Page 32 of Sour Candy (Sour Candy #1)

Noah let him go. Part of it was shock, confusion that he could’ve read things so wrong. But what mainly kept him rooted to the spot was how badly Benji wanted to get the hell out. Noah wasn’t anybody’s captor. If Benji wanted to go, then he was free to go.

But something sat so wrongly about it. He hadn’t been imagining the affection in Benji’s face, so fierce that Benji himself seemed scared of it.

He hadn’t imagined how easily Benji responded to him, how calm and whole he was afterward.

This explosion hadn’t come from nowhere; he just didn’t know the source.

He shoved himself back into his slacks and headed into the hall. “Benjamin. Benji!”

But the hallway was empty. Noah headed back into the gala hall, scanning the attendees for a head of curly hair that was much less messier than usual. A flurry of motion from someone making a quick exit. Anything that indicated a twenty-year-old leaving in a rush.

Tia fell into step beside him, holding a champagne glass and a shard of watermelon on a toothpick. “The watermelon is way less mushy than last time, you should… whoa, are you good?”

“Have you seen Benji?” he asked, still looking from face to face as he walked.

“No,” Tia said, adjusting her sparkly glasses. “Why? Is everything okay?”

“I don’t know,” Noah admitted. “We?—”

He stopped. There, at the other end of the hall, right near the exit. Benji’s shoulders were up, his face a blank, tear-streaked mask. He was staring over at the bar.

Noah followed his gaze. What he saw made his chest flare with shock.

Michael. Lazing back against the bar, toying with the undone top button of his shirt. As Noah watched in disbelief, Michael raised his glass in a salute.

Benji’s face twitched. For a second, it almost looked like a snarl. Then it fell back into the shaky mask, and he stumbled out the exit.

Noah took off. Tia trailed behind him, wisely stopping when it became clear that Michael had spotted his brother and wasn’t going to let this happen. Noah sped up, almost jogging, but Michael had always been faster than him.

He grabbed Noah just before the door, pulling him around by the shoulders.

“Heeeey,” he said, almost casual if it weren’t for how sharp his smile was. “What’s up, little brother?”

“What the hell was that ?” Noah hissed.

Michael cocked his head. “What was what?”

“Don’t bullshit me.” Noah lowered his voice, too aware that people were still coming through the doors behind them. “What did you do to Benji? What’s going on?”

Michael rolled his tongue in his mouth. For a moment, Noah thought the cocky shit was going to ask him what he meant, and he briefly considered getting into his first fistfight in fifteen years.

“What’s going on,” Michael drawled, finally, “is that gold digger is going home with his tail between his legs.”

Goddamnit . Noah gritted his teeth and pulled him out of the way of the people still trickling in.

“Michael,” he started, low and threatening.

Michael cut him off. “I’m not an idiot. I know when my brother’s dating someone.”

“Michael. What did you do ?”

“ I saved your ass.” Michael dug his phone out of his pocket. “Surprise, surprise! The broke loser is using you, you fucking genius !”

He thrust his phone into Noah’s face. It was a transcript of an interview.

“He extorted his science teacher for twenty thousand dollars in sophomore year,” Michael said darkly. “Open your eyes, Noah. I can’t believe you’d be this stupid.”

Noah took the phone. The kid said to give him the money, or he’d go to the police. I have a wife and kids. It would’ve ruined my life, not just my job. So, I gave it to him.

“He was taking perverted pictures of his underage students,” Noah realized as he read on.

“Yeah! And if he wasn’t a shithead, he would’ve turned the creep into the cops! He didn’t want to do something good; he wanted money . Sound familiar?”

Noah shook his head. This didn’t line up with Benji at all. Not all of it, anyway.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. Noah took it out, his heart lurching.

It was Benji. I can’t do this anymore , it read. It’s too much. Don’t contact me again.

Michael made a triumphant noise. “Smart kid.”

Noah stared at him. How much of this was true and how much of it was Michael? Had he confronted Benji before the gala? The text didn’t even read like Benji wrote it. He only used capital letters for comedic effect.

He held up the phone. “Did you tell him to do this?”

Michael scoffed. He folded his arms over his chest, muscles straining the fabric. Killing time so he could think up a response.

Noah shoved his phone back in his pocket and turned toward the exit.

Michael reached for him. “Hey!”

Noah shook him off. “If he’s unhappy, fine. I want him to break up with me to my face.”

“ Noah .” Michael grabbed for him, shooting a passing client a tight smile when she glanced their way. “Noah! Don’t be an idiot! How stupid do you have to be to see he’s using you?”

Noah whirled on him. “Just because Yvonne fucked you over more than a decade ago doesn’t mean that everyone is going to follow in her footsteps. Benji’s a good guy, I trust him.”

Michael’s face changed. Before this, he’d still been trying to smile, to pass this off as something they could look back and laugh at. But when Noah said trust , the smile vanished. A sneer appeared in its place.

“Then you’re a fucking idiot,” he barked.

“Bye, Mikey.”

“Fine,” Michael called after him. “Go fuck up your life for some clawing, fake loser !”

People stared as Noah marched out. He ignored them. He needed to see Benji.