Chapter Sixteen — Noah Suspects
358 Words
(Harper’s POV)
It’s subtle at first.
Noah doesn’t say anything directly, but I catch the way he lingers in doorways, watching Jace and me interact. The way his brow furrows when we laugh a little too easily together. The small, almost imperceptible glances he throws when he thinks we aren’t looking.
I try to stay calm. I tell myself it’s all in my head. Jace has been… careful. Mostly.
But this morning, the worry hits full force.
I’m in the kitchen, pouring cereal, when Noah leans against the counter.
“You’ve been writing a lot lately,” he says casually, but his tone is sharp. “All this… late-night stuff. What’s got you so focused?”
I pause, heart hammering. “Uh… just the book. You know. Editing.”
He studies me, suspicious. “Right. Editing.”
Before I can say anything else, Jace walks in, acting perfectly nonchalant, handing me a sticky note with a quote from my story.
Noah watches him. Really watches him.
I know that look. That’s the brother-who-knows-something’s-off look.
“Are you two… like, working on it together or something?” Noah asks, voice casual but pointed.
Jace freezes for a second, then says, “Yeah. Just… research stuff.”
I almost choke. Research stuff?
Noah raises an eyebrow. “Research stuff?”
I clear my throat. “Yeah. I mean… character development. Inspiration. You know, writing things accurately.”
He stares at us, unblinking. “Mm-hmm. Sure.”
He leaves the room, but the air feels heavier than ever. The moment he steps away, Jace exhales.
“That was close,” he mutters.
I slump against the counter. “Close doesn’t even begin to cover it.”
Jace glances at me, eyes softer now. “We have to be more careful. Noah’s smart. He’s going to figure it out if we keep acting like… this.”
I nod reluctantly. “I know. But it’s getting harder. Pretending we’re just… friends.”
He reaches for my hand, brushing it lightly, almost unconsciously. “Yeah. I know.”
And in that fleeting, dangerous touch, I realize: we’re already past the point where pretending works.
- Writer
