"Your breakfast is delightful," Noah complemented Lyn, and Lyn blushed for the hundredth time.
"Thank you," Lyn said as she fed Falo with a plastic spoon. Since he had already tossed it a dozen times, she was forcing him to be spoon-fed. He didn't seem to mind.
"And your ink is fascinating," Noah continued light-heartedly as blood began to boil through my veins. "Everyone from the Albany Region should show off such beautiful pieces of art."
"Stop trying to flatter me, Mr. Tomery." She rolled down her sleeves and turned her complete attention to feeding her son. "Just eat."
Noah laughed for no reason at all before he ate more. Broden sat on the opposite side of the table, diving into the breakfast as if all was forgiven. His stomach had obviously taken over his priorities. Miles ate too, silently, but Lily leaned back, her eyes locked on Noah as if she could shoot him with her irises.
"Don't you have anything to say to my brother, Noah?" Lily asked. Miles' shoulders lifted to his ears.
Noah glanced up from his eggs. Right when I thought he would speak, he picked up his coffee and sipped it. He looked over at a bruised Miles, a boy who wouldn't even glance at him. "Morning."
"Morning," Miles mumbled back.
Lily slammed her silverware down on the table, standing. "What kind of sociopath are you?" She reddened. "Coming in here all doped up on drugs, putting our lives in danger like we mean nothing. Nothing." Her brown eyes darkened against her spray of white hair. "I don't care if they're scared of you, Noah. I'm not. I won't let you treat us like this. You need to leave Topeka." She pointed toward the front door. "Now."
Noah tilted his head; his blond hair shifted. Falo hiccupped. Noah glanced at the toddler before he looked back at Lily with the same look on his face. "Thank you, Lilianne."
I flinched at the fact that he had used her full name. First, it was Lils. Now, it was Lilianne. He could never call people by what they wanted to be acknowledged by.
"For what?" she asked, infuriated.
"For that entertaining monologue you performed," Noah said, pointing his fork at her plate full of pancakes and eggs. "Your breakfast is getting cold."
Lily shook with frustration and cursed at him before she grabbed her plate and left the room, apparently eating elsewhere. Noah lifted his coffee, but not fast enough. Everyone saw his smirk. "At least her appetite isn't ruined," he said before taking a sip.
"You could try to be nicer, you know," Miles said, suddenly relaxed now that his sister was gone. "She has a temper."
Noah chuckled. "I remember."
My stomach bubbled with a feeling I didn't recognize. I wanted to punch him and understand him at the same time.
Noah knew everyone from childhood but me. Even though he was in my house, Noah hadn't entered my world. I had entered his. In reality, I was the intruder. I was an intruder in my own home.
The sound of scraping silverware echoed through the house. Falo squeaked as Lyn played with him, and Lily slammed the front door as she left the house, probably to get air. She wouldn't walk home with the distance between our houses, let alone with all the officers on the streets now. The last thing any of us wanted was to get questioned about our whereabouts. We had a better chance at answering questions if they showed up here. We could hide Noah and pretend we were having brunch.
"I hope there are no hard feelings between us, Miles," Noah said, but his eyes were sharp as they darted across the table to focus on the curly-headed boy. "It was strictly business."
"Business," Miles repeated.
Noah nodded. "And I need your help more than ever before."
Miles' jaw pried open, and he laid his forehead on his fingertips. "You're seriously going to ask for my help after what happened?"
Noah shrugged. "I need it," he said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a black-faced watch with a silver band on the table. "I kept it for you."
Miles gaped at the jewelry, then pushed himself away from the table. "I can't help you. I won't. I'm done."
Noah's jawline hardened. "Do you want to survive this war or not? How about Lily?"
Miles' brown eyes widened, his shoulders tensing. Obviously, Miles believed him about the drug war. There was no questioning it. Miles reached out, but he hesitated. His fingertips twitched right before he snatched up the jewelry from the table.
Noah's upper lip stretched into a miniscule smile. "You'll help me get my sister, then?"
Miles' eyebrows squeezed together. "Why is your sister so important?"
"Family," Noah emphasized, "is important."
"But—"
"The rest will come later," Noah quickly explained. "Until then, you all need to trust me."
He said the word "trust" so many times that it had begun to lose meaning.
"Stop leaving us in the dark then," Broden said what everyone else was thinking.
Noah ran a hand through his hair. "I can't tell you everything—"
"Why not?"
"Because I don't know everything," Noah snapped at the two, and his green eyes lit up as if he had taken tomo all over again. But he hadn't. The lightning sparked from inside of him.
The boys sat in silence. Then they argued, then returned silence.
I backed my chair away from the table and took my plate to the sink to clean it. My heart was pounding. The fear, the memories, Phelps. Everything flashed before my eyes as if I was experiencing it all over again, and I felt the panic in my chest I had as Noah collapsed on the floor, vomiting. He had screamed so loudly.
I turned the water off and gripped the counter. "What did you see last night, Noah?"
The boys stopped, and I turned my torso to study the green-eyed boy who stared back. His face was flushed, and his eyes had widened, like an animal caught in headlights. He never looked calm when he looked at me. I hated it.
"What did you see?" I demanded an answer.
"I—I—" Noah stuttered, placing his mug on the table. "What do you mean, Sophie?"
"On tomo," I clarified. "You were screaming. I know you saw something."
Noah's upper lip twitched. He couldn't even fake a smile for me. "I didn't see anything."
"You were hurt, really hurt," I accused, trying to jog his memory. "Your arm. Or shoulder."
Noah shrugged as if pain meant nothing to him, as if the concept didn't register with his body, as if he were inhuman and completely immune.
I gripped the nearest knife to me and held it in the air. "Do you know what I can do with this?" I threatened, adrenaline coursing through my veins. Broden straightened up while Miles jumped to his feet. Lyn didn't move. Noah laughed.
"Always with the knives," he joked, continuing to sip his coffee. Little sips. Like he was controlling his breathing.
I curled my fist around the grip and positioned my hips to the side. It was the only way I could let him know how serious I was—or how serious I wanted him to believe I was.
"I'll be the cause of that pain if you don't tell me what happened," I threatened.
Noah took one more drink before he placed it down. "Excuse me for a moment," he spoke to Lyn, but the boys relaxed. Miles even sat down as Noah stood.
The blond crossed the kitchen in mere seconds. "Sophie," he spoke softly and looked at me as if I were holding flowers instead of a blade. The closer he was, the less confident I was. He stood next to me and looked down from his height. For a single moment, his green eyes softened like they had when he begged me to stay with him after he overdosed. Those eyes. This boy. I couldn't hold my ground.
Noah leaned down and whispered into my ear so the other boys couldn't hear, "Why does it concern you?"
"Why doesn't it?" I breathed back, unable to move.
Miles coughed, and Noah straightened up, stepping away. Shivers ran over me. I crossed my arms, only to see that Broden had done the same. He was glaring at the two of us. My eyes fell to the floor as I laid the knife on the countertop.
"I have to tell you guys about my plan," Noah announced, turning to Miles specifically. "You still work for the Traveler's Bureau, right?"
"They didn't fire me," he said, "as surprising as that was."
But it shouldn't have been a surprise. My dad committed crimes and that was how he got his job. If anything, Miles just secured his job for the rest of his life for the very reason that Noah was about to say.
"I need you to slip up," he said. "They probably want you to anyway."
Miles paled. "What does that mean?"
"It means you're going to get us into the Traveler's Bureau."
"No."
"Listen," Noah coaxed, sitting next to him. "Dwayne knew this plan." Even my father knew more than me. "But he isn't here right now, and you are."
Miles' eyes flicked away, but Noah laid a hand on Miles' face and forced him to only look at Noah.
"Dwayne would do this, and you need to, too," he said, "and then, your sister and you can do whatever you want."
Miles cracked. "Why?"
Noah smirked. "There's going to be an explosion."