I’m not really intimidated, though. They remind me of my brothers.
And Kade, Hunter, and Hawke, for that matter. I don’t know about Farrow, but Jared obviously trusts Noah enough to let him live under his roof with his teenage daughter, when she’s not at college or the camp, that is.
“You guys can stay if you want,” I tell them, veering around Farrow, toward the track. “Or you can go. I’m just exercising, and I don’t need a ride home, but thank you.”
Noah sidles up to my right. “I’ll stay,” he tells me. “In case you change your mind.”
“I’m here anyway,” I hear Farrow say just behind me.
“Wanna jog?” Noah gestures to the empty lanes.
I take a quick glance, not seeing Lucas. Did he get off the track?
He might not talk to me if they’re hanging around.
But…at least this way, it doesn’t look like I came here looking for him. Noah and Farrow give good cover, I guess.
I nod, and Noah walks with me.
“Ah, shit,” I hear Farrow say. He stops, staring at his phone. “I’ll catch up.”
“You mean at the weights, because mafia meatheads can’t do cardio?” Noah taunts.
Farrow doesn’t respond, just shoots Noah a look as he grabs himself between his legs and jerks once before spinning around and walking away, his phone to his ear.
Lucas breezes past, casting us a sideways glance, and then he’s gone again.
Goosebumps spread up my arms, into my hair. He doesn’t look happy. Maybe Dylan does know what she’s doing.
Noah holds out his hand, formally introducing himself. “Noah Van der Berg.”
I look back at him just as I see Lucas glance back at us.
I smile, shaking his hand. “Quinn Caruthers. Nice to finally meet you.”
Lucas
She’s laughing. Why does it bug me?
He smiles, she blushes, they talk, and I run a little faster, so they don’t pass me. And they smile some more. And talk and talk and talk.
I thought I might see her here tonight, but I don’t know why I assumed she’d be alone if I did.
I guess it’s just a reminder of how the world keeps moving without you. Quinn used to want me around.
She has other people’s attention now.
I jerk my head to the side, cracking my neck. It’s good that she has people around her. He has a kind way about him, at least. Easy eyes that look at her like he’s seven and she’s carrying a plate of cookies. Not like the other one who looks at her like he already knows how this night will go, and it will end entirely in his favor.
I exit the track, swipe my hand towel and water bottle off a bench, and wipe the sweat on my forehead that isn’t really there. I’d only been jogging for afew minutes, trying not to think about how I timed my arrival when I thought she might show up.
Madoc was here last night too. I just wanted to catch up with them both some more before I leave. I haven’t seen him yet, though.
I head for the bottle filler and see them jog past, her running partner trailing her just a couple of inches, his eyes dropping to her ass.
Noah Van der Berg.
Madoc told me about him today at the track—the family’s new honorary addition. He’s on Jared’s racing team, lives with him and Tate, and acts as a pseudo-older brother to their son, James. Good friends with Dylan too.
