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I scoffed, anger slicing through me. I couldn’t believe half the things that came out of his mouth. But I could tell he regretted what he’d done to Kat. So maybe he was sorry for what he’d done to West and me. Not that it changed anything. Trusting him wasn’t in the cards anymore.
“Do we need to worry about Cole?” I asked.
“No. He relies on us to handle his money too much. Unless that changes, I’m fine.”
He reached for the radio, and this time I let him choose the music. The strain between us was still tangible, but we settled into a semi-comfortable silence as I drove home. At some point, we were going to talk about what happened that night six years ago. For now, my head was filled with what I’d learned about him. And my conversation with Cole. He wasn’t getting anywhere near Kat.
Even with everything between us, I was positive that was one thing that West, River, and I could agree on.
CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX
Lifting the phone,I looked through the glass. “Hey, Noah.”
My brother gave me a half smile. “It’s been a couple weeks since you came.”
“I’m sorry,” I sighed. “Between practice, classes, and dealing with the family stuff, it’s been crazy.”
“I bet. How is it being home?”
“Crazy. Stressful. I don’t know. After being gone for nine years, it really doesn’t feel like home anymore.”
“I’m sure it’s better than being in here,” he muttered, his eyes flashing in anger.
My heart jerked. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault.” His eyes trailed down my face. “How are they treating you? I hope they aren’t making your life worse.”
“They’re better than they were when I first got here.” Especially after putting a knife to Eli’s throat. “They aren’t as bad as—”
I cut myself off, deciding I didn’t want to talk about William. He was the only sore point between Noah and me. To Noah, William was an amazing father. Noah had never witnessed the hell William put me through. And from what my old housekeeper, Susan, said, William treated my mother decently when Noah had been around.
“My dad,” Noah finished for me. “I’m sorry, Kat. I wish you could know him like I do.”
“Noah…” I hesitated, not knowing how to bring up what the guys told me. “Can I ask you about the night you got arrested?”
He frowned. “I already told you everything.”
“I know. But I heard some things, and they’re not exactly what you told me.”
“Who told you?” I bit my lip and his eyes darkened. “Them? You’re going to believe the assholes who put me here?”
“No,” I said quickly. “I just want to know the truth.”
“What did they say?”
“Did you shoot Eli?”
His silence was more telling than any answer he could have given me.
“It was an accident,” he finally admitted.
“They said they tried getting you to go with them when they ran.” My words were sharper since I realized he hadn’t told me the whole story two years ago.
“They left me there. I tried going with them, and they beat the shit out of me.” Noah stared at me earnestly. “I could barely get off the ground when the cops got there. I wanted to run with them. They could never accept that I was William’s son. They hated that I was being included.”
It sounded like the truth, yet doubt was still settling in my soul. He had never told me he shot Eli. He hadn’t given me the whole story two years ago.
“Kat,” he said gently. “I didn’t tell you I shot Eli because it was an accident. I didn’t want to hurt you.”
