Chapter 16 - Mending the Broken FrameWhile Lily and her father embraced amidst the flashes of the press cameras, I stood a few feet back, feeling like a ghost at his own feast. I quietly stepped backward toward the exit, figuring that family healing was taking place and my presence would only complicate things.
Before I could reach the door, a heavy hand grabbed my shoulder.
I turned around. It was Noah.
He looked exhausted, his hair slightly disheveled, the intense fury from months ago completely gone, replaced by a heavy, humbling vulnerability.
"Where do you think you're going, man?" Noah asked, his voice low and raspy.
"I figured... you and your family needed space, Noah," I said, looking down at my shoes. "I’m the reason your family blew up in the first place."
Noah let out a long, heavy sigh, shaking his head. He looked across the room at his sister, who was watching us intently, then back at me.
"You broke my futon, Ethan," Noah said, a faint, tired ghost of a smile touching the corner of his lips. "You lied to me for months. You fell in love with my little sister right under my nose." He paused, stepping closer and extending a hand. "And you stood in front of a shark to protect her when I was too blind to see what was happening. I was an arrogant jerk, man. I'm sorry."
My chest unclenched for the first time in six months. I reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him into a hard, fierce grip that said everything words couldn't.
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"Does this mean I'm allowed back in your apartment?" I asked quietly.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, my futon still owes me restitution," Noah laughed, clapping me on the shoulder before glancing toward his sister. "Go on. She’s been looking at you like you hung the moon for the last ten minutes."
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