Chapter 53
Chapter Fifty-Three
Noah
I remained in the den, too terrified to leave until I had a sense of how Harry was taking the news. When Ali left to go check on them and didn’t return, I started making an escape plan.
He’s going to kill me.
I can’t say I blame him. I know how it feels to learn one of your best friends has been with your sister, but once the dust settled, I was thankful it was Jack, because I knew he would be everything Ria needed and more.
I just hope Harry can see the same thing.
The door to the den creaks open, and panic floods my body.
I do my best to brace myself for whatever Harry throws my way.
He takes a slow, silent walk over to the couch and sits down, adjusting his pants and picking invisible specks of lint off them.
“Noah,” he says, addressing me with a firm tone.
“Harry.”
“So…” I wait, fidgeting in my seat.
“I—” I try to say, but he cuts me off.
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” he asks, with a glimmer of hurt in his tone.
The question I was dreading comes with so many answers.
“I guess the easiest way to explain it all is that we grew closer over the years, and I tried to fight it, I really did, but…”
“She’s my sister, Noah, my twin sister,” he says with hurt in his eyes.
“I know that, Harry, believe me, I know how it feels to have your best friend get with your sister.”
“So why did you do it?”
“Because I love her.” I don’t stop there.
“I’ve always loved her. I loved her before I knew she was Scotty’s, and I saw her working in that bar.
But I stepped back, I said nothing, but when we lost him, and she was hurting, I wanted to be there for her, as her friend.
I kept it all buried, I promise, but when she showed me she felt the same way, well, call me a weak man because I folded like a deck of cards for her. Because she’s Tori.”
I wait for his fist to connect with my jaw, or for him to yell, but it doesn’t come. Instead, his smile grows wider, and he says, “Good. I just wanted to check. I can see how much you love her.”
I sag in relief, clutching my head in my hands and let out a small laugh.
Thank god.
“She’s everything to me. Her and our baby, it’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
Harry rises to his feet and holds out his hand. “Then you have my blessing.”
I stand, pulling him in for a hug and slapping him on the back. “I’ll look after her, I promise,” I say, still clinging to my best friend.
“I know you will.” His words sound a little choked.
We break our embrace, and I take a deep breath. “But there’s something else.” I confess, “and I need your help…”