AllFreeNovel
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“Be careful driving. Don’t speed.”
“I’ll call you as soon as I get there.” As soon as I end the call, I hit the steering wheel, letting out my frustration. “Fuck!”
Worst-case scenarios flash through my mind at warp speed.
Please let Noah be okay.
My entire body relaxes in relief when I pull into the parking lot at Houlihan’s and spot Noah sitting on a nearby bench.
I jump out of the car and run toward her. “Noah!”
She meets me halfway and slams into me, eyes wide with tear-streaked cheeks.
I hold her tight. “Are you okay? What’s going on? Your father is worried sick.”
She pulls back, and anger twists her dark features. “He lied to me.”
My head tilts. “What? What are you talking about?”
“Please don’t pretend like you don’t know. I need you to tell me the truth.”
The truth? About what?
“Noah, what are you talking about?”
“I need you to see something.” She storms into the restaurant, dragging me with her. We weave through the crowded bar to get to the tables in the back past the bar.
Noah’s eyes dart around the room until finally they settle. “There. The waitress.”
A woman with brown hair tied back in a ponytail saunters from table to table. She’s definitely older than me, but I can’t judge by how much.
My head tilts. “Who is that, Noah?”
Noah holds up one of the photos we looked at together on Black Friday while we were decorating for Christmas. “Now tell me you didn’t know about this.”
“I…how…why…” I sputter, trying to make sense of it all as my eyes flick from the photo to the woman.
Why would Grant tell us that Noah’s mother died when she didn’t?
“Wow.” Noah’s eyes widen. “He didn’t tell you either.”
I shake my head and swallow past the dry lump lodged in my throat. “There has to be some logical explanation.”
Noah lets out a bitter laugh. “Because he’s an asshole who lies.”
“No. That’s not true.”
“Yes, it is. All my father does is lie about things and says he’s protecting me. But in reality? He’s doing it because he’s a coward. He can’t look me in the eye and tell me the truth.”
“Hold on. Stop jumping to conclusions.” My feet move before I can stop them. “Wait here.”
Noah hides behind a tall plant, her eyes glued to the slender brunette woman taking a table’s dinner orders.
I wait for her to finish, and then I step in front of her. “Excuse me. Are you Barbara?”
Don’t ask why Barbara was the first name to jump into my head.
The woman smiles as she taps her nametag. “Sorry, I’m Tara. I don’t know of a Barbara who works here.”
