Epilogue
Noah
The four of them rounded the corner toward Savvy’s car and stopped dead when they saw me. All four jaws dropped at once.
“What?” I asked, lifting my brows like they weren’t the ones acting surprised. “You really thought you could go after this guy without taking me with you?” I held up the grocery bag. “I brought snacks.”
Dante recovered first. He grinned and held out his fist. “Sounds good,” he said.
I bumped him.
“What changed?” Dustin asked, fist-bumping me next.
“Well . . .” I didn’t look away. “We started this together.”
Hadley turned to Savvy, recovering almost as quickly as Dante. “So how do we all fit now?”
I got the front seat — tallest, longest legs. Nobody argued about it.
We made it three blocks before Dante demanded Savvy switch, took over driving, and shoved her into the back with Hadley and Dustin. Hadley curled into Dustin’s side. He didn’t complain. Not even a little.
They worked together easily — naturally. It was impressive. And kind of cool.
“I should never have punched you,” Dante suddenly said. “She’s . . . she’s Sav. I freaked out. But you’re still you, and I let you down. I was a dick. I’m sorry I fucked up our friendship.”
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. The part of me that wanted to agree — to tell him exactly how badly he’d fucked up — stayed quiet. That was the anger. I didn’t need it anymore.
“I woke up swinging,” I said, my voice low, knowing the three stooges behind us were listening, and accepting it. “Haven’t done that in a long time.”
Savvy leaned forward. “Is that something that happened a lot?”
“A story for another time,” I said.
The conversation shifted after that. Dante and I talked — really talked — and for the first time since the punch, something eased. And this seemed like the first time we might get past it.
Chattanooga wasn’t that far — just over an hour from campus.
As we got closer, the debate began: Tiffany Preacher, whose address we actually had, or Mason Sterling, whose old school we planned to gate-crash in the hope someone there still remembered him and, more importantly, could tell us where to find him.
The divide was predictable. Dante, Dustin, and I wanted Mason. The girls wanted Tiffany.
Savvy won. Her argument was better, cleaner, and annoyingly logical, so we headed for Tiffany’s last known address.
I hadn’t spent any time in Chattanooga. Driving through it, I couldn’t tell if it wanted to be quiet or dangerous. Mountains pressed close, green and formidable. The river carved through the city with slow confidence — steel bridges, old infrastructure, the feeling of something built to last.
Chattanooga wasn’t as loud as bigger cities, but it wasn’t quiet either. It felt like the kind of place that remembered things — whether you wanted it to or not.
“It’s pretty,” Hadley murmured.
“You been here before?” I asked her.
“No.”
“Yeah, me neither,” I told her.
The car fell quiet as anticipation crept in. Dante followed the GPS, slowing as we reached the street.
He pulled over.
“Is this it?” Savvy asked.
“No.” He was looking farther down the street. “It’s down there. Are we ready to do this?”
I looked where he was looking. My breath left in a sharp rush.
“You’re fucking kidding.” I was out of the car before anyone could stop me, striding down the street, closing the distance fast.
She was completely oblivious to the fact that I was behind her. I grabbed her arm and spun her around.
“Hey—” Her eyes widened when she saw me.
“What the fuck are you doing on this street?” I demanded.
Dante reached us first. “Noah, what the fuck?”
“That’s what I just asked,” I snapped as Dustin flanked me.
Hadley arrived next, breathless. “Who is this?”
Dustin stepped aside. Hadley moved closer.
“Holy shit,” she whispered. “We actually found her.” She looked around at our faces. “Why do you all look pissed?”
“It’s not her. This is Briar Holmes,” Dustin spat out.
“Who?” Hadley took a second. “The social media girl?” She stepped back, eyes darting. “Something isn’t right here . . .”
“Why?” I asked her, keeping my eyes on Briar. She looked like a flight risk — someone who knew escape was impossible and would try anyway.
“Holmes?” Savvy joined us, her steps light, and from the flat tone of her voice, I actually looked at her. “It’s not even clever,” she said with a hint of disgust.
Dante glanced at her. “Sav?”
Savvy walked closer to Briar. “Don’t you see it?” she asked us.
Dark green eyes flicked between us all, lingering on me a bit longer. Her hair was pulled away from her face, and I saw what Savvy had. Briar saw my reaction and bolted. I grabbed her arm before she could take two steps.
She ripped herself free, fury blazing. “What the fuck do you want?”
“Where’s Mason Sterling?” Savvy demanded.
“I don’t know.” She wasn’t timid. Not anymore. She glared at us like she was the threat.
“Liar,” Dustin growled. “You know more than you’re saying.”
“I’m telling you nothing,” she hissed.
I stepped closer, towering over her, and smiled. It wasn’t friendly. “You will.”
Her chin lifted. “You’re going to regret this.”
“I’m already shaking.”
“Good.” The voice came from behind us.
“Because you’re the first one I’m knocking out. Get your fucking hands off my sister.”
I turned.
So did everyone else.
Mason Sterling stood there — and he looked ready to fight.
THE END