{ Ch. 13 }

I get to the private beach, finally back at Noah's after track practice. I changed into my bikini and a loose swim shorts. I was not looking forward to our conversation in the slightest.

I leave my phone behind, the wire next to it on the bed and my shoes; I strip myself of all jewellery, makeup, and even going so far as to leave my hairband on the bed. I slowly walk to a very unpleasant talk with Noah and when I'm finally a metre away from him, I freeze. Noah is pacing up and down the stretch of beach, hardly noticing my arrival - he looks stressed and even a little sick. I hesitate, can I even do this? I guess it's never too late the make a run for it, right. I turn, planning to walk back to the house and pack my stuff and... "Delilah!" Noah shouts, spotting me and I close my eyes. I knew I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up at the sound of escape.

I turn toward him and I see his furious face - I swear Slater was always angry with me. Is is too late to turn back? "Delilah Kade! You're not a coward - come here." Noah demands and I sheepishly walk toward him, a dog with it's tail tucked in between it's legs. "Who are you really?" Is the first thing he asks me and he backs away from my touch. "I'm me, your Della." The tears get stuck in my throat and my eyes burn. "I can explain Noah." He backs away as I try to close the distance between us. "I was wired by the Feds, okay." I say, looking at my feet. "Why?" "Because of Wolfe." I say to him.

"How- wait what?" Noah shakes his head confused, "I thought Wolfe and you broke up years ago." "-we did break up, but Wyatt and Lark worked for him sometimes. So I met him after. I wish I could say we became friends but we didn't - our relationship after was..." I trail off. "He knew Wyatt and Lark did work for him and he threatened me with them, he wasn't abusive - he just loved having his way all the time. I broke it off after some really nasty things transpired and during that time I ran toward the only ones who could help me put Wolfe away for good. The FBI. They are sure that Wolfe works for else - he too was a puppet - but it's still unconfirmed." Knowing everything that happened between Wolfe and I wasn't important - it was petty and I'd rather not have Noah knowing about that.

Truth was we were both in the wrong - I threatened Wolfe and Wolfe threatened me.

"I was a key witness to Wolfe's massacre in the Bronx and a vital source." I murmur softly, "I was useful for a while - but as time passed, I was found to have another use. I became a hacker for the NYPD." Noah glares at me. "Get to the point." "When they found out I moved to Seaview they monitored me but your parents came to town today and they thought I'd be with Kael and Henry for the meet up. It was an order Noah, please believe me." I say thickly and he shakes my hand from his shoulder. "Why should I believe you?" He asks scathingly and I stay silent. I really, really like you Noah Slater, I'm sorry. "Just leave me alone for the next few hours." He looks at me. "Please."

I nod vigorously, I could do that - I could leave him alone for a few hours. I could leave him alone - but not forever. He walks to the house and I watch him carefully. I wasn't gonna dwell on his obvious hurt, instead I jumped in the ocean and swam.

Morgan, Madison and Aubrey was going to meet Brianne and Jessabelle for the first time tomorrow night. I invited them as soon as I got a word in by Morg - who was still angry at me for the Lloyd fiasco.

I sighed this was not helping. I walked out of the ocean, feeling like a real piece of work as I kicked sand into the air and spent the next walking down the boardwalk and looking all depressed. "What's got your panties in a bunch?" A voice asks asks, unknowing of what just went down with Noah. I look up, "Oh, it's just you Lark." I murmur and Lark murmurs something to the doe eyed girl beside him and she disappears. Lark pulls me to my feet, "What are you doing here? At a carnival alone?" I forgot to mention for the rest of spring - the boardwalk was home to a cute little theme park. "Taking a break," I sigh.

Larkin Kade is my legally adopted brother and who is the best one out of the whole lot to be bad with. Larkin was the second one my mom took in and is my brother in all but blood. His dark brown chocolate eyes matched his hair and infamous smirk. He joined Kael and I when we worked for Wolfe, I didn't think he would leave New York, but he did. "Family Dellie, family means more than any race and you are family." That's what he said when we drowned our sorrows with a bottle of tequila and Russian beer. Not the best combination but we made it work. Larkin was our resident bad boy and my wing man when Kael was too busy for us. He was a year older than me and we shared homeroom and AP maths as well as detention. Our second home. Ah, good times.

I had a feeling that we were gonna share more detention sessions in the future. "What the hell Delilah? What did Noah do?" Lark shakes my numb shoulders, "Noah didn't do anything - I screwed up again." I mumble as I lay against the railings with limbless muscles that can't muster up the strength to do anything. "What do you want to hear Larkin?" I say tiredly, "I can barely muster up the strength to talk, much less tell you want you want to hear."

"The truth!" He shakes me harder, "I want the damn truth!" It's in that moment when it sinks in what just happened. I laugh at the revelation, my hysteria slowly transforming into something uglier, incontrollable sobs. I was one of the snitches who stitches. Unfortunately it wasn't physical stitches - I can deal with physical stitches. Either I die or I don't.

Larkin sighs, sitting next to me. "Well, if this isn't already 80 fucking shades of fucked up I don't wanna know what is." He says and I rest my head on his shoulders. I shiver and Lark takes a look at me. "Hell Delilah, you could catch your death - walking around like that. And where the hell are your shoes?" I start shivering and Lark moves immediately taking his hoodie off and giving it to me. "C'mon, let's take you back to Slater's." "N-n-no. I want to go with you - tell him I'm with you, don't tell him anything else, okay Lark?" I chatter, pulling Lark's white hoodie over my head. Lark sweeps me off my feey and I burrow my head against his warmth. "Shit Dels, you're ice." He says and the girl that was with him a few seconds ago now nowhere in sight...

"Sorry for ruining your date, Lark." I laugh through the chattering of my teeth and Lark rolls his eyes, "Shut up Delilah."