Page 26 of Under the Lies

He mulls over the words, a curious expression on his face. The intensity of the stare has me shifting in my seat. “I’m starting to see that.”

I don’t like how it feels as if he’s stripping me away piece by piece.

“What’re you doing here, Noah?”

“I came to see you,” he says it like it should be obvious.

“Why?” I ignore the thrill that shoots through me.

“We have unfinished business.”

My mind immediately goes to the roof. To the night I can’t get out of my head. “We do?”

Is it naive to think maybe he did feel something akin to what I did?

“Your sister is still gone.”

Apparently yes, it is.

Of course it’s about Harlow. That’s the only tie knotting Noah and me together. “I’ve already told you, Noah. I don’t know where my sister is.”

He doesn’t believe me. I see the disbelief in his hard face.

“I can promise you, whatever you think I know, I don’t.” My arms wrap around my waist.

“Just tell me what you know. It could be important.”

I stare at him. “Why?”

“Because your sister took something important from me and I need to get it back.”

“What is it?”

He tsks. “That’s not how this game works, Sayer.”

My head tilts in response. “I didn’t know we were playing a game. I thought you were here to disrupt my study time.”

“Just tell me what you know.”

“Why?”

“Why are you protecting her?” Add another emotion I bring out in Noah to the list. Frustration.

“Because I’m having fun riling you up.” I smile, feeling bold.

“That so?” His jaw ticks.

Almost in slow motion, Noah leans over the table, dropping a neatly folded piece of paper on top of my notebook.

He watches me expectantly when I don’t make a move to grab it.

“What’s that?” I ask, even though I have a pretty strong inclination.

“You have hands. Use them.” Noah leans back in his seat.

I press my lips into a thin line, keeping the words that I want to spit out at bay. “The last time I opened one of those from you, I almost fell off the roof. I don’t want a repeat of that.”

“It’s not a dare.” A pause. “Well, not exactly.”

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