it in the palm of her hand. It reminded me of the bracelets that Noah wore except the pearls were pea-sized and white with a hint of pink swirling over the smooth surface. The braided leather made a small circle, tiny in her palm. Baby-sized. I felt a tight squeeze of my heart.
“Noah made it,” she said, running a finger over each pearl as though it was a precious treasure, and I supposed it was. “This was the second one he made. We buried her in the first one.”
A lump formed in my throat and I blinked, barely able to staunch the tears.
“He made this one for me as a keepsake.”
“It’s beautiful,” I said. I thought about Noah’s big hands, the patience it must have taken to create something so delicate and feminine.
Her fingers closed around the keepsake, holding it tight before she put it back in the jewelry box. She closed the lid, putting an end to the tune and a heavy silence took its place. When Erin turned around to face me, it was as if she had closed the lid on her grief too.
“Noah’s like a brother to me.” Her eyes took on a dark edge, the wistful tone of a few seconds ago gone, replaced with a warning. “I don’t want to see him hurt anymore.”
“I don’t blame you.” I felt my defenses rise. I didn’t want to see him hurt anymore either. The thought of anyone hurting Noah set my teeth on edge. “But why are you warning me? This is kind of a warning, isn’t it? He doesn’t even like me, if you hadn’t noticed.”
“I’ve noticed,” she said with a huff of laughter as though she disagreed. “He sure didn’t come here tonight to see me.”
I became lost in the implications of that thought and decided there was no way it was even true. He would have had no way to know I was even here.
“Listen, Caris,” she said, forcing me out of my interlude. “All I’m saying is, with Noah, be careful. His is a complicated life.”
Now it was my turn to huff. “Trust me, I’m not looking for complications.” I had enough of those, half of which I didn’t even understand.
And I didn’t feel much like a party anymore especially after what Erin had shared with me. “Thanks Erin for, you know, sharing. You don’t even really know me all that well and…” I shrugged, at a loss for words. “I’m sorry.”
“Thanks. You would have heard about it anyway. Plus, Noah likes you.”
I followed her back down the stairs, prepared to duck out the front door instead of going back out to the party. “I think you’re reading this one all wrong. I’m pretty sure he hates me.”
“Well,” she turned on me when she got to the bottom of the steps, a speculative gleam in her eyes like she had devised some master plan to prove me wrong, “let’s put my theory to the test. I know he’ll be at work tomorrow, so why don’t you come around noon and hang with me and Ally. You can eat lunch with us. Unless you have other stuff to do.”
Oh, yeah. I had so much to do. “Maybe,” I said as she let me out the front door, ignoring the thrill I felt at the thought if seeing Noah again.
My bike was parked next to the garage and I hadn’t bothered to lock it up. In this neighborhood, I didn’t feel the need to. As I passed by a certain black Range Rover on my way out of the driveway, I caught sight of a golden tail still hanging from the mirror. My hands tightened on my handlebars and I skidded to a stop. The street was empty. I didn’t see anyone walking around the house from the back. If I did this, I would have to hurry before I lost my nerve. I had never stolen anything before. Not that I considered this stealing. I just hoped Jax was the type to leave his car unlocked. I rolled my eyes heavenward when the door opened and no alarm went off. The interior still had a new car smell, and I quickly unwound Noah’s hair.
“Dumbass,” I muttered when I saw Jax’s wallet on the seat. I was back on my bike in less than thirty seconds with my stolen booty and a goofy grin on my
“Noah made it,” she said, running a finger over each pearl as though it was a precious treasure, and I supposed it was. “This was the second one he made. We buried her in the first one.”
A lump formed in my throat and I blinked, barely able to staunch the tears.
“He made this one for me as a keepsake.”
“It’s beautiful,” I said. I thought about Noah’s big hands, the patience it must have taken to create something so delicate and feminine.
Her fingers closed around the keepsake, holding it tight before she put it back in the jewelry box. She closed the lid, putting an end to the tune and a heavy silence took its place. When Erin turned around to face me, it was as if she had closed the lid on her grief too.
“Noah’s like a brother to me.” Her eyes took on a dark edge, the wistful tone of a few seconds ago gone, replaced with a warning. “I don’t want to see him hurt anymore.”
“I don’t blame you.” I felt my defenses rise. I didn’t want to see him hurt anymore either. The thought of anyone hurting Noah set my teeth on edge. “But why are you warning me? This is kind of a warning, isn’t it? He doesn’t even like me, if you hadn’t noticed.”
“I’ve noticed,” she said with a huff of laughter as though she disagreed. “He sure didn’t come here tonight to see me.”
I became lost in the implications of that thought and decided there was no way it was even true. He would have had no way to know I was even here.
“Listen, Caris,” she said, forcing me out of my interlude. “All I’m saying is, with Noah, be careful. His is a complicated life.”
Now it was my turn to huff. “Trust me, I’m not looking for complications.” I had enough of those, half of which I didn’t even understand.
And I didn’t feel much like a party anymore especially after what Erin had shared with me. “Thanks Erin for, you know, sharing. You don’t even really know me all that well and…” I shrugged, at a loss for words. “I’m sorry.”
“Thanks. You would have heard about it anyway. Plus, Noah likes you.”
I followed her back down the stairs, prepared to duck out the front door instead of going back out to the party. “I think you’re reading this one all wrong. I’m pretty sure he hates me.”
“Well,” she turned on me when she got to the bottom of the steps, a speculative gleam in her eyes like she had devised some master plan to prove me wrong, “let’s put my theory to the test. I know he’ll be at work tomorrow, so why don’t you come around noon and hang with me and Ally. You can eat lunch with us. Unless you have other stuff to do.”
Oh, yeah. I had so much to do. “Maybe,” I said as she let me out the front door, ignoring the thrill I felt at the thought if seeing Noah again.
My bike was parked next to the garage and I hadn’t bothered to lock it up. In this neighborhood, I didn’t feel the need to. As I passed by a certain black Range Rover on my way out of the driveway, I caught sight of a golden tail still hanging from the mirror. My hands tightened on my handlebars and I skidded to a stop. The street was empty. I didn’t see anyone walking around the house from the back. If I did this, I would have to hurry before I lost my nerve. I had never stolen anything before. Not that I considered this stealing. I just hoped Jax was the type to leave his car unlocked. I rolled my eyes heavenward when the door opened and no alarm went off. The interior still had a new car smell, and I quickly unwound Noah’s hair.
“Dumbass,” I muttered when I saw Jax’s wallet on the seat. I was back on my bike in less than thirty seconds with my stolen booty and a goofy grin on my
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