I don’t know how we’ve managed to survive the past week on the Anton front. He hasn’t bothered us since the whole ‘in the middle of the road’ thing and the ‘ransack Violet’s home looking for his gun’ incident. Noah hasn’t even received a threatening text. My guess is that Noah either knocked him out really good or that he’s laying low, keeping himself hidden away as to not draw any attention after the break-in.
We haven’t heard anything from the cops about the gun and I’d be certain that the forensics on it would be complete by now, but who are we to them? We’re just kids who happened to ‘find’ the thing. Good Samaritans who handed in a lost gun. They have no need to inform us and if I were in their shoes, I’d have done the same thing.
The only care I have right now is that we’re safe and all living to see another party. What more could I ask for?
Tully has a rare smile on her face that somehow Spencer has been able to maintain over the past week. Aiden is continuing to claw his way inside our hearts and even managed an epic revenge plot on Stacey Lasno which he plans on carrying out tonight. It’s going to be ridiculous.
Noah has been having the best time volunteering for the fire department to the point that I think he’s seriously reconsidering his future. He hasn’t said anything yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he told me that he’s considering a career in firefighting.
And me? I’ve just been keeping on. Studying and killing it at school, making sure I have the best possible chance at making a future for myself. Hell, if the whole scholarship thing never happens, I’ll look into working for a year or two to save a little money to then be able to go to community college.
“Just pick something already,” Aiden groans from my bed, laying back and flicking through one of the many trashy magazines that have been tossed aside. “I want to go already. I’ve been dying to get that little bitch back all week. Do you have any idea how hard it was to stop myself from calling her out all week?”
“I know,” I laugh, pulling out my third pair of jeans as Tully tosses a tank at my head. “Just trust me when I say that waiting for the perfect moment makes it so much better.”
“I don’t doubt your superior revenge skills. I just wish we could put them into practice already.”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Tully says, wagging her finger at Aiden as she jumps up and down, trying to pull on the tiniest skinny jeans I own. “Patience is a virtue.”
“Excuse me?” I laugh. “Since when do you spout that crap? You’re the worst for having patience.”
“I know,” she laughs, still working on the jeans. “But I’ve been holding onto that quote for ages just waiting for the perfect opportunity to use it.”
I roll my eyes before pulling the black tank top over my head and looking at my reflection in the mirror that hangs inside my closet door. The tank sits low over my tits but with a hot jacket and my combat boots, this outfit will look badass.
I get back to work, pulling on my jeans and searching the bottom of my closet for my boots when Noah slams his way through the door. “Stop what you’re doing,” he announces excitedly to the room.
“No,” Aiden groans, throwing his hands in the air. “Don’t tell them that. Do you have any idea how long it just took me to get them to quit talking and actually start getting ready?”
Noah smirks, knowing the feeling all too well before turning to his sister and grunting at her. “What the fuck are you doing?” he asks as she groans and grunts while doing some sort of weird squat and tugs on the jeans.
“They won’t go all the way up,” she moans. “But I really want these ones.”
Noah looks across to Aiden, both with a mischievous sparkle in their eyes. Aiden pushes up from my bed and the two of them start closing in on Tully. “No, no, no, no,” she says, backing up. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Helping,” Noah says innocently. “Can’t have you going out in a pair of jeans you don’t love.”
With that, they each hook their fingers through the belt loops on the jeans and hoists them up, launching her right up off the ground before bouncing her around. “Fuck, my vagina” she screeches as her hands desperately cup over her lady bits, holding on tight. “You’re giving me a fucking camel toe. I swear, you’re going to tear me in two. Put me down!”
The boys chuckle to themselves as I thank my lucky stars that wasn’t me. Noah leaves his sister alone and drops down onto my desk chair as Tully gets busy fixing herself. “So, what’s going on?” I ask, looking across the room at Noah before dropping down on the end of my bed to put my shoes on.
“No more party.”
“What?” I ask as my hands freeze on my feet.
“Nope. No way,” Aiden says, acting like a drama queen. “This shit is going down tonight whether you like it or not.”
“Fine by me,” Noah shrugs with a knowing smirk. “You can go to the party, but I’ll be taking the girls to Maxen’s exclusive opening at the races.”
“It’s open?” I shriek, excitedly.
“Yep, he just called me. He wants to open it tonight, but it’s invite only because he doesn’t want to risk word getting out too fast and ending up with the cops at his doorstep.”
“Holy shit,” Tully squeals. “And we got an exclusive invite?”
“Well,” Noah scoffs. “I got the invite. I’m just choosing to bring you along because I can’t stand the idea of you being left behind, crying because you’re ‘Franky-no-friends.’”
“Shut up,” she laughs, grabbing a pillow and smacking it across his head. “You’re such a turd.”
“I know,” he chuckles. “So, what’s it going to be? Are you guys coming with me to Maxen’s opening or going to that party?”
“Fuck, is there even an option?” Aiden howls. “We’re fucking racing tonight. Screw Stacey Lasno, I can fuck her up next week. Besides, Maxen is fine, I’m down for his opening any time.”
I gawk at Aiden. "Is your mind always in the gutter?”
“Sure is,” he says with a wink.
I shake my head as I watch him. “You know Maxen is with Brooke, right?”
“I think they’re broken up at the moment,” Tully says in a wondering tone.
“Even better,” Aiden laughs. “All these beefed up dudes need to explore their options. Hell, I think most of them would even like it.”
“Yeah…” Noah says slowly. “That’s a firm ‘no’ from me.”
“That’s the spirit,” I laugh, turning to Noah. “No experimenting for you. I don’t want to risk you liking it too much and leaving me for Aiden.”
“I’d happily take that switch,” Aiden says, grinning at Noah before bouncing his brows.
“Ugh,” Tully says, grabbing her phone, probably to text Spencer about the change of plans while making sure she tells him to keep it on the down low. “I can’t stand it when you flirt with my brother. It’s weird.”
“Yeah,” Aden says. “But look at him. He fucking loves it. It’s like an ego boost. He doesn’t care where the attention comes from as long as it comes in hard and fast and in the form of flattery.”
Noah just grins. After all, Aiden has never been so right.
We hurry to finish getting ourselves ready and before I know it, the four of us are in Noah’s Camaro, heading to the races which will no doubt turn into the place to be. The fact that we get to be some of the very first people to experience this is going to be awesome.
Noah drives in through a racers’ entrance and a sense of superiority comes over me, making me feel kind of important but kind of a bitch at the same time. I’m not even racing so it’s not as though I’m entitled to feel this way. Maybe it’s the fact we’re coming through this entrance and everyone else is coming through the main gates and paying a spectator fee.
As we drive further onto the property, I start gaping out the window like I was on an African safari. Every way I look, there’s something that wasn’t here when I came through a few weeks ago. It’s incredible. Massive grandsta
nds are surrounding the track, concrete barriers ensuring everyone’s safety, a fucking food and drinks stand, and right up on top, overlooking the whole track is a VIP area with all the guys from Broken Hill.
But what gets me the most is the number of people who have shown up tonight. So much for it being an ‘exclusive’ opening. The whole fucking world is here and it’s amazing.
“This is incredible,” I tell Noah. “You guys have done such a great job.”
“It was all Maxen,” he says. “I just helped out where I could.”
I roll my eyes at his attitude. “Either way, you should be proud. You had a hand in building something that’s going to influence the culture of both Broken Hill and Haven Falls. The kids that come after us are always going to have somewhere to go that will keep them out of trouble, and not to mention, it’s somewhere which brings both sides of the tracks together. When we’re here there’s no divide between us. We’re all just idiots wanting to see our favorite racers kick ass.”
“You’re looking too much into it,” he tells me, pulling up next to a black Range Rover which I believe might be Jesse’s. “I just wanted a place to race.”
“I don’t doubt that, but no matter what your intentions were, it doesn’t change what I said is true.”
Noah reaches over and takes my hand in his before bringing it to his lips and giving it a gentle kiss. “One of these days you’re going to realize that I’m just a regular dude, not a saint who was sent here to solve the issues of our doomed world.”
I suck in a gasp and slap a hand over my mouth in horror. “What?” I shriek. “You’re not a saint? I never would have guessed.”
Noah releases my hand. “Shut up,” he laughs. “Now, get your ass out of my car so I can show you how amazing this place is.”
We pile out and Noah leads us up to the VIP area where we instantly fall into conversation with the guys from Broken Hill and I can’t help but laugh as I see Maxen talking to Brooke, looking extremely comfortable. I point it out to Aiden and grin up at the guy. “Sorry, looks like Maxen’s opening is not up for grabs tonight.”
“Damn,” he mutters. “I can always try Tyson. He’s single, right?”
“Who knows?” I laugh. “I was under the impression that he was a bit of a slut, so you might be in for a chance.”
“Excellent.” He spots out Tyson in the crowd and a second later, he’s gone.
I shake my head as I watch him shamelessly flirting with the guy. It’s a complete trainwreck where Tyson doesn’t quite grasp the concept that Aiden is flirting, assuming he’s just a cool dude from Haven Falls, introducing himself. That poor guy. He doesn’t know what’s about to hit him.
The races get started and I hang over the side of the balcony with Tully and Kaylah, watching the amazement of the races below. Nate Ryder kicks ass in his debut race and sets some records which I’m not even sure Noah could beat, but I’m sure as hell that he’ll give it a good try.
Tora proudly squeals and applauds for her boyfriend while the rest of the Broken Hill crew start high fiving and sharing the love. The night is incredible, even more so when Maxen introduces the ‘chick’ race and surprises Tora with her chance to finally get on the track and kick ass. I desperately want to get down there and tell her all about the track, what to watch out for and how the corners handle, from when Tully and I tested it, but I tell myself to reel it in. If any of the chicks around here know how to handle a racetrack, it’s Tora. After all, you don’t spend all that time with a guy like Nate and not pick up a thing or two.
When Noah’s race is called, I can’t help but run with Tully down to the side of the track, more than eager to cheer him on. He’s been dying for this moment since the old races were closed down. That need to feel the tires speeding along the road beneath him pulses through his veins and without it, he might just go insane.
Racing is his release. It’s his thing just like reading is Tully’s and Noah is mine.
With all the people, the music coming from the huge speakers, and the sound of Noah and his opponent’s cars echoing over the whole property, it’s impossible to hear myself think and that’s exactly what I was hoping for tonight.
I look over at Noah and even with all these people hanging around, he still manages to find me in the crowd. He grins and I don’t doubt that If I wanted to run up there and climb in with him, he’d happily make every last person here wait.
Fuck, I love him.
The skanky chick starting the race walks out in her tiny little bikini and as she throws her hand up in the sky, Noah sends me a devastatingly sexy wink and I all but die. How does he do it?
The race gets started and I scream out for Noah. He hits the gas and within seconds, he flies past me and heat flares deep within me as my hair flies up around my face. I’ll never get used to watching him race. He handles his car like a damn pro and it’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.
His opponent sits right behind him, unable to get around Noah as he dominates the track. It’s simply the most beautiful thing I’ve ever witnessed. I find it impossible to tear my eyes away from the sight; that is until some girl I’ve never met before squishes in beside me, gawking at the track as though all her hopes and dreams are coming true right before her very eyes.
“Oh my, God,” the girl calls out, trying to be heard over the noise as she watches Noah’s Camaro as though she’s in some kind of trance. “Is that Noah Cage?”
Hearing her say his name, I can’t help but look at the girl. I take her in with her dark hair, startling blue eyes, and damn…those curves. There’s a strange familiarity here. I focus a little while longer, trying to figure it out. “Um, yeah, it is,” I tell her. “Why?”
The girl turns to look at me and as her eyes come to mine, it hits me. This is the girl with the staring problem from Jesse’s lake party. I instantly go on edge. What the fuck is she doing here and asking about my boyfriend?
Her eyes instantly go big. “Oh, shit,” she says, clearly recognizing me. “You’re…”
“Noah’s girlfriend,” I supply helpfully just in case she missed something.
Her eyes go impossibly bigger. “Oh, no, no, no, no. I’m not interested in him if that’s what you’re thinking,” she tells me in a panic.
“With the way you were gawking at him at that party and the way you’re asking about him now, you’re making it really hard for my mind not to go there.”
Tully leans around me, suddenly a little less interested in the race. “I promise, I just want to talk to him. That’s all.”
Tully leans in a little further. “What do you want with my brother?”
The girl looks at Tully as though this is the first time she’s noticing her there. Her mouth drops open and she sucks in a breath. “You’re Tully Cage,” she says in awe.
Tully raises a curious brow. “What the hell is going on here?” she questions, asking exactly what I’m thinking. “Who are you?”
“My name is Lacey,” she says. “Um…I don’t know how to say this and I’m sure there isn’t exactly the best place to talk about it, but I was hoping to speak with you and your brother. It’s kind of important.”
“Spit it out,” Tully tells her, stepping around me to be a little closer to the girl and putting us in more of a triangle.
The girl’s eyes flick towards the racetrack and back to Tully. “Don’t you think we should wait for Noah?”
“Why?”
“Because it’s…it’s important.”
The race finishes and the roar of the crowd drowns out whatever it is that Tully says, but from the look of outrage on Tully’s face, I’d dare say she’s saying something along the lines of ‘Noah’s not the fucking boss around here, if you’ve got something to say then tell me and I’ll decide if it’s worthy of telling my brother.’
The crowd starts hurrying around us, desperate to congratulate Noah on his win but Tully and I remain still, staring at this strange girl who claims she has something of importance for Tully an
d Noah.
“Let’s hear it,” Tully says as the crowd finally begin to cool down.
“I promise,” she says. “You’ll want to wait for your brother. It’s about Lily.”
Tully’s face falls as she stares at this girl in confusion, wondering who the hell she is and how on earth she knows their baby sister.
Tully resigns from questioning Lacey and I pull out my phone and hash out a text, realizing we should probably head up to the VIP area where it’s not so loud.
Henley – Can you meet us in the VIP area? There’s some girl who says she has something important to tell you and Tully. She says it’s about Lily.
I watch Noah from afar as he digs for his phone in his pocket, pulls it out, and reads the text. His eyes rise above the crowd and he looks at me with concern before taking in Tully and the girl standing beside me.
I point up towards the VIP area and he nods, suddenly the excitement of winning his first official race here completely gone. He drops down into his car and shoots off the track, hoping people get out of his way quickly as he doesn’t look like he’ll be stopping for anyone.
We make our way back up and get there at the same time as Noah, only he’s puffed out from racing up the stairs, desperate to know what the fuck is going on, just like the rest of us.
Noah takes in the girl who openly gawks at him. “This her?” he questions.
“Yeah,” Tully says.
“What the fuck is this about?” he asks, staring the girl down. “How the hell did you know my baby sister?”
Fear takes over Lacey’s expression but she swallows it down, determined to get this out. She quickly glances around the VIP area. “Is there somewhere quiet we can go?”
A beat passes where Noah silently studies her before letting out a sigh. “Yeah, follow me.” He turns his back and starts walking away with Tully and Lacey following along. He stops and looks back over his shoulder, taking me in. “Are you coming?”
Undeniable: Haven Falls (Book 5) Page 9