Take Me Tomorrow

Chapter 19: Stop This Now

"He won't," Noah said immediately.

"He targeted her," Broden argued.

Noah didn't look at me. "He has no reason to."

"You didn't either," Broden bit back.

I slammed my hand against the table to break their tension. "Stop," I said, glaring back at their bewilderment. "I can handle myself. If the guy comes around, I'll be fine."

Broden didn't listen to me. He was too focused on Noah. "He's only doing this because of you."

"I know that." Noah didn't argue, but his hand shook like he wanted to. "I just—" he paused. "We need a meeting. Now."

Broden stopped pacing, only to leap towards the front door. "I'll get everyone I can."

Noah's focus flicked to his watch. "Three hours. At the trees."

Broden nodded as I spoke, "But—"

"Not now, Sophie," Noah interrupted me before I could even fathom whatever words I was about to let out. "If you want to help, then stay here and wait for Lils." Apparently, he had a nickname for everyone.

I wanted to scream.

"I got you in enough trouble," he muttered.

My desperate need to scream dissipated. I still hated him. I still— worried about him, I realized. I didn't want them to leave. I especially didn't want Noah to go. If he did, I wasn't sure he'd come back. I wasn't sure what would happen.

"We'll go alone," Noah promised Lyn, who nodded, satisfied.

"That's how you should've been thinking from the beginning," she said. "I swear, using children is the dumbest thing your father ever did."

Noah turned away. No one could see his expression but me. From my position on the stairs, I watched as his face hardened. Nothing twitched, not even his eyes. It was the first time I had seen it happen.

"If he didn't use us," Noah started, "we would've ended up in Phoenix like Tony."

The laws. His father was using minors to carry out crimes, knowing that they wouldn't be held responsible. His uncle, apparently, hadn't thought of that.

"But that's that," Noah continued, his fingertips flicking over the blade on his belt. "I'll be back."

"Don't try to find us tonight," Broden said as he unlocked the front door.

"I won't," I promised, and for once, I meant it.

Broden opened the front door before his silhouette disappeared against the sunset. In silence, we waited.

"I'm leaving in thirty minutes," Noah said to no one in particular. Lyn left the room as if she knew he was speaking to me. He sighed as he sank onto the stairs next to me. His shoulder pressed against mine, but I wasn't sure which one of us was shaking.

"Are you okay?" I managed.

"I've seen you before," he said.

"I know that." I thought about our conversation we had outside of my school. "You were at the hospital."

"Not this last time," he clarified.

His words stopped me. He might as well have slapped a hand over my mouth. There was only one other time.