Page 104 of House of Payne

I frown. “It’s not like that. You know me better than that.”

At least I thought he did.

I’m not using my body for money.

Then what do you call your night with Mason? You can dress it however you want, but you know that Noah is onto something, and that’s why you can’t look him in the eye.

Noah studies my face and lets his arms fall to his sides. “What’s it like, then? I’m trying hard to understand, Lo. I want to forgive you, but I can’t do that until you admit you made a mistake and quit.”

I dig my nails into my palms and count backward from five. “What do you want me to do, Noah? Get on my knees and beg? I’mnotgoing to do that. We’ve been together a long time, and I can’t believe you don’t trust me when I tell you that I have no choice.”

Why can’t he see past his pride?

Why is he letting Steven get inside his head?

What is he supposed to think? How would you feel if this were reversed?

Noah’s eyes narrow into slits. “There’s always a choice.”

“Not when it comes to my dad,” I interrupt. “Unless you can figure out a better way to pay off his debt.”

“Not this again,” Noah says. “I already told you we’d figure out your dad’s situation. You just had to be patient and trust me.”

“He’s going to lose the diner.”

“It’s just a diner. He’ll be just fine. Maybe it’ll be even better for him if he does, since he doesn’t seem to have much of a head for business.”

The blood is roaring in my ears now, and it feels like I’m looking at astranger.

When did Noah turn so callous?

What happened to the man who was unwilling to abandon my father to his fate?

Am I the reason he’s being so cavalier?

“How… how can you say that? You know how much the diner means to him.”

All this time, I told myself that I was lucky Noah understood and was willing to do whatever it took.

How could I have been so blind?

Now that the gloves have come off, has this side of Noah always been lurking beneath the surface?

You’ve never had any serious fights, so it’s not like you would know. Maybe this is for the best.

Noah shrugs, and there’s a hard gleam in his eyes I’ve never seen. “He shouldn’t have borrowed so much money. You said yourself that the diner is like quicksand. Of course, he was going to get sucked in.”

“That doesn’t mean I should abandon him to his fate.” My voice rises in anger. “He needs a lifeline now more than ever, and I have to do everything I can to help him.”

Noah opens his mouth, but nothing comes out.

I’m not sure I want to hear what he has to say anyway, not unless he can walk back the past few minutes.

Why did he have to be in the house when Mason brought me here?

Why couldn’t he be somewhere—anywhere—else?

It isn’t until I hear Mason’s footsteps that I realize the air in the room has changed. Noah draws himself up to his full height, and his hands clench into fists at his side. Fear briefly moves across his face.