That tone, deep and shaking, brought back memories of the days before she’d found the right doctor for him. Once she’d understood that her parents had caused more trouble for him by not immediately seeking treatment and that the delay could lead to bigger issues later in life, she got Noah help.
But that didn’t solve the problem completely. Even now, the more stressed, the more under fire he felt, the more skewed his boundaries became. The uncontrolled anger of the past when he would punch walls was gone, but the faint whisper of frustration remained.
Disregarding the way her shirt now stuck to her skin and the wet chilling her from the inside out, she inhaled and pitched her voice low. “Are you okay? It’s not like you to barge in.”
“I thought you might have someone in here and not let me open up,” he said.
That struck her as the worst response ever. She set her now-empty glass on a months-old magazine and stared him down. “And you thought that entitled you to use the emergency key?”
“Do you really care that I came in without knocking?”
That was a typical Noah response. He flipped things around to make her feel like the unreasonable one. “It’s a matter of privacy.”
“I want an explanation.” He stepped into the apartment, leaving the door hanging open behind him.
“You mean Derrick.” At the use of the name, she could see Noah’s jaw clench. His features hardened.
With the straight brown hair and dark brown eyes, Noah looked like their father. While Dad’s perpetual good looks and boyish charm had helped to launch him in hundreds of get-rich-schemes over the years, including the one her parents were flying to when they died, Noah tended to be aloof and always assessing.
He came around to the same side of the couch as her. “You’re on a first-name basis with the guy who fired me and is trying to frame me?”
She wasn’t sure how to broach this subject but she tried anyway… “Is it possible this thing between the two of you has gone off the tracks a bit?” When Noah’s mouth dropped open, she hurried to finish the thought. “Maybe there was a miscommunication and then you—”
“He’s brainwashed you.” Noah sounded stunned at the idea.
She tried to ignore how insulting that was. Tried and couldn’t. “What?”
“Is it the money?”
And he made it worse. “What are you talking about?”
“Look, I know you’ve had a tough time dating and stuff, but Derrick Jameson?” Noah asked. “People are asking me about you and Jameson in the comment sections of my videos. They’re questioning me now.”
So that was it. His precious videos. His crusade. Just once she wished someone would care about her. “That’s what this is about? I’m messing up your revenge plans?”
“Having my sister sleep with my enemy is a problem, yes.” Noah practically spat as he talked and stepped toward her.
Out of habit, she moved back. He wouldn’t hurt her, but he sometimes still funneled his frustration into throwing things, and she did not want to be in the firing line. “You sound like you’re twelve.”
“He really does.”
A now-familiar deep voice sounded from the doorway. Relief slammed into Ellie before she even looked over. It washed right through her, calming her down.
Derrick. He loomed there, wearing a dark suit and fierce frown. The glare did not waver away from Noah.
“You’re here.” Noah’s shoulders fell as if a load of shock had replaced his anger. “In my sister’s house.”
“You always were very observant.” Derrick stepped inside and closed the door behind him.
The soft thud snapped Ellie out of the haze enveloping her. That fast, she flipped from soothing mode to trying to wrestle control back. “Derrick, sarcasm is not helping here.”
He looked at her then. His gaze traveled over her, hesitating on the stain plastering her silk blouse to her chest before bouncing up again. “Sorry.”
The word sounded so sincere and heartfelt. As if he understood she was ten seconds away from shattering into a million pieces.
“You apologized to her?” Noah’s full attention centered on Derrick. “What about me?”
“You stole from me and got caught.” Derrick’s voice stayed steady even as he shook his head. “If you needed money you could have asked for an advance on your salary.” Derrick’s eyes narrowed. “But I’m not sure any of this was about money.”
Noah turned to face her again. “Do you hear him? His accusations?”
She did. Saw him, too. Watching Derrick was a revelation. If he carried around any guilt, he hid it well. If he had falsely blamed Noah…no, that didn’t make sense. It had never made sense, but seeing Derrick now, in full de-escalation mode, made her brother’s story even less believable.