims so close to home, when he has so many other options, if it weren’t to prove a point?”

“Should I be worried he’s going to come after me if Noah doesn’t comply to his terms?” I ask, my heart tightening in my chest. “Am I crazy for not being worried? I feel like if he is that much of a threat he would have done something by now.”

Catherine sighs. “I can’t pretend to know what Declan’s plans are, but I can confidently advise you not to underestimate him. It’s all part of the game to him. He gave Noah an ultimatum, Noah didn’t abide, and now Declan is serving the consequences of that choice.”

“How are you still so—” I pause and shake my head, “—okay with all of this?”

“I’m not,” she says, turning her searing blue gaze on me. “The thought of anything happening to Noah because of Declan makes me—“ now she pauses and catches her breath. “It keeps me up at night, let’s leave it at that.”

I don’t say anything else to that. In the rush of everything happening today I forgot that this is Noah’smother.

Catherine clears her throat, bringing my attention back to her. “Noah said he brought you here to help close some of the gaps, to give you answers to things he couldn’t rely on words to explain. Just trust that my son will do everything in his power to keep you safe. He’ll stop at nothing to protect the ones he loves.”

“I just am so confused,” I admit. “How did it come to this?”

“Power has a way of turning even the best people into villains,” Catherine says. “Declan wasn’t always this man, but it is who he is now.”

“What am I supposed to do with all of this?” I ask her, my voice coming out helpless. “I have responsibilities and things I can’t run from. I’m not someone who runs away when the going gets tough.”

“I’m afraid I can’t answer that for you. But you’re right, you are a strong woman. No matter what obstacle you face I know you’ll be capable of coming out on top,” she says, smiling at me. I press my lips together, feeling for the first time in forever what it’s like to have a mother’s approval.

My chest aches as I lean back in my chair, glancing back over at Noah who is still in rapt conversation with one of the women. He’s leaning toward her, speaking low. Her eyes are focused on him, absorbing everything he’s saying to her.

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