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Alex’s hand reached over, resting gently on my shoulder. “Noah…you’ve got to get the hell out of that house.”

I nodded my agreement. The environment was becoming more and more hostile in my home. David made it abundantly clear that he wasn’t done with me. His intentions were still to hurt me, to abuse me until he could get rid of me—one way or another.

I wouldn’t be one of his victims anymore. I refused to be.

Alex wasn’t aware that my ribcage injury was also from David. But I wasn’t going to tell him that one.

“So…damn. You and Silas, huh?” Alex was smiling now, and it made my cheeks burn, but thank Christ he changed the subject.

“Shut up.” I couldn’t help the smirk that rose from his scrutiny.

“Oh my god, Noahhh,” Alex gasped, finger shooting up into the air like he was feeling for the wind. “Does this mean we’re brothers? Like actually? Like if I marry Serenity and you marry Silas—”

“What the—”

“We’d be like brothers-in-law! Oh my god! We’re gonna be official.”

My eye was starting to twitch just imagining Alex’s twisted little future family dream. I’d never get married. Let alone to Silas. What Alex failed to realize was how dangerous the Thorne family actually was, and how much they hated my guts. Serenity and Silas were rare exceptions to that rule, and even then, I learned the hard way that it wasn’t good to get too close.

“No, Alex, that will not be happening.”

Alex paused, like math in his head finally finished adding up. “Wait…what about Delane?”

I took a deep breath, resting my head back against the seat of the car. “She’s incredible.”

Alex held his head with both hands. “Noah, this is too much.”

Little did he know, I was about to make it more complicated.

“We had sex.”

The sound that left Alex’s mouth was one of amazement and envy. Before I knew it, he was dapping me up, and shaking me hard enough to give me a concussion. It fucking hurt, but I couldn’t show it.

“My MAN! I bet that was so hot—”

Then he stopped, instantly looking offended. “Hold up, when were you going to tell me you were getting so much ass? And what am I doing with my life?”

“Alex, that’s not the point, the point is…” I sighed. “What do I fucking do?”

“Well, who do you like most?”

That was the million dollar question. One I never thought I’d be able to answer.

“Alex, they are both so different. Delane is so genuine, caring, intelligent…and she thinks I’m all of those things too. She sees so much good in me. And Silas—” I closed my eyes, feeling the weight of the airplane in my pocket. “He gets me. What I want. What I need. He wants to…well, I thought he wanted to protect me. There was a time when he made me feel…safe.”

Alex tilted his head. “But not anymore?”

I shook my head, eyes trailing down to the floor. “Not anymore.”

Alex released a long breath. “Shit, Noah. You’ve been taking on so much by yourself.”

He had no idea. That wasn’t even half of it.

“I wished you had told me this sooner. So you didn’t have to hold it all in on your own.”

“Thanks, Alex.”

Alex scratched his head. “Okay, so what you need from me is…to not talk about you and Silas in front of Serenity.”