Page 64 of Your Fault

“Areyouhappy to be here?” I asked, trying to roll up the hem.

“Of course I am!” she shouted. “You’re my favorite brother. Didn’t I ever tell you that?”

I laughed. Like she had any other ones to compare me with…!

“No, you never told me that, but you’re my favorite sister, too, so it works out perfectly, no?”

She smiled, and it touched my heart.

“You wanna go on the Ferris wheel?” I asked, and she replied with an enthusiastic, earsplitting “yes!”

The pier was packed with people and their families, and the breaking waves made you want to never leave. The evening was precious. Just as I was about to take out my phone to call Noah again, I heard her. As I looked into the crowd, I saw her smiling from ear to ear. I was sure I was doing the same.

“Hey, Maddie!” Noah called, dazzling as always, capturing the attention of my sister, who ran off toward her.

“Noah!” she shouted, and I laughed watching them. My joy grew even further as I watched Noah bend down, pick her up, and hug her gently.

Maddie had taken to Noah easier than I had thought. Of course, Noah was a joy to be around, but Mad wasn’t easy, I had to admit. I adored her because she was my sister, but she could be curt and a brat: she didn’t get along with everyone, she didn’t like people invading her personal space unless she really trusted them,and if I were honest, she was a little spoiled, like every six-year-old girl whose parents bought her everything. She was my princess of darkness, I liked to say. But Noah adored her and she adored Noah, so there was nothing to worry about.

When I reached them, Noah gave me a strange look, as though she were relieved to see me or something like that. I smiled and pulled her in for a hug, squeezing Maddie between us.

“Noah, let’s all three get on the Ferris wheel!” Maddie kicked her legs back and forth so we’d set her down and took off running toward the rides. Watching her, I wrapped an arm around Noah’s shoulders and kissed her head as we followed.

“You okay?” I asked.

“Of course! Your sister’s gorgeous,” she said, changing the subject.

“Without her two front teeth?” I asked. “It’s taken all the self-control I can muster not to make fun of her, Freckles.”

Noah laughed but said nothing more. She was acting strange, but I decided to let it go for now. We met Maddie at the head of the line and paid for three tickets. She was talking nonstop, recounting all that she and I had done and how she had taken an airplane to get here and how happy she was to be staying with me. Noah followed her, amused, occasionally turning toward me with a grin.

It was chilly, without a cloud in the sky, and the sunset was gorgeous from where we sat. Noah leaned into me, staring out into the ocean and the last glimmers of light. I draped an arm around her and pulled her in closer. She met my eyes and smiled as only she could.

Maddie fell asleep in the car. That was normal: she’d gotten up early and had had a busy day. As I drove along the interstate, withNoah driving her own car beside me, I couldn’t help but think of my conversation with Lion that morning.

He’d called to tell me the races were next Monday. After Noah’s kidnapping, I’d kept my distance from the gang and the streets. I didn’t want any of that to affect my life, especially now that it could endanger my girlfriend and my family. But Lion was Lion, and he lived in that world, and unfortunately, I couldn’t take him out of it, not unless he was willing to change. It’s not that he liked it, but it was quick and easy money, and that’s why he had asked me to go with him and race on his team as we’d always done. I’d offered to lend him money, but Lion was too proud to accept it. I’d agreed to drive with him because I knew he needed the cash and because, apart from last year, there’d never been any problems. I’d always loved cars, and racing at night, in the middle of the desert, with all that adrenaline, that speed, the feel of victory…I loved it.

Noah would kill me if she found out. Jenna had already been dropping hints, and though I thought I had convinced her that I wasn’t mixed up in Lion’s doings, I’d have to do more to get her off my back. Lion swore to me Jenna didn’t know when the races were, and anyway, it would be one and done: we’d go there, race, win, and return home. No problems.

The one thing I could do to clear up any of Noah’s suspicions was hang out with her on the same Monday as the races. We’d have dinner on the other end of town, as far as possible from the track, and then… I’d stand her up. I’d come up with some excuse why I couldn’t help it, and that way I’d know, at least, that she was as far from me as possible, somewhere safe. She’d be furious, but I’d make it up to her when I was back.

Satisfied with my plan, I parked the car, got out, and went to open Noah’s door once she was parked, too.

“Everything okay, Freckles?” I asked, caressing her cheek and pushing her hair out of her face. She’d been quiet all evening, andnow that my sister was asleep, I could pay more attention to her. I noticed she was dressed up.

“I’m tired, that’s all,” she said, getting out without even looking at me.

“What did I do this time, Noah?” I asked, mentally analyzing everything I’d said and done since we’d met each other on the pier.

She grinned. That calmed me down slightly.

“Nothing, silly,” she said, and I relaxed further when she turned and stood on her tiptoes to kiss me. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her in. Her kiss was soft; mine was hard: my tongue opened her lips and tasted her with delight. She didn’t hold back, but she seemed distracted.

I pulled back to look at her. “You’re hiding something, and I’m going to find out what it is,” I said, half joking.

I opened the back door and smiled like an idiot looking at that gorgeous little girl asleep next to her dreadful stuffed rabbit. I unbuttoned her seat belt and picked her up. Then I went around to the trunk, pulled out her tiny suitcase, and, with Noah at my side, took the elevator up to my apartment.

I didn’t want to wake Maddie up, so I took her straight to bed.

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