Page 22

North

The house was too quiet.

Not the peaceful kind of quiet—the suffocating kind. The kind that settled in after a war, after the last shots had been fired and the damage had already been done.

I sat on the couch, my head in my hands, Quinn’s voice ringing in my ears.

"Was breaking my heart worth it?"

I had never regretted anything so much in my life.

It was supposed to be a game, a lesson, a way to make her feel what Aiden felt. What we all felt. It was supposed to be justice.

But it wasn’t.

It was cruel, plain and simple.

And now, sitting here, alone with my thoughts, I was drowning in it.

I didn’t move for what felt like hours, my mind replaying everything that had led to this moment—the way Quinn looked at me like I was a stranger, like I was a monster. The way Evie’s voice shook when she screamed at Dad over the phone. The way Aiden had revealed the truth shattered everything we thought we knew.

The sound of movement upstairs broke through my haze.

Soft footsteps. The sound of drawers opening and closing. Things falling to the floor.

I pushed off the couch, my body heavy, my muscles tight. I didn’t even know why I moved, why I followed the sound, why I needed to see.

But I did.

I stopped outside Evie’s room, my stomach twisting at the sight in front of me.

Evie was stuffing clothes into a duffel bag, her hands moving quickly, her face set in stone. Quinn stood near the bed, watching her, uncertain.

“What are you doing?” Quinn asked, her voice quieter than usual. Neither of them looked at me.

Evie didn’t stop packing. “I’m leaving.”

Quinn blinked. “What?”

Evie exhaled, zipping the bag shut. “I’ve got an apartment in town. I was planning on moving out after graduation anyway, but I’m not waiting anymore.” She glanced at Quinn, her voice softer now. “You’re welcome to join me.”

My chest ached at the offer, at the hesitancy in Quinn’s voice when she whispered, “Can I?”

I did that.

I was the reason she didn’t feel like she had a place here anymore.

Evie’s movements slowed. She looked at Quinn then, really looked at her, and nodded. “Of course, you can.”

Quinn didn’t hesitate after that. She started grabbing her things, moving around the room with quick, measured movements like she had already made up her mind.

Like she was already gone.

I didn’t realize how hard I was gripping the door frame until my knuckles turned white.

They were leaving.

Both of them.

And there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.

I forced myself to move, to turn away before they could see me, before Quinn could look at me with that same emptiness in her eyes.

I went back downstairs.

And I sat there.

Waiting.

Hours passed, or maybe it was minutes—I wasn’t sure anymore. My thoughts were tangled, my body heavy. I couldn’t stop thinking about that moment, about the way Quinn didn’t even hesitate when Evie gave her an escape.

I ruined everything.

The sound of the front door opening made my stomach drop. But it was just Dad and Lauren.

They stepped inside, their expressions tight, their clothes crisp like they had just come from a dinner or a meeting or something equally unimportant compared to the bomb that had just been dropped on this house.

Dad took one look at me and scowled. “What the fuck did you do?”

There it was. The side of him I had been trying to warn Quinn about. The over-controlling dictator side that always came out around me.

I opened my mouth, but before I could say anything, Evie stepped into the room, her suitcase in hand.

And she was furious.

Her voice shook, but there was steel beneath it. “What about you?” she shot back. “What the fuck did you do?”

Dad’s expression flickered with something unreadable before his usual mask slid back into place. “Evie, calm down—”

“No.” She cut him off, her jaw tight. “For once, just tell the fucking truth, Dad. Did you cover up Lila’s accident? Did you hide the fact that Robert Harley wasn’t the only one to blame?”

Dad’s silence was the answer.

I didn’t need to hear the words.

I could see it written all over his face.

And on Lauren’s.

Guilt.

Shame.

The truth.

Dad’s face hardened, his usual calm facade cracking. “It wasn’t that simple.”

Evie let out a bitter laugh, her eyes burning. “Then explain it to me!” she demanded. “Why did you lie to us? Why did you let me hate Robert Harley when you were just as guilty?”

Dad’s voice turned sharp. “BECAUSE HE FUCKING OWED THAT TO ME.”

His words boomed through the room, his face turning red, his anger spilling out like poison.

I felt like I had been punched in the gut.

Lauren’s lips parted in quiet horror. “Mark—”

“I did it to protect this family,” Mark went on, his voice rising. “To protect all of you. The truth would’ve destroyed everything. Rob might’ve gotten away with it, but he fucking owed me my family’s respect at least.”

Lauren tried to step in, her voice placating. “Evie, please—”

Evie’s glare was sharp enough to cut glass. “Don’t.” Her voice cracked. “You knew, too, didn’t you?” She took a shaky breath. “Is this why my mother left?”

Lauren flinched at the accusation. Her lips pressed together, her face in pain.

“No,” she whispered. “This isn’t why Julianne left.”

But I wasn’t even listening anymore.

I was watching Quinn.

She stood near the doorway, silent, her arms wrapped around herself, her face pale. A single tear dripped down her cheek.

I wanted to go to her.

I wanted to say something.

But I lost that right when I turned her into a pawn and made the whole town listen to an audio of her creaming around my dick. Like she was just a whore, and not the woman I’d fallen in love with.

Evie stormed out before anyone could stop her, grabbing her bags without looking back, and Lauren followed after her.

Quinn hesitated, then left, closing her bedroom door quietly as she left Dad and me in the living room. The man I had spent my whole life trying to impress. The man I had defended. The man I had tried to become. I fucking hated him.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” My voice was raw.

Dad exhaled, rubbing his temple like I was the one giving him a headache. “You wouldn’t have understood. You were too young.”

I let out a hollow laugh, shaking my head. “That’s bullshit.”

His expression darkened. “Watch your tone.”

I took a step closer. “You didn’t tell us because you didn’t want us to see you for what you really are.” My voice was shaking now, but I didn’t stop. “A liar. A coward.”

His silence was deafening.

Lauren returned, her eyes sharp as she shot me a glare. I ignored it, just like I ignored her softly putting a hand on his arm. Dad wasn’t paying any attention either, his eyes were on me, his gaze sharp, assessing.

But I didn’t care.

I turned away before I could say something I couldn’t take back, walking past Quinn’s door without a word, without looking inside to make sure she wasn’t breaking down more. Because if I did—if I saw the way she kept looking at me like I was a fucking idiot—I wasn’t sure I’d be able to handle it.

For the first time in my life, I had no idea who the hell I was anymore.