Chapter 5

Dahlia

He nods and I realize that the reason he dropped by was to check me out. The certainty in his eyes that I could be Helen sends a ripple of questions through me.

Maybe if I let him, every question I have about my past would be slightly answered.

“Where?” I ask, my voice tight.

“Pull off your shirt.” His voice is firm.

My eyes go wide. Relief crashes through me when he adds, “Pull it off and turn.”

It's weird but I obey, my muscles tense.

I flinch at his touch, heat crawling up my spine. A shiver runs down my spine as his fingers brush around my waistline. My body stiffens, every nerve on edge.

His touch disconnects but I still feel him close. A shiver of unease grips my skin as I feel his gaze tracing up my spine.

I twist back toward him. “Anything?”

His gaze drops and I cover myself quickly with my shirt. My chin burns in anxiety.

His expression is unreadable, “Have a nice day,” he says before walking out.

“What did you see?” I try to stop him.

Like Noah, he gives me no answers. What the hell is happening?

I close the door slowly and grab my phone, retreating to the room. I place my phone on the cabinet beside the bed and switch on the timer.

Then I turn, facing the door, positioning myself so only my back is in frame. I have to figure out what Elias was looking for.

The door swings open.

“What..?”

My heart flips. My eyes widen as they lock on Noah. I watch his gaze darken, the tension thickening between us. His eyes sweep from my shoulders, down to my hips.

The click of the camera interrupts his intense stare and he looks behind me to see my phone. I stand frozen with no words forming in my mind.

His jaw tightens.“What was that?” he asks, his voice low.

I swallow the lump in my throat and don’t answer. My throat feels like it's sealed. If I speak, I may say the wrong thing. Of course it wouldn't sound right.

How do I tell him his brother dropped by, asked me to pull off my shirt and I didn't hesitate?

He takes a step closer. “You were taking pictures?”

I nod, once, my neck feeling heavy to lower.

His eyes narrow, searching my face, then flick to my bare shoulders. It lingers there and I stare back, wishing I knew what's running through his mind.

“Why?” he asks.

My lips part, then close again. Elias’s name flashes through my mind. I can say I wanted to know if I had anything on my back but why would I suspect that anyway? How would it sound?

Would he even believe?

My head throbs in pain. Should I mention Elias dropping by? What if it slips out that his brother stared at my back with only a bra on?

So I shake my head instead. “I…” My voice fails me. “It’s nothing.”

I curse at myself. ‘Nothing’ is the worst answer I could’ve given. I could have avoided this trouble. I shouldn't have let Elias check out anything.

His expression hardens, anger flooding his eyes. “It doesn't look like ‘nothing’.”

The silence stretches, strangling me into place.

He exhales through his nose and steps back, creating distance between us. “Get dressed,” he says flatly. “Next time, lock the door.”

Then he walks away. A pang shot through my chest. I pull my shirt back on, my fingers trembling as the fabric settles against my skin.

I grab my phone and open the camera roll, my breath catching. There’s nothing there. Just bare skin.

My chest tightens. I delete the photo anyway, my thumb hovering longer than necessary before pressing confirm, like erasing will be a huge mistake.

What was Elias even looking for?

The question echoes in my head, leaving me more confused than before. I step into the living room and halt briefly.

Guilt crashes into me at the sight of him. Our eyes meet just for a second but he looks away first, brushing past me without a word.

He sinks into the couch and turns on the TV, the volume a little louder than necessary.

I linger there for a moment, then force the words out. “Are you off from work today?”

He doesn’t answer. Then, without looking at me, he says, “Who was that picture for?”

My heart stutters. “I deleted it,” I say quickly, “It’s gone.”

That makes him turn. He sharpens his gaze at me. “That wasn’t what I asked.”

The silence hums eerily and crawls in my skin. The words lie at the tip of my tongue, refusing to leave. Any explanation I give will only make it worse.

Noah lets out a short breath, almost a laugh just that there’s no humor in it. He looks back at the TV.

“I wanted to check out something.” I explain, like he would believe. He keeps his back to me, not even sparing me a glance.

I sit beside him on the couch, close enough to feel his warmth yet all I feel is the distance between us. The TV drones on, meaningless noise that I don't have interest in.

My sweaty hands rest in my lap. Quietly, I turn to him but he doesn’t look at me. Whatever hangs between us is heavy and dreadful.

After a while, he speaks up, still staring at the screen, “Did you see Elias today?”

My heart races. Does he know? Can he tell just by looking at me?

Like always, the response stays lodged in my throat. I fear that one word would make everything worse.The silence answers for me.

“You've gone mute.” He reaches for the remote and switches the TV off. “I’m going to pick Ellen up.”

He stands before I can say anything, grabs his keys and heads for the door. I remain seated alone, the cushion beside me already cold.

Minutes later, I hear his voice from the door

“What the hell are you doing here?”

I shoot to my feet and stare at the door. My heart drops seeing Elias hold Ellen, her backpack slipping off one shoulder.

The air shifts into something intense. Noah’s gaze flicks from Elias to Ellen and his jaw sets in fury.

“I thought it'd be a good idea to bring her since I was already coming here.”