“That’s going to be... interesting.”
I stared at the ceiling. “It’s going to be a nightmare.”
“Probably.” Noah sat on the edge of his bed, facing me. “You sure you want to do this?”
“Don’t have a choice. We need to find out who sent that video before it gets worse.” I paused. “Besides, he’s got just as much to lose as I do. Maybe more.”
“True.”
Silence settled between us.
“Thanks... for having my back. With the video. With Emily. All of it,” I said.
Noah shrugged. “That’s what best friends do, right?”
I smiled. “Don’t start.”
“Too late. Already started.” He grinned, then grabbed his phone and headphones from the nightstand. “I’m gonna crash. Early practice tomorrow?”
“Yeah. Five-thirty.”
“Brutal.” He plugged in his headphones, pulled up whatever weird sleep playlist he listened to. “Night, man.”
“Night.”
Noah laid back, eyes closed, headphones in. I could hear the faint sound leaking out—some kind of ambient ocean noise. Whales, maybe. Or dolphins. He’d explained it once—something about how the low-frequency sounds helped him fall asleep faster.
I never understood it, but it worked for him.
I grabbed my phone and I had one notification from an unknown number. But the thing was... I knew it. I’d never forget it. It was Alex.
I used to have his number saved, back at the lake. Back when we were... whatever we were. But I’d deleted it the day I left for Riverside and told myself it was closure. A clean break.
Unknown
Thank you. For not turning me away.
I stared at the message for a long time.
Liam
Don’t thank me yet. We don’t know if this works.
Unknown
Still. You didn’t have to help.
Liam
Yeah, well. Maybe I’m just tired of carrying this shit alone.
Unknown
Me too.
My thumb hovered over the add contact button.
Don’t do it.
