Chapter 54 Chapter Fifty Four
"What part of 'leave her alone' do you not understand?"
Noah's voice cut sharply through the tension. He'd reached the bottom of the stairs now, and his expression seemed calm but his eyes were hard as steel as they locked straight onto Jace.
Jace's entire body went rigid. "This is none of your fucking business, Noah."
"Isn't it?" Noah moved closer, physically putting himself between Jace and me. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you're making her cry. So yeah, I'm making it my business."
"You don't know what the fuck you're talking about..."
"I know enough." Noah's voice stayed level and controlled. "I know she asked you to stop and you kept pushing, anyone with eyes can see that she's clearly upset. And I know you need to back off."
Jace's hands clenched into fists. "Don't do this, Noah. Don't fucking do this right now or I swear to fuck--"
"Do what? Protect someone who needs protecting?" Noah's calm was somehow more threatening than if he'd raised his voice. "Or are you mad that for once someone's actually calling you out on your bullshit?"
"You smug piece of shit..." I winced when I noticed Jace's face looked beyond furious, mere seconds away from reacting violently.
I had to put a stop to this, fast before it went too far.
"Careful, cousin. Your true colours are showing."
Jace took a step forward, and Noah mirrored it, neither backing down.
They were almost the same height, though Jace was taller; both were athletic, both coiled tight with aggression.
The air between them crackled with years of bad blood and old bitter history that I didn't understand.
"You think you can just waltz in here and play hero?" Jace's voice was low and dangerous, seething with rage. "You think I don't see what you're doing, you fucking asshole?"
"What am I doing, Jace? Enlighten me."
"Using her to get to me. Like you always fucking do."
Noah's jaw tightened. "I hate to be the one to break it to you, Jace, but not everything is about you."
"Bullshit. Everything you do is about me." Jace stepped even closer, aggressive, territorial.
"You couldn't stand that I was captain. You couldn't stand that people were actually praising me for once in my goddamn life."
Jace continued, "So you couldn't resist the opportunity to drag your ass over here uninvited and one-up me, pretend to be perfect, just make sure everyone knew Saint fucking Noah was better at everything..."
"Maybe if you actually put in any effort instead of coasting on Daddy's name.."
"Fuck you!"
"No, fuck you!" Noah's composure finally cracked. "You had everything handed to you and you still managed to screw it up. And now you're pissed because I'm not going to stand here and watch you make that girl feel like shit..."
"Guys..." I tried, but they both ignored me.
"Don't you dare act as if you care about her! You've barely known her five fucking minutes meanwhile I've known her for years!" Jace's voice rose even louder. "This is a game to you. It's always a game. You see something I want and you have to take it..."
"Maybe she doesn't want to be 'yours' to take! Do you even hear yourself?" Noah shot back. "Maybe she's sick of being treated like a possession by assholes like you..."
"Guys!" My voice came out louder than I'd meant it, sharp enough to cut through their escalating argument. "Guys, please keep it down!"
They both turned to look at me, their chests heaving, faces flushed with anger.
I stepped between them, raising both my arms to show surrender. "I'm sorry to you both, okay? But it's far too early in the morning for all this yelling. There are kids sleeping upstairs. Martin, Rosie... they don't need to wake up to this."
Jace's expression softened slightly when he looked at me. "Lena..."
"Please," I said quietly. "Just... stop."
The kitchen fell silent except for their heavy breathing.
Then, almost at the same time, they both extended a hand toward me.
Jace's from the right, and Noah's from the left. Both waiting, both expecting me to choose.
My heart hammered against my ribs.
Jace's eyes were pleading and desperate in a way I'd never seen before. "Come with me Lena, let's go somewhere where we can talk."
But Noah's hand was steady, patient, as though he already knew which choice I'd make.
"I'm sorry, Jace," I said softly, taking Noah's hand. His warm, reassuring fingers closed around mine, "But I already promised Noah I'd ride with him this morning and show him the route to school."
"Lena, wait..."
"It's getting late. We should go." I couldn't look at Jace's face, I knew I couldn't bear to see the hurt that I knew would be there.
Noah guided me toward the stairs, his hand still holding mine.
"He already knows the way!" Jace called out behind us, his voice rough. "He was at my game last night, he saw the school, he doesn't need...."
But we were already halfway up the stairs, and I pretended not to hear.
\---------------------------------
The BMW purreeed beautifully as Noah navigated the streets toward Westbrook. I barely knew anything about cars, but I knew this was a good one.
In fact, good didn't even begin to describe it.
The leather seats were buttery soft, the interior immaculate.
Everything about it screamed wealth, from the polished wood trim to the subtle scent of expensive cologne that lingered in the air.
It was so much better than walking the long distance or taking the bus every day.
I sat in the passenger seat, my bag clutched on my lap, still processing what had happened in the kitchen.
"You okay, Lenny?" Noah asked, glancing over at me. His voice was gentle now, all traces of the earlier angry confrontation gone.
"Yeah. I'm fine."
"Lena." He said my name in that way and I knew right away that he could see straight through the lie. "What happened back there..."
"We weren't fighting," I said quickly. "Jace and I. It wasn't like that. We were just having a disagreement over nothing, really. He wasn't a danger to me or anything."
Noah's hands tightened slightly on the steering wheel. "I don't get it... He made you cry, I saw it..."
"That wasn't... I was already upset about other things. He was just trying to talk to me and I overreacted."
"Did you, though?"
I didn't have an answer for that.
The truth was, I didn't know what to think anymore.
Jace was definitely acting differently; making me breakfast, trying to apologize, looking at me as though I was something perfect and precious.
But was it real? Or was this just another trick, another way to let my guard down before he betrayed me again?
I couldn't afford to find out the hard way.
"I appreciate you stepping in," I said, changing the subject. "But you didn't have to. I can handle Jace."
Noah was quiet for a moment. "Can you?"
Before I could respond, we pulled up to the school gates.
I'd guessed there would be some reaction when we arrived, but I never knew it would be this fast.
The students who were loitering near the entrance stopped mid-conversation to stare at the approaching BMW.
Heads turned, and phones came out to take photos. I could see them trying to figure out who was inside, who could possibly afford to roll up in a car like this.
My stomach knotted with anxiety.
"Here we go," Noah murmured, but he was smiling.
He parked smoothly in a visitor spot near the main entrance, killing the engine.
Before I could reach for my door handle, he was already out and rounding the car.
He opened my door with a flourish, extending his hand like a proper gentleman.
"Milady," he said with exaggerated formality that made me smile despite my nerves.
I took his hand, letting him help me out. The moment my feet touched the pavement, he leaned down, his lips close to my ear.
"Just so you know," he whispered, his breath warm against my skin, sending an involuntary shiver down my spine, "we're only using this car until mine gets flown in from back home."
I pulled back slightly to look at him. "You have your own car?"
"I have three, actually." He said it matter-of-factly, not bragging, just stating a truth. "But don't worry, this one's nice enough for now. Was the ride okay? Comfortable?"
"It was great," I whispered back. "Really. I had fun. But I should probably get to class, so I guess I'll see you later..."
"Don't you want me to walk you in?"
I blinked, surprised to hear him say that. "You... you want to be seen with me? In public?"
His eyebrows rose. "Why wouldn't I?"
"Because I'm not... I mean... people don't really want to..." I gestured helplessly at myself.
"What about your reputation? You're new here, you could start fresh, be whoever you want. You don't have to associate with the school... with me."
Noah's expression softened. He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, the gesture so tender that it made my breath catch.
"Lenny, the moment you realize your own beauty and the effect you have on everyone around you is the moment you truly begin to live."
His smile turned slightly mischievous. "Besides, I need someone to give me a proper tour of the place. Especially since it'll be mine soon enough."
There was confidence in those words, not arrogance, but certainty.
Somehow he already knew he'd end up on top of the social hierarchy and was just waiting for everyone else to catch up.
Before I could protest, before I could tell him this was a terrible idea, he took my hand and started walking toward the entrance.
The whispers started immediately.
"Who is that? Oh my God, is that the new guy?"
"Yuck, he's holding Lena Hartwell's hand of all people.."
"No way. There's no way..."
"Maybe she's showing him around? Or maybe he lost a bet."
"Did you see that car though? Heard his family is loaded..."
"Why is he with her?"
The comments hit like tiny arrows in my back, each one finding its mark.
But Noah's grip on my hand never wavered, he walked with easy confidence, nodding at people who stared, flashing that charming smile like he owned the place already.
One guy, Donovan from the football team, craned his neck so hard to get a better look at us that he got distracted and didn't notice where he was going.
His bike collided straight into a tree with a spectacular crash.
His friends rushed over, but Donovan just kept staring at us, his mouth hanging open.
I wanted to disappear, or melt into the pavement.
I wanted to be anywhere but here, in the centre of attention, with everyone's eyes on me and the handsome new student who'd made the unbelievable choice to hold my hand.
I squared my shoulders, lifting my chin slightly.
Here we go again.
This was either going to be the best day of my life or the absolute worst.
And I had no idea which.