Page 115 of Before We Fell

Thirty-Seven

Noah

Shit!Of course, the first time I saw her, the first time she was in my presence in a way I could talk to her had to be when I was in nothing but my pajama pants and T-shirt.

I ran to my room as soon as she left, threw off my pajamas I’d slept in. Riley was in Oklahoma City for the weekend at one of my parents’ horse competitions. I’d stayed up way too late last night, doing nothing because that was the only thing I did on the weekends other than the occasional round of golf with Ryan and Jordan. We’d become friends, although I still suspected they believed me to be an idiot of massive proportions.

And even golfing with them had grown less fun considering they never hesitated to drop Lauren’s name left and right. And when it was too cold, the drinks at the bar had gone stale.

But moving? Out of state? I couldn’t let that happen.

A host of emotions flooded through me during and after Travis’s trial.

It was the first time I’d seen her parents. Her dad, gray-haired and balding. Her mom, devastated. Yet they’d thrown their support behind their son, fully believing he hadn’t done what he was accused of. In my gut, I suspected they still blamed Lauren.

It was the day the verdict returned that the reality of how big of a fucking moron I’d been slammed into me.

After I hugged my parents, feeling relief coursing through me, stress evaporating and making me feel lighter than I’d possibly been in my entire life except for the moment I’d confessed my love to Lauren, I’d turned to get one last glimpse of Travis before he was hauled away.

And instead, I’d watched his mom, pat his cheek, tell him it’d be okay, they’d keep fighting for him. Travis hadn’t even looked like he cared. He had never shown any emotion. Any remorse. He displayed no guilt at all and as a former defense attorney, I almost felt bad for his public defender. Hell, even I would have had a difficult time getting those charges turned into something less serious. The PD never stood a chance, not with the way his client looked bored out of his skull for the entire five-day trial.

It took two hours for a verdict to be read. A slam-dunk.

But it was that moment where I saw Lauren’s mom, still fighting, still refusing to believe the filth her son had become that had made me see things so clearly.

Lauren might have been born from them, but her DNA wasallshe had from her family.

My dad, the foolish wise man, had been one hundred percent correct all those months ago when he tried to talk to me.

They shared blood, but they weren’t a family. And I was the idiot who refused to see it, even when Lauren came to talk to me.

“No way in fuck is she leaving without letting me have my say,” I grumbled, shoving my feet into slide-on sandals. I took off through the back door, running through our yards.

I didn’t even bother checking to see if she’d locked the door to her house, I gripped the sliding door and flung it open.

It crashed against the doorframe and I stepped in, chest heaving.

My eyes widened as I took in the sight of Tinley. She was standing at the kitchen counter, pouring wine into two glasses. It was eleven in the morning. Lauren rarely drank unless I’d driven her to it with my misery and assholishness.

“Where is she?” I panted. My hands went to my hips.

To my shock, Tinley smiled at me. Who knew what she saw in me. I felt like a caged animal just broken loose. Wild. Unrestrained.

Fuckingfree.

Tinley pointed down the hall. “In the bathroom. And I’ll take your presence as my cue to go.”

Thank God. I didn’t want to have to kick her out, but I would have. I nodded. Words were all jumbled in my throat. Amazing how I could stand in front of jurors and judges. I could state my case plain as day and win them to my side. But matters of the heart?

That was a ball game I continued to strike out at.

“Thank you,” I finally said. My heart was still racing.

Tinley moved slowly from the kitchen counter where she gathered her coat and purse. Like she fully trusted me alone with Lauren. “Be good to her, yeah? If I leave, I’m trusting you to make this right.”

“I will.” I would. I’d been a colossal fuck up. But I hadn’t moved on. The fact Lauren was moving told me the same. I would fight until I salvaged this. I just needed her to give me a shot.

“I’ll believe you if you promise me you’re done being an idiot.”

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