Noah froze in the middle of take a sip. He lowered the glass. "How do you know that name?" His voice was almost slurred from the alcohol he'd consumed.
I nodded to the phone. "I wasn't snooping." I tried to keep my voice from shaking. "You had a missed call and I checked it without thinking."
He leaned over me to scoop up his phone. He glanced at me, eyes still unfocused as he pressed the phone to his ear, listening to the message. It was definitely a girl's voice I heard through the tinny speaker.
With every second Noah's expression changed. The tension between his brows eased, his eyes brightening. A hint of a smile crossed his face. He huffed out a short laugh as he hung up. I'd never seen him so open. Almost cheery.
He kept the phone in his hand and stared at me, a considering look on his face. I pressed my lips together, clenching my fists in the sheets. I wasn't going to ask again.
After several moments he sighed deeply and shifted back to recline against the headboard.
"Lily's my sister," he said.
Relief crashed over me, making me breathless. All the tension in my shoulders left, my hands relaxing their grip on the sheets.
I should have remembered. There were rumors Noah had a little sister. That rumor was old though. I hadn't heard the name Lily spoken in years.
"You thought it was another girl?" The words should have sounded accusatory, but he only sounded curious.
"I didn't want to pry."
"It's okay to want to know if I'm sleeping with other girls."
I debated asking, not turning to look at him. "Are you?" I asked in a small voice.
"No."
I let out a slow breath. I shifted back to recline next to him. "Okay. Neither am I."
"Good to know you aren't sleeping with other girls."
I nudged his arm. "You know what I mean."
There was an odd expression on his face as he looked at the phone in his hand.
"You okay? Is something wrong with your sister?" She had called so late at night. Maybe it had been an emergency.
"Nothing's wrong."
"You looked worried."
Noah was silent for several long moments. I was beginning to think he wasn't going to answer when he finally spoke.
"Lily was in London the past few years for high school. She just finished doing an art retreat program in Europe before she goes off to college. She's coming back for a visit."
"That's sounds wonderful. I bet you miss her."
He murmured in agreement, but still looked concerned. He glanced at me briefly. "Don't tell anyone okay?"
"About?"
"Lily. I don't want anyone knowing she's coming back."
"Why not?"
He turned on his side, burrowing under the blankets. I thought he might go to sleep without answering me. A voice spoke from beneath the sheets.
"You won't tell anyone. Right?"
