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“No other comments,” Mik tells one, a soft smile on her face. She’s so fucking nice, and they love it.
I wrap my arm around her waist tightly, dragging her into my side as we head back to the Mercedes. I can’t wait to take her home, to show her how much I appreciate her right now.
I open her car door first, letting her get settled while I head around and get into the driver's seat.
“Just tell me one thing,” Mik asks, her voice still sugary sweet. “Did you do it? Did you kill my sister?”
Halloween Night - One Year Earlier
I’M ALREADY BUZZED FROM THE champagne I chugged. My mind is on the fast track, heading toward a euphoric daze. I immediately head down for more, more champagne, drugs—I’ll take whatever I can get my hands on.
“There you are,” Edward coos, there’s a lightness to him that's unusual. Noah’s father is always stern and put together, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile before tonight. But he smiles now, the corners of his lips rising steadily as he approaches me. “We’ve been wondering where the couple of the hour wandered off to.”
He says we, but Mariam is nowhere in sight. “I was trying to call my parents,” I tell him, a soft smile plastered on my lips as I try to sidestep him and make my way toward the bar.
“Let me get you something to drink,” he says as if reading my mind.
“Noah!” Beckett calls, stealing Noah’s attention from me.
“Go,” I tell him, shaking my hand out of his grip. “I’ll get you a beer.”
He leans in, kissing my cheek gently before heading off to find Beckett. I follow behind Edward toward the bar set up in the formal living room.
“Come with me,” he says, gesturing for me to follow him to his office. “I have the good stuff tucked away in here.”
I sit in front of his desk while Edward goes to the bar cart in the corner, grabbing a bottle of Macallan.
“No, no.” I shake my hand at him, “That's far too expensive, and my taste buds won’t enjoy it. Save it for someone else.”
Edward’s taste in liquor surpasses mine by miles and the bottle he holds easily costs more than my car, my college education, and my parents house combined.
“Nonsense.” He chuckles, grabbing two low ball glasses from the cart and setting them on the island before us. “Tastebuds be damned, you deserve a good drink.” He pours a healthy dose in each glass. “Cheers.”
We clink the two glasses together and I bring mine to my lips, pouring the amber liquid down my throat. It burns its way down and I can’t control the wince that overtakes my features. “Shit,” I groan.
Edward chuckles, taking my empty glass and setting it down on the cart. “You should sip it,” he tells me, gesturing to his full glass.
“Next time.” I tell him, standing and brushing my clammy hands against the smooth fabric of my dress. “I need something fruity after that,” I tell him, eliciting a chuckle.
I make a move to turn around and head back out to the bar when Edward grabs my arm, spinning me around in his grasp. “Mikaela.” His dark eyes peer down to mine. “Are you happy?” he asks, “With my son?”
It’s a weird question, I think. My dad asks the same thing all the time, as if he’s waiting for the inevitable break up. Am I happy? Of course I am. Anyone who sees Noah and I together could tell you that.
He’s my anchor. The love of my life.
“Yeah,” I say, disengaging my arm from his. “I’m very happy with Noah.”
He smiles, not enough to show teeth, just the corners of his lips twitching upward. “Good.” He tells me. “Welcome to the family, Mikaela.”
I’ve never actually asked him the question. To be honest, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. But now, after singing his praises I did. I needed to know if I was a liar or not.
“It’s already done,” I add, watching the warmth leave his face, instead being replaced by a cold demeanor. A few minutes ago he was on cloud nine, and I just fucking crushed him with one question.
But I needed to know.
“I won’t change my statement, you’re already free.” I tell him. “I just want to know.”
His eyes glance back out at the media, still on the courthouse steps on the other side of the street. If we weren’t so close to them I think he would reach out and grab me, but Noah is too composed to possibly risk causing another issue.
