Page 45 of North

North.

My stomach clenched. The mere thought of him sent nausea rolling through me.

I shook my head, forcing myself to take a small bite of pancake. It tasted like nothing.

Evie stayed quiet for a moment, then said, “You mentioned North.”

The fork slipped from my fingers, clattering against the plate.

Evie noticed.

“What did he do?” she asked, her voice steady but laced with anger. Not at me. No, not when she’d followed me to my bedroom and helped me into bed last night. I’d been in tears, barely able to function, and she’d acted like she knew me. Like she was my friend.

Unlike Summer.

Unlike North.

I swallowed hard, my throat tight and burning. The memories from last night hit me like a wrecking ball. The way he touched me. The way he made me feel wanted and needed. And then—the laughter. The jeering voices. My own fucking voice, playing over and over again for everyone to hear.

I felt sick.

I pressed my fingers to my temples, squeezing my eyes shut. “It was a setup,” I whispered. “All of it. He—” My voice cracked. “He recorded us. He let them all hear it. He—”

The words died in my throat, but Evie didn’t need me to finish. Her coffee cup hit the table with a dull thud, her jaw tightening, her knuckles white where they gripped the handle.

“He did what?”

The words were sharp, barely restrained. Her fury radiated from across the table, making my chest tighten. “He humiliated me in front of everyone,” I said, my voice barely more than a whisper. “North recorded us together, and he played it in front of everyone at Victor’s party. I came out of the room, and they were laughing. Everyone was laughing, Evie. And he… he just left me there.”

The tears I thought I’d exhausted last night came back with a vengeance. I gritted my teeth, forcing them back, but my breath hitched anyway.

Evie exhaled through her nose, long and slow, like she was trying to hold herself together. When she spoke again, her voice was low and lethal. “That bastard.”

I stared at her, surprised by the venom in her tone. “You’re not… defending him?”

Her head snapped up, her eyes burning into mine. “Why the hell would I defend him? What he did was disgusting. I don’t care if he’s my brother—he had no right to treat you like that.”

I blinked at her, disoriented. This wasn’t how I expected this conversation to go. I thought she’d brush it off. Tell me it wasn’t that bad, that North was just being North. But instead, she was looking at me with something close to protective rage.

She stood abruptly, pacing the length of the kitchen, running a hand through her sleek brown hair. “I can’t believe him. He’s always been selfish, but this?” She scoffed. “This is low, even for him.”

Something inside me cracked. “You believe me?” My tone was laced with a mixture of relief and suspicion. “Why the hell would you believe me over your own brother?”

“Of course. I know you.” Evie stopped pacing, her expression softening just enough. “And yes, I do believe you. Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because everyone thinks my father’s a murderer,” I laughed, the sound derisive.

“What your father did has nothing to do with you.” She hesitated, then walked over, placing a hand on my shoulder. “And if North and his friends concocted some stupid ass scheme to get back at you for it, then I’m going to kill him. No one deserves that, Quinn. Especially not you.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I wasn’t sure why. Maybe because no one had ever said them to me before. Maybe because, for once, I didn’t feel alone in this.

She squeezed my shoulder, her grip firm. “You’re not alone in this. He doesn’t get to win.”

I swallowed hard, nodding. “So… what do we do?”

Evie’s lips curled into something dark, something determined. “We’re going to visit an old friend.”

Chapter 17

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