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Chapter 12: The variable of the truth

Author: Irena Dane
last update publish date: 2026-07-04 16:05:17

Football was the only language Noah ever spoke without stuttering. At fourteen we had sprawled across Elena’s living room rug with a bowl of popcorn between us. A movie, I think it was some superhero movie, we weren't really watching was showing across us.

"What do you actually want to be, Noah?" I had asked him, picking the unpopped kernels from the bowl. "Like, in ten years."

He didn't even hesitate. He didn't say "rich" or "famous." He just looked at the ceiling like the future was already
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  • Before We Were US   The Club Downtown

    Isla’s pov The club downtown was packed, a sea of low ambient purple light, thumping sub-woofers, and heavy bass that vibrated through the floorboards.At the far corner near the VIP section, Shane and Noah stood shoulder-to-shoulder near the railing, drinks in hand, looking like a pair of off-duty security details.“You’re suffocating the girl from thirty feet away, Callahan,” Shane muttered, taking a sip of his bourbon. “Take a breath.”Noah didn't take his eyes off the floor. “Look at what she’s wearing, Shane. I’m exercising extreme self-control.”On the crowded dance floor, the tempo shifted. The heavy trap beat dropped away, replaced by the deep, rhythmic, intoxicating pulse of an Afro-beat track. The red lights dimmed, casting long, sultry shadows across the crowd.Dani and Chloe were already moving to the rhythm, The hypnotic, driving pulse of Maceo Plex’s "Solitary Daze" filled the room, its bassline vibrating right through the floorboards. After a moment of hesitation, I le

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