“Mom, this is Cadence,” Noah deflected, pulling me forward, and when his mom turned to me, her face paled. “Cadence, this is Belinda Harris, my mom.” Noah was looking at me as he said it, and didn’t see his mom’s expression change, her face transforming as if she’d just seen a ghost. “Did you want me to take care of the bat before we sit down for dinner?”
“Hmmm?” Her gaze hadn’t left my face as she gave him a distracted answer. “Of course, whatever you think, baby.”
“Mom,” Noah said, his face puzzled. “You alright?”
“Yes,” she answered definitively, nodding. “You run along and I’ll visit with…Cadence, was it?”
I nodded, suddenly wary, even as Noah’s gaze darted between us.
“Go on,” she urged, waving him on. “We’ll get the table set and be ready to eat by the time you’re finished.”
“Ok-ay,” Noah drawled, stepping back as I followed his mom down the hall, her eyes still fixed on my face. “I’ll be quick.”
“Take your time,” his mom ordered, her inspection making me feel like I was under a microscope. “Us girls have plenty to talk about.”
Noah suddenly looked leery but we’d entered the kitchen, cutting him from our sight. His mom swung the door shut, giving us privacy, and I shuffled a couple of steps away from her, my discomfort rising to new levels.
Her breath escaped in a heavy gust as she blinked rapidly. “You look just like her.”
I knew who she meant. It wasn’t like I hadn’t heard it most of my life. “My mom.”
“Yes,” she murmured, her head bobbing nervously. “Moira.”
“You knew her?”
“Of her,” Belinda corrected. She straightened away from the door, approaching me and I took a step back, hitting the counter. I braced my arms against the edge, trying not to feel like my world was tilting, like everything was about to change, but her gaze only grew more determined as she came right up to me, her face mere inches from mine as she whispered, “You shouldn’t be here.”
“In your house?” I asked desperately, hoping she just hadn’t liked my mom and there wasn’t more to it.
She shook her head, the fear in her eyes making cold flash through me. “Here. This town isn’t safe. Not for you. Not for your momma.”
I swallowed hard. “What do you mean?”
“Your momma ran away.” She looked at me, a growing understanding in her eyes. “To keep you safe, I’m guessing. You should do the same.”
The kitchen door banged open making both of us jump. “We’re going to have to take a raincheck on dinner,” Noah announced, his face grim. “Sorry, but I received a call and we need to go.”
“So soon?”
“Duty calls,” Noah said shortly, his gaze locked on me, but I couldn’t seem to move, my legs frozen and my expression must have worried him, because he hurried over. “I’ll make it up to you, Mom.”
“Of course,” she murmured, still staring at me, but now her expression was one of dread, and it dawned on me she was scared for me, which only compounded the fear her words had already created.
“Let’s go,” Noah ordered, gripping my arm and pulling me along. “Love you,” he called as we practically jogged down the hall and out the front door. The door banged shut behind us and he hurried me to the car, opening the passenger door and tucking me inside the same way he would a criminal.
“What happened in there?” He asked, starting the car.
“Who called? I didn’t even hear the phone,” I murmured in confusion as he backed down the driveway.
“No one,” he replied tightly. “I made it up.”
“What?”
He shook his head. “What did my mother say to you?”
“I don’t think coming here was a good idea,” I replied slowly, rubbing my arms to try and warm the ice flowing through my veins, as I realized the place I’d thought could save me might be more dangerous than what I was running from.
“What do you mean?”
“What if this place isn’t safe? What if I just put myself in more danger?”
“There’s no place on Earth safer for you than right here,” Noah declared, shocking me out of my daze. I stared at him and he met my gaze, his jaw hard. “You don’t have to run, Cadence. Sometimes, you have to stay and fight.”
“What if you don’t know who your enemy is?” I whispered faintly.
“Then we figure it out. Together.”
“Why? Why are you putting everything on the line for me?” I questioned, perplexed by his determination. “Why are you helping me?”
“Because I want you to stay. Because you’re worth fighting for.”
“Even against your mother?” I’d startled him if the sharp look he shot me was anything to go by. “She told me it’s not safe for me here. That I should leave. Just like my mom did.”
“She knew your mom,” he confirmed, snapping into cop mode as he tried to unravel my newfound mystery.