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I didn’t realize visiting a prison would have taken quite so long, but apparently, it’s more like a day trip, especially after I stopped for coffee on my way there and had another stop for lunch on the way back.

I cut the engine and as I open my door, Noah steps down from the porch, instantly making his way towards me. “What the hell were you thinking going there by yourself?” he demands, his eyes raking over my body, starting at my head and traveling down to my feet, making sure every inch of my skin is intact and just the way he left it this morning.

“It was fine,” I tell him as he meets me in the middle, refusing to step out of my way until he has an explanation that satisfies him. Though, I have a feeling that ‘spur of the moment’ isn’t going to do it. “There were security guards everywhere. It was perfectly safe.”

“Please,” he scoffs. “And you’re trained to tell when some fucker is concealing a shiv, are you?”

“For fuck’s sake, Noah,” I groan, rolling my eyes. “No one had a shiv. It was fine. I’m fine. We’re all fucking fine.”

Noah gapes at me as though he’s talking to some kind of stranger. “Are you serious, right now?” he booms. “You just put yourself in front of criminals, Henley. Murderers, thieves, rapists. The most dangerous group of women in the fucking area and you’re shrugging it off as though you went to the fucking mall and bought yourself a new pair of ripped, skinny jeans.”

“Don’t you think you’re being a little dramatic?” I ask. “I wasn’t going to get hurt. There were guards everywhere and a million levels of security that I had to get through just to be able to sit in that room. What could have happened? No one knew me therefore, no one had any reason to talk to me. Besides, you’re being a little hypocritical, aren’t you? You can spend your time working for a loser like Anton, but I can’t visit my mother in prison?”

“I highly doubt Anton ever raped or killed anyone,” he scoffs, defending the man who betrayed him.

“No, he’ll probably just get you to do it for him.”

The front door slams open before Tully comes storming out, her finger already pointed at me. “Did I just fucking hear that right?” she demands. “Did you go to that fucking prison today? Is that where you’ve been?”

“You too?” I groan as Noah shakes his head and runs his fingers through his hair. “You both need to calm the fuck down. I don’t understand why you’re making such a big deal out of this. I went to visit my mother. Forgive me that I don’t have the same fucking luxury as walking inside the kitchen to do that.”

“Come on,” Tully says. “That’s not fair. Don’t turn this back on us because our mom isn’t some kind of criminal mastermind.”

“I’m not, but what I’m saying is that you two couldn’t possibly understand. You don’t know how this feels. This is my mother, not yours,” I tell them. “I had an opportunity to go somewhere to meet the woman who gave me life and I’m not sorry for doing that. Or hell, is that not even the problem? Do you have the shits because this is related to Rivers and I left you both out of it? That I’m the one on the inside,” I turn to Tully, “or that I’m the one who’s now met his mother and am uncovering his secrets when you had no chance in hell?”

Tully sucks in a sharp breath and goes to get in my face, her hand out and ready to slap it hard across my face. “Screw you.”

“Hey,” Noah snaps at her, grabbing her hand and throwing it hard back down by her side.

“Don’t you fucking ‘Hey’ me, asshole. You’re just as bad as her,” she seethes at him. “Don’t think I haven’t forgotten about all that Anton Mathers shit.”

I roll my eyes. I’ve had enough of this shit. I don’t need this. My day has already been crazy. Hell, my whole fucking week. Scrap that. My whole senior year has been nonstop and the last thing I need right now are these two morons getting stuck into me and causing some ridiculous, over the top argument. I mean, were either of them interested in the fact that I just met my mother? Nope. They’re more concerned about having a go at me. Screw them.

I turn on my heel and start stalking back towards my Supra. I get nearly all the way there before either of them realizes that I’m gone. “Hey,” Noah yells, jogging to catch up with me. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

I grab the handle of my door and pull it open before looking over the top at Noah. “I don’t fucking know and I don’t fucking care, as long as I’m away from you two assholes.”


Tags: Sheridan Anne Haven Falls Romance