LOGINCasey's POVI didn’t want to force Noah. Even though I felt a pang of disappointment when he told me he’d met Sherly, I had to admit he was being a gentleman by choosing to be honest.“I’ve always felt guilty about Sherly, Casey. She lost James because of me.”I felt the same way. None of this would have happened if James hadn’t saved me that day.“Should we do something for Sherly, Noah?”“No. Don’t do anything.”I noticed Noah’s impulsive response.“Why?”“You know… she doesn’t really like you.”“She hated me.”“No, it’s not like that, Casey.”“Indeed. She said it herself, and I’m not going to force her to talk to me. So…”I tried to push all these feelings aside, but the guilt was overwhelming. It felt like I had played a huge part in James’s death.Noah stroked my cheek.“I’m sorry,” he said.“Why are you apologizing?”“Because I dragged you into all this.”“You didn’t. This is all because of me. James died because of me.”“No, no, Casey. I knew exactly what kind of world I lived
Casey’s POV"Ow!"The knife slipped as I was peeling a melon, slicing into my finger."Casey."Jordan rushed over to me. "What's wrong?""No… nothing," I said, showing him my finger. "It’s just a little blood."Jordan didn’t say much. He grabbed my hand, led me to the sink, and ran cold water over the cut."Seriously, Jordan, I’m fine.""You’re distracted."To be honest, I was a nervous wreck. It was almost nine p.m. and he still wasn’t home. Jordan had mentioned that Noah would be late because of some business.With everything going on, I couldn't shake my anxiety. Becky could easily be meeting him in secret, or vice versa. I couldn't bear the thought of what happened to James happening to Noah."When is Noah coming back?""I'm not entirely sure, but he’ll be home."Why did I get the feeling Jordan knew something he wasn’t telling me?"Jordan."He avoided my gaze, reaching up to the overhead cabinet to grab the first-aid kit. He pulled out some ointment and gently applied it to my wo
Casey's POVJordan had been acting weird ever since we left the church. I had no idea who he’d seen there, but he’d seemed on edge the whole time. It was rare to see Jordan show that much emotion or uneasiness. He was usually so composed. Even when we sat down to eat at a restaurant, he kept scanning our surroundings like he was expecting something to happen.“You okay, Jordan?”“Hmm.” He looked at me, snapped out of his thoughts. “Yeah. I’m fine. Why?”Something felt off. Jordan was hiding something. What was going on? Or maybe something had happened to him that he wasn’t telling me.“Are you uncomfortable being with me? I mean. I told Noah about what happened between us. He doesn’t…”“Look, Casey.” Jordan gave a dry, knowing smirk. “Didn’t we agree we wouldn’t talk about what happened in your car? I’ve already put all that behind me. So, there’s no problem at all.”“Then why do you seem so tense? Your attitude is making me nervous.”“I just have a feeling…” Jordan took a deep breat
Casey POVI know better than anyone that the world is a cruel place. Back when I worked as a journalist, I saw firsthand just how risky my job could be whenever I wrote stories that affected people’s lives. I always stayed behind the scenes, writing regardless of the situation, and I did my work with integrity. I was always driven to do better, even though Arnold never once appreciated what I did.He acted like every bit of success was only thanks to his own hard work.Then I started my own social media channels, and suddenly, all eyes were on me. People were leaving comments about Becky, comments about Noah. My head was spinning from it all, but like I told Noah before, it didn’t stop there. Several people sent me direct messages with proof from years ago, confirming that Becky really was involved in violent acts and a biker gang.Turns out, I wasn’t the only one Becky had mistreated. There were other women right here in Wood Town who went through the exact same thing. Most of them h
Noah’s POVI’m pretty sure my voice boomed so loudly that Casey actually flinched and stepped back, completely shocked by my words. I don’t even know how to control myself right now. My blood is absolutely boiling. I could literally kill her this moment.Instead, all I heard was a mocking laugh. Becky’s voice on the other end of the line, dripping with satisfaction.“Really? Just try, Noah. I’m so fucking waiting for you.”My chest heaved. I had to find her. After all the hell I’d been through, she was still coming after Casey.“Stay the fuck away from Casey, Becky. I’m not playing games!”“Noah… little boy. Casey is just too tempting for me. Especially after that crazy interview you did with her.”“Just admit you’re terrified the cops will find out the truth, Becky.”“The truth?” Becky laughed again. “Which truth is that, Noah? The truth that you shot James? You held the gun. You’re the one who shot him. I wasn’t even there when the cops showed up.”I gripped Casey’s phone so hard my
Casey POVNo answer. Just silence creeping between us.Noah’s dark eyes stayed locked on mine. His chest rose and fell heavily. I waited, hoping for an answer to the question I’d just asked.He hates me. James’s death made him hate me. He went to prison and he hates me. He said it plainly. He can’t have a relationship with me like before because he can’t forgive himself for what happened to James.But why is he still protecting me? He’s still here. With me. Holding me, still enjoying my body.“Answer me, Noah. Why’d you just go silent?”He let go of my waist and turned away, stepping back from me.“Don’t be a coward, Noah. What the hell is really going on with you? You don’t want me, but you won’t let me go either. Why are you torturing me like this? Why don’t you just leave me alone? Let Becky find me and kill me.”His footsteps stopped. I watched his back tense, then he turned to face me.“Say that again,” he ordered, his dark eyes burning with authority.My chest tightened. He cont
Casey POVI know what I did was crazy. Walking in while Noah was in the shower. He didn’t even flinch when I stood there in front of him. I got a full view of his naked body, all wet under the running water.“What’s the matter?” he asked, totally calm. “Wanna hook up?”“It’s not like that, Noah. Wh
Casey POVI was scrolling through the comments on my channel. What used to be all about Noah had totally flipped, now everyone was coming for me hard.“Casey acts all innocent, but she’s actually super calculated.”“I’m so sick of her pretending to care about Noah. She’s sleeping with his dad.”“Do
Casey POVFor a split second, I just froze, completely stunned by Noah’s words. I needed a moment to process what he just said.“Noah, don’t joke around like that.”His voice stayed totally calm.“I’m not messing around, Casey. I am so serious.”I looked away for a second, then refocused on our cal
Casey POVI closed my laptop, doing my best to keep my emotions in check. Honestly, I never expected to run into Arnold here, of all places.I forced a confident smile and looked him right in the eye.“I work remotely now,” I replied, sounding proud on purpose. “Not every job has to be done sitting







