Page 88 of Before We Were

"Go ahead," she says with a wink that says she sees right through me.

In my mind, I can already see it—Nora's safe haven, a space away from whatever demons are chasing her. The image solidifies something in me, a purpose taking root. After today, feeling her shake against me, seeing that raw fear in her eyes—I'd do anything to keep her safe.

But just as that thought starts to settle, my phone buzzes, the sound sharp and intrusive in the quiet night air. My stomach drops when I see Monty's name on the screen.

I stand abruptly, muttering about needing to handle something. Mom doesn't push, just nods with that infinite patience of hers, but I'm already moving, seeking refuge on the dock where the air feels cleaner, though it does little to calm the anxiety building inside me.

The message stares back at me.

Monty

Your debt just tripled, Preppy. Don't make me ask again.

I close my eyes, one hand coming up to rub the tension gathering at the back of my neck as the weight of my mess crashes down on me. Drug money, Monty, Nora, and all the things she knows nothing about. It's like walking a tightrope over a canyon, knowing one wrong step could send everything crashing down.

Then Jay's message cuts through.

Jay

Can we meet tomorrow? Freaking the fuck out here, man.

The text stirs something in me. Jay's the only one who truly gets the shit storm I'm in—the kind that tears through families like a tornado, leaving nothing but wreckage behind. I still remember the day I met him, just a kid dealing with a runaway dad and a mom drowning in her own struggles. When diabetes hit her hard and money was tight, she turned to the worst kind of help—men who paid in pills instead of cash.

The night Jay broke down and told me everything, I stepped in without hesitation, covering his mom's medical bills. He was a good kid that was dealt a fucked up hand, and even though what I did wasn't much, to him it meant everything. Now, a year later, we're still caught in each other's shit, pulling each other out of the fires I seem to keep starting. Getting him tangled in my mess with Monty was a mistake that haunts me daily. It tears me up knowing he's losing sleep over my fuck-ups, especially now that Monty knows about my family's stake in half the county.

I'm slowly starting to realise there might be no clean way out of this.

Standing here on the dock, watching the ripple across the water, I skip another stone, letting it dance across the surface. Each bounce creates perfect circles that expand outward, intersecting and fading like the memories I'm trying to process. The stone eventually sinks, disappearing beneath the darkening water, but the ripples continue their journey to the shore, touching everything in their path. Just like my choices, affecting us all, whether I want them to or not. I'm drowning in questions with no answers.

How do I claw my way out of this without dragging Jay—or anyone else—down with me?

The day offers no solutions, just the quiet sound of water lapping against wood and the weight of decisions I can't undo. After the weight of the day's revelations, I need to clear my head. I grab my old skateboard—a relic from simpler times—and lose myself in the rhythm of wheels against pavement until the sunset paints the sky in shades of amber and rose.

Coming home to the sounds of post-dinner cleanup and video games feels surreal, like walking between two worlds. Kat mentions Nora's been sleeping since the afternoon, and as I pass her closed door, concern twists in my gut. But I keep moving, retreating to my room where the darkness matches my mood.

It's11 PM when my phone lights up the darkness with a text.

Nora

Awake?

My heart slams against my ribs, her two syllables enough to send electricity through my veins. The darkness envelops me, broken only by the soft blue glow of the screen.

Me

Yeah.

I swing my legs over the bed, sitting there in my boxers, every nerve ending alive with anticipation. Her next message makes my pulse jump.

Nora

I need to get out of this house.

Relief floods through me like a shot of pure adrenaline. Ridiculous how a few words from her can still do this to me after all these years.

Me

Wanna go for a drive?

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