"Yeah, maybe. It still sucks that the person who told me this is someone I don't know." She miserably sighs. "If Grey hadn't seen me at the grocery store, I wouldn't have found out about it.”
"That's not entirely true." I trade a look with Finn.
Maddy notices and frowns. "What's going on?"
I wanted to wait to hear from Lily before I got into that, but she hasn't responded yet.
"My mom sent me some odd messages tonight," I say, reclining back on the sofa with my arm draped across the back behind Maddy.
Noah takes a seat as I begin explaining tonight's events. Maddy visibly pales as I do, and by the time I'm done, she looks as if she's about to puke.
"River, I'm so sorry this is happening," she whispers, taking my hand in hers.
I trace her knuckles with my thumb. "It's okay. Like I said, there's a chance she took off on her own. She's done it before."
"It's true." Finn props his foot onto his knee. "And while she never flat-out said it, I've always wondered if our mom was trying to get away from our dad when she took off."
"I still don't get why she'd go through this much of an extreme, though." My gaze involuntarily glides to Noah. "When our dad left her for another woman."
Noah, who's been quiet this entire time, starts tapping his foot against the floor. Him and I might not be friends right now, but we used to be, which means I know him well enough to assume…
"What do you know? "I ask, slanting forward and resting my arm on my knees.
He glances at Maddy, and I do as well.
"Do you know something?" I ask, struggling not to be hurt.
Her and Noah are sort of friends, but I'd feel a bit betrayed if Maddy knew something about my father and Noah's mother's affair and never told me.
"I don't know any details," Maddy stresses, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. "But I already told you that I know Noah has stuff he hasn't told you."
The three of us look back at Noah.
"I can't tell you," Noah mumbles. "I want to, but it'll put my father in danger."
That wasn't what I was expecting.
"How?" Finn inquires with a crease etched between his brows.
Noah shrugs while staring at the wall. "I already said I can't tell you."
I feel frustrated. "Noah, I understand that you want to protect your parents, but if you know something that will help us find my mother, you have to tell us."
Noah shakes his head with his lips pressed together. He remains silent for so long, I feel like I'm going to go mad.
"I can't tell you everything,” the words finally burst out of Noah, his chest rising and falling with his heavy breath intakes. "But if you want answers, you should be talking to your father. He has a lot of secrets. And power. And the ability to ruin anyone’s life if he wants to." He shoves to his feet. "I have some stuff to take care of." He rushes out of the room, taking long strides that are veering toward jogging.
Finn wags his finger toward the doorway Noah bolted out of. "He knows something."
"That's obvious." I frown. "But I don't think he's keeping it from us just because he wants to. He's scared."
"I know." Finn and I exchange another look.
"You remember that one time when we were like thirteen, and he didn't tell me about that stupid rumor floating aroundthat I had sex with the mascot?" Finn asks me. "Because he was worried how much it'd hurt me. So, instead, he tried to get the guys who started the rumor to stop it. And he ended up getting his ass kicked."
"Did you have sex with the mascot?" Maddy wonders curiously.
Finn gives her a hardy-har look. "No. And the rumor wasn't that I had sex with the person who played the mascot. It was that I had sex with the costume."
