Page 20 of Finding Noah

He said a couple of stupid, awkward things about Grandma and Mom talking together in her room, and I grumbled answers I barely remembered saying because all I could think of was them in her bed, the bed I'd found her in years ago. Naked and bleeding and crying.

Had Soldier made her cry too?

“Hey, um … I hope you're okay with … you know … your mom and me. I just … I like her a lot. And we … I don't know if you know this, but we kinda go way back, and—”

I turned to him abruptly and asked, “Why wouldn't I be okay with you dating my mom?”

His face fell as he stammered, “I … well, um … I don't really know. I thought—”

“You should've told me,” I spit out, feeling lied to and betrayed and like there was more to this than he was letting on. “It wouldn't have made me mad. I dunno why you didn't just tell me.”

His throat shifted with a swallow. “I'm sorry, buddy.”

“Whatever,” I grumbled, dropping my gaze to look at the table. “You probably never wanted to be my friend anyway. You just wanted Mom.”

“Hey.” He headed toward me and dropped in the chair beside where I stood. “Look at me for a second.”

I dragged my gaze to his and frowned angrily.

“Even if your mom wasn't in the picture, I would still be your friend. You understand me?”

What a joke. “Yeah, right.”

“I'm serious right now, Noah. You were the first person in this town to really see me for who I am, and I will never forget that.”

I shrugged and rolled my eyes away.

“Man, you're the coolest kid I've ever known, and you're my best pal. Nothing's changing that, okay?”

Mom and Grandma were done talking, I guessed, because they walked down the hallway and announced they were ready to eat. But I wasn't hungry. I couldn't think about eating when all I could do was picture big, strong Soldier doing the things Dad did to Mom. Hitting her. Pushing her. Dragging her into the bedroom and making her cry and scream and beg until there was nothing but silence filling the house.

It made me sick, but more than that, it made me mad.

It made me scared.

“What’s going on?” Mom asked, oblivious to the crisis in my head. “Noah?”

“Nothing,” I barked as my hands shook.

I couldn't look at them anymore. I just couldn't.

What the hell am I going to do? I thought as I hurried into the living room, dropping onto the couch and holding my head in my hands.

And stupid Soldier followed.

He crouched in front of me and quietly said, “I'm not gonna hurt her. And I'm not gonna hurt you either.”

Startled, I looked up at him, finding his trustworthy gaze.

Can he read my mind? How did he know?

“You swear?”

He laid a hand over his heart and replied, “Buddy, you and your mom are the best things to happen in my life in a very, very long time—hell, maybe ever. And I swear I would rather die than hurt either of you.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Good, ‘cause I-I don't think I could actually beat you up, but I'd try.”

He frowned then. “You try to fight for your mom?”