“Well, you’re going the wrong way,” he said, turning around and heading back the opposite direction.
I stopped in my tracks, worried going back with him wasn’t the best idea. But pushing all the negative vibes away I followed him until I realized we were nowhere near the house or water anymore.
“This doesn’t look like the right way,” I said. Noah turned and shrugged.
“I’ve lived here my entire life. Of course it’s not the right way,” he said, watching me.
I kept my expression stoic. I wasn’t going to panic. This wasn’t the worst set of circumstances I’d ever faced.
He grabbed me by the arm, squeezing it tightly. “You think it’s okay to make me look like a fool?”
I pulled at his hand. His grip nearly crushed my arm.
“I don’t like looking like a fool, either. And I wasn’t about to let you do what you wanted to do.” My heart was racing, my mind trying to come up with a plan for what could happen next.
“I don’t like girls like you. You and your so-called family come here pretending to need a place to stay. But I know you’re all a bunch of con artists. I know you are,” he insisted.
I pulled away, backing up to a tree when I tried to get away from him.
“I’m not a con artist. I don’t know what you’re talking about. Let me go before you do something really stupid,” I said.
Noah shook his head, wrapping his arms around me. He kicked my feet out from under me with one quick kick to my legs. We fell to the ground with a thud, his body falling on top of mine and knocking the air out of me.
“You were willing to let my dad have what he wanted, weren’t you?” he asked, pulling at the strings of my bathing suit top. I closed my eyes, his hands clamping down on my throat.
Noah was nuts.
“Just tell me. I want to hear you say it. Say you were going to bang my old man.” He pushed my face into the dirt and leaves.
“No.” I choked, his hand crushing my windpipe.
“What kind of girl does that?”
“I don’t know,” I said, squeezing my eyes tighter so I didn’t have to look at him.
“Tell me right now. Say it!” He grabbed my face, nose to nose with me.
“Let me go,” I screamed, lifting my head from the ground trying to get loose. Noah slammed my head back down.
“My parents may be stupid, but I’m not. Tell me why you guys are here,” he said again, spit flying from his mouth, anger radiating through his entire body.
He pulled back and slapped me across the face and waited. When it was clear I wasn’t going to answer him, he slapped me again.
I fought hard, trying to punch him in his smug face, but he only crushed his body against me harder.
“You need to get far away from my house. You and the rest of your so-called family. And if you don’t, I’ll tell my mom what kind of girl you really are. Because I don’t like you, any of you.”
“Fine,” I breathed, my head pinned under his elbow.
“Are you guys wanted? Did you do something?” he pressed.
“No!” I winced as he tugged my head to the side by my hair.
“Then why are those broads so sneaky and strange acting all the time?”
“I said we would leave, just let me up,” I begged.
Noah sat up, he squeezed my throat with one hand, pushing into my shoulder with the other to keep me in place. It was all a game to him. He stared down at me as if I were a wild animal at his mercy.
Even if he was angry, knowing what kind of people we were, he should have known better than to mess with us. I wasn’t sure how or why he knew, but he did.
I gasped as a large branch crashed down upon his head.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Mason yelled, swinging the branch at Noah over and over again. Noah blocked the brunt of his attack with his arms, having been caught off guard and unable to defend himself.
Lainey helped me to my feet.
“Noah, what is wrong with you?” she exclaimed, in tears.
“Mason, stop!” I screamed, grabbing Mason’s arm to stop his assault on Noah. I pushed him away.
“Let’s go! Right now!” he demanded, taking hold of my arm. I pulled away, grabbing ahold of him instead.
“That’s right. We need to go…all of us,” I said, giving him a severe look.
Mason turned around and looked at Noah. Noah picked himself up off the ground. His face was fine, but his arms were scratched and bleeding.
“You two aren’t related. And those women you’re with are bad news. Not to mention her and her scheming ways. My parents have a lot, and you’re not taking what’s mine,” he said in shaky breaths, struggling to explain himself.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Mason asked. “Beating Kendall senseless isn’t going to fix anything. And if you think think we’re such bad news, then why would you even want to mess with us?”
Noah shook his head, checking his face for blood. “I don’t want you around my family.”
Mason nodded and grabbed me by the arm again. “Fine, not a problem.”
Lainey chased after us. “Are you guys in trouble? If you’re in trouble just say so. I know my parents would help you out.”
Mason laughed, holding an edge of anger. “Lainey, shut your mouth. Just let them leave,” Noah called after her.
“You’re just kids, we could help you,” she begged. I looked at her, wondering what it was she thought she could possibly do for us.
“Lainey, you’re a nice girl, but there’s nothing you can do for us,” Mason told her. He stopped walking, at a loss for what more he could say.
“Our parents have a lot of money. If you’re in trouble because of those women, just say so and they’ll help you. I know they will,” she said again. Noah stood behind her in disbelief.
Mason released his grip on my arm and got in front of Lainey. He stared down at her. “Leave us alone. You don’t know anything about what’s going on.”
“But there are things all over the news. And according to all of you, you all were near those parts where these things happened,” she spilled.
I was blown away. Did I hear what I thought I did? That Lainey and Noah believed we were criminals on the run.
“Lainey, shut up already. If they are, do you think it’s good to point it out to them?” Noah yelled at her. He started pacing the forest floor.
“I think they’re good people. I don’t want anything to happen to them,” she said.
Mason sighed. “There are a lot of bad people out there, Lainey. I know Kendall and I are not them. I appreciate you and your worrying about us, but Kendall and I are going to be fine. And we’ll be out of here as soon as tonight,” he said.
“What about you, Kendall?” Lainey asked. Noah looked at me, suddenly seeming concerned.
“I think we’ve outstayed our welcome. And I think you’re a nice girl, but Mason and I are and always will be okay,” I said, looking away from the disappointment on her face.
“Well, let’s head back then. I’m sorry I got all crazy back there,” he said. “You guys really need to watch yourselves.”
Mason threw his arm around me. The cat was out of the bag now, so he had every right to hug me now.
We didn’t admit to anything. But we all silently agreed that we understood what was going on. Noah didn’t want his family harmed because of us. He wanted us gone, so that was what we would do. I knew agreeing to leave was enough to keep him silent. And, if not, we’d always find a way to stay one step ahead.
JUNE 28
TH
THE NIGHT WAS AS DARK as tar. Little specks lit the night sky. I watched them silently as I leaned against the door frame. It was almost two in the morning, and we were about to leave.