I rest my hand against the back of Noah’s neck and rub my thumb along his skin, giving him all my support. I guess this is the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Tully discreetly gets up and disappears down the hallway as Eddison sits up a little straighter.
I go to make my move when Noah curls his arm around me, holding me still and not letting me go. I guess that settles it, I’m going to be here for this ass whooping.
“How have you been, son?” Eddison questions, raising his chin to appear somewhat of the authority figure here, but we all know Violet is the one who wears the pants in this relationship.
“I’m not working for Anton any longer if that’s what you’re asking.”
Eddison raises a brow and it’s almost startling how much he resembles Noah as he does it. “Why don’t you start from the beginning,” Eddison says as Noah’s eyes flick up towards his mom. “Your mom has had some time to cool off,” he continues. “So as long as you’re making some progress, we shouldn’t have any issues here.”
Violet nods in agreement and with that, Noah lets out a deep sigh. He hangs his head, completely ashamed of his actions, but there’s no way he’s backing out. This is his chance to come clean and there’s no way he’s going to mess it up.
“It started when I was eleven and Lily had just gone back to the hospital,” he says. “You and dad were talking in the kitchen and me and Tully were supposed to be in bed, but we weren’t. We were sitting in the hallway, neither of us could sleep after hearing what the doctor had said. It was the day we were told that she would only survive a few extra weeks unless we started the treatment again. You two were talking about the cost of the medication and stressing about how we were going to keep our home and pay for her bills.”
“I felt so helpless,” Noah continues. “I’d heard this kid at school talking about how her dad had gotten a loan from this guy and I knew that was our only chance.”
“Wait. Loan?” Violet questions. “What are you talking about?”
Noah continues as though Violet hadn’t just cut in. “I snuck out the window that night and found these rough guys on the street and asked them about Anton. At first, they laughed me off. I was just a kid; what business could I want with Anton Mathers? But I was relentless and desperate so they took me to him. I explained our situation and he agreed to pay her medical bills for as long as it took.”
“Oh, Noah,” Violet sighs, absolutely broken.
“I was just a kid,” he says. “I didn’t realize what kind of deal I was making, but in my eyes, he was willing to pay for the treatment that could save my sister and I was willing to do whatever it took to save her. I agreed and over the past seven years, he has held that over my head. I sold my soul to him without realizing what the hell I was doing.”
“But, Noah, we didn’t need Anton to pay for Lily’s treatment. Your grandmother sorted it out.”
“I realize this now. I was young and naïve and had no reason to question it. One day I was asking him for the money, the next day you were telling us that the treatment plan had been put into place. I believed it was Anton, and as Lily managed to fight for another twelve months, my gratitude for what I thought he’d done only grew. I became his loyal servant. Anything Anton asked of me, I did.”
Violet straightens. “Like what?”
Noah’s brows crease and I realize this is the worst of it. The naïve, emotional child who was fighting for his sister can be forgiven, but the teenager taking part in illegal activities for the benefit of a mobster…well, that’s where it gets a little tricky.
“Everything, mom,” he says. “If he needed a drug mule, I did it. I smuggled shit. I’ve stolen cars and sold them for parts. I collected debts and when they couldn’t pay, I beat the absolute shit out of them as a warning.”
“Why didn’t you come to me as a child or as a man?” Violet asks with tears in her eyes. “I could have helped you.”
Noah shakes his head. “I couldn’t risk you knowing. I can’t stand the way you’re looking at me right now. It kills me seeing the disgust in your eyes. I’m ashamed of the things that I’ve done. They were horrible and it’s not me, but I had no choice. He gave my baby sister twelve extra months.”
“But he didn’t,” Violet argues. “He fooled you.”
“I know that now and I’m sick to my stomach that I let it go on so long. The things I did for him…I should have known he was playing me just as he does to everyone else. He took advantage of me and I was too blind to see it.”