INICIAR SESIÓNNoah's POV“What kind of game are you playing, Becky? Sherly? Why the hell should I be suspicious of her?”Becky burst out laughing, cracking up hard.“You’re such a fucking idiot, Noah.”Becky glanced at his smartwatch.“Casey’s out of the house, right?”His words hit me like a slap. He’d been watching Casey. I’d fucked up big time.“Jordan, go! Find Casey!” I ordered.“Too late, Noah.”Becky smirked and held up his phone. The picture was crystal clear, Casey’s car, but Sherly was the one behind the wheel.My chest tightened instantly. Sherly? She was in on this with Becky? Why? Shouldn’t Sherly hate Becky for killing James?“Ah, you need to know one thing, Noah.” Becky smiled smugly.“What the hell, Becky.”“Sherly already knows everything.”“What?”“James was gonna die… I mean, yeah, the real target back then was actually Casey, but you and Casey didn’t show up. So…”A chill ran down the back of my neck. What the fuck did he just say? Sherly already knew? She’d known about this the
Casey'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
Noah POVThat sentence hit me like a fucking lightning bolt to the chest. Casey finally admitting she missed me. The woman I wanted to protect more than anything... but at the same time, I couldn’t shake the disappointment and straight-up rage because of what our messed-up history did to everything
Casey's POV"I'm sorry, Dude, but Casey can't answer your call, and it looks like you should probably stop calling her from now on."I couldn't believe Noah said that to Anthony."What the hell? Who are you? Give her the phone back!" I listened to what Anthony said.I tried to snatch my phone back.
Casey POV"Fucking asshole!" I almost slapped Noah, but he just swatted my hand away, grabbing it with one hand. He smirked, clearly enjoying having control over me."Don't even try fighting me, Girl. You're completely under my control.""Noah, stop it…"A knock at the door was like a godsend, and
Casey POVMy jaw dropped, but I quickly snapped it shut with my hand. This is insane. The annoying guy I'm most scared of is being treated like this. I didn't dare say anything. The situation was so awkward, but also tense. I never thought someone would dare slap this rebellious, fearless-looking g







