Chapter 30

201K 3.5K 696
                                    

Chapter 30


We had been going round in circles at this point. Going through each detail with a fine-toothed comb, reiterating our same points over and over. "Who could The Boss really be?" I asked Nathan. "That seems like the perfect name for a drug dealer."

"We could get Peter to track down the location of the call," he replied. "That shouldn't be too difficult. If it's his dealer, then we'll be able to locate a whereabouts and find info on where Noah might have fled to."

"And if it's not?"

"If Noah is working with someone – or perhaps for someone..." he trailed off. His eyes were bright with anticipation. "All the more reason to believe he played a part in the disappearance. This could be huge, Jess."

Despite the intensity of our discussion, the glow of the car dashboard against his hair was almost hypnotic for me. The stars were beginning to come out, and Nate and I were still in his car. Parked right at the front of my house.

With the rush of adrenaline still lingering in my system, everything looked more alive. The trees looked greener and more luscious, and the night's events played in dizzying repeat in my mind's eye.

The phone. The ex-girlfriend. That kiss.

It was like giving into that kiss had released something inside me. The memories of the night the party played loud and clear in my head, and for the first time ever, I invited them forth.

I couldn't want him more.

He looked over at me then, letting the discussion fall briefly. His soft, gentle eyes scanned over my hair, my face. His thoughts had turned over to other matters now, and were not too difficult to guess. I felt almost too warm, like a fire had been ignited from inside the car.

I wanted him, needed him, to move closer.

"Y'know, you're not too bad at this," he complimented, shifting towards me. Leaning his head against the soft leather of his car seat, taking me in properly. He seemed happier and more relaxed than he had been in days. "You could be a detective, angel."

I scoffed. "If I'm Sherlock, does that make you Watson?"

Laughter rose in his throat. "Absolutely it does. I'd follow you to the opposite ends of the earth if I could. Helping you solve kick-ass crimes left and right."

I liked the thought of that. "You're not too bad yourself, Watson. That was a killer hunch you had about Noah's locker."

"Ah, well," he waved me off. He gave a small, teasing bow. "Anything for the cause. And anything for you."

I inched closer to him still, gravitating to his warmth like a moth to a flame. "Also, I hope you can forgive me for my impromptu show tonight. Starring you as my male lead, of course." I lowered my eyes, hesitating. "I think the most unexpected thing to come out of our partnership is all this... unwanted attention I've received from other people. Your ex-girlfriend being one."

His eyes widened as he slowly put two together. "Wait – my ex-girlfriend? Did Bryndle really call herself that? You've got to be joking."

Wait. Hold on. "Her name is Bryndle? Is that what her parents named her?" The mysterious girl finally had a name. And a ridiculous name, at that.

He laughed again. "I apologize for their sake, and hers. And don't think too much of her – she and I had a total of three encounters between us. Spanning from the start to the end of last summer. I'm not counting purely social encounters, of course."

White Lies (Book 1)Where stories live. Discover now