I wandered the carnival, checking out the different stands as I waited for my mom to text me back. It took her a while, and when she finally got back to me, it was to say that she and Matthew were just finishing up ice-skating. They were planning to go to the jack-o’-lantern village next, and she suggested I meet them there.
My eyebrows lifted, and I scanned the text message again to check I’d read it correctly. Ice-skating and a candlelit pumpkin village? It almost sounded like they were on a date. A date I was totally going to gate-crash if I met up with them like I had planned. I might have considered leaving them alone, but I did want to spend some time with my mom tonight.
I’d seen the jack-o-lantern village when I’d first arrived at the carnival. It was positioned at the edge of the forest on the other side of the makeshift parking lot that had been set up in one of the fields. There was a path that followed alongside the driveway to reach it, but cutting through the parking lot would take half the time, so that’s the route I took.
It seemed so much quieter among the cars as the sounds of the carnival became muted in the distance. I wasn’t sure why they’d set up the pumpkin carvings so far from the rest of the event, but I was guessing it was to create a spooky atmosphere. The carnival was so loud and bright it would probably ruin the creepy glow of the candlelit pumpkins.
I was almost to the other end of the parking lot and could see the entrance to the village of jack-o’-lanterns up ahead when a man came around the side of one of the cars. He’d appeared out of nowhere, and we almost collided.
“Sorry!” I gasped as I stumbled back to avoid plowing into him.
The man grunted in response, and as I lifted my eyes to look at his face, I froze. I was looking into the cruel green eyes of Noah’s grandfather.
“Watch where you’re going,” he barked. My heart was in my throat as he looked down at me. He didn’t seem to recognize me at first, but then something in his eyes flared. His expression turned dark, and his upper lip seemed to curl as he eyed my waitress costume.
“Ah, Matthew LaFleur’s bastard daughter,” he said.
The blood drained from my face at his words. “Excuse me?” I choked out. I couldn’t believe he’d called me that. Who the hell did this guy think he was?
“I was hoping never to see your face again,” he continued. “But now that I’ve had the misfortune of running into you, I’ve got a message for your father.”
He was either oblivious to the fact he’d insulted me or, more likely, he simply did not care. I was still too stunned to move or speak.
“Tell LaFleur to back down. If he thinks I’m going to sit back and do nothing while he throws another lawsuit at me, he’s got another thing coming.”
‘I—I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
‘Of course, you don’t.” He pointed a finger at me and stepped closer, towering over me. “Just tell your father. Make sure he understands that he isn’t the only one with the power to make other people’s lives difficult. You tell him that if he continues to try and take me down with legal action, I will make your life at Weybridge Academy extremely unpleasant.”
I took a step back from him, giving myself a bit of space to breathe, and managed to stammer out a response. “Are you threatening me?”
“It’s just a friendly warning.” A slow, hateful smile formed on his lips. “You’ll know when I’m threatening you, girl.”
“Grandfather!”
I turned as Noah stormed up behind me. His hair was still wet from being dunked in the tank at the soccer team’s booth, and he pushed the damp strands that hung across his face aside as he came to stand between his grandfather and me.
“What are you doing?” Noah growled at his grandfather. He hadn’t so much as looked my way, but it was clear he’d overheard William’s threats. “Is this why you wanted me to meet you out here? So, I could watch you threaten Isobel?”
His body was practically shaking in anger, and it seemed like William had finally pushed his grandson too far. Was Noah actually going to fight for me? For us?
William’s eyes narrowed as he looked between Noah and me. A vein seemed to pulse in his forehead as his gaze eventually settled on his grandson. “How could you still have a soft spot for this LaFleur girl after everything that we’ve been through because of them?”
My heart was racing as I looked at Noah. I wasn’t sure what would be worse—if Noah declared his love for me or said I didn’t matter to him at all. William was clearly trying to elicit an emotional response from him, and Noah looked torn as he returned his grandfather’s hard stare.
Only a handful of seconds passed, but they stretched out painfully long as I waited for Noah to say something—anything. When he finally released a breath, all the fight seemed to leave his body with it.
“I don’t,” he muttered.
It was the right thing for Noah to say. We were over, and it wasn’t worth messing up his relationship with his grandfather because of me. It still hurt. I stupidly thought he’d finally grown strong enough to stand up to William.
“You told me you were over her,” William replied, clearly not satisfied with Noah’s answer. “Were you lying to me?”
Noah straightened as he stared his grandfather down. ‘I wasn’t lying.”
“I. Don’t. Believe. You.”
I wanted to disappear into the mud beneath my feet. I wanted to be anywhere but here. Not only had Noah’s grandfather threatened me, but he was now grilling my ex-boyfriend about his feelings for me.
As if this moment couldn’t get any worse, I spotted my father at the other end of the parking lot. He must have sensed my eyes on him because he looked at me and smiled. But when he saw who I was with, his expression turned, and he started stalking toward us. Thankfully, I couldn’t see my mom anywhere.
“What’s going on? Isobel, are you okay?” Matthew demanded as he approached. Concern lit his features, and he reached out and gripped my arm. He was standing far closer than normal, and from the way he positioned his body between William, Noah, and me, I could tell he was trying to be protective.
He only let go of me when I nodded. “I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.” I sent Noah’s grandfather a sharp look. “William was just letting me know what can happen when you get on the wrong side of a Hastings.”
Ever so slowly, Matthew’s eyes hardened, and he squared his shoulders as he faced William Hastings. Even without the fake blood splattered on his face, my father would have looked fierce as he glared at the man who had caused our family so much pain.
“Threatening my daughter in a darkened parking lot, William? And I thought you could sink no lower.” I had no idea how Matthew managed to keep his voice so calm but also sound so powerful. His tone only carried a hint of his tightly coiled rage, and the worry that had been evident in his words just moments ago was nowhere to be seen.
“I was simply reminding her to keep her distance from my grandson. They both appear to have forgotten…”
“We haven’t forgotten,” Noah said.
“We broke up just like you all wanted,” I added, anger pulsing through my veins. ‘Isn’t that enough?”
“No, it’s not.” William spat. “I wouldn’t be satisfied if you were in a school on the other side of the world. And even that wouldn’t be far enough.”
“Watch your tone with my daughter,” Matthew ordered.
“Why? So she thinks I’ll just stand by while she ensnares my grandson the same way your sister did my son?”
Don’t you dare mention my sister.”
The tension and anger between them was almost unbearable, and as I glanced at Noah, I could see he was struggling with it just as much as I was. This all needed to stop.
“Can’t we just put the past behind us?” I shouted over them.
Matthew and William both turned to face me.
“Seriously.” I focused mostly on my father. “You said you tried to work things out with Noah’s dad before. Maybe we can try again now?”
A flicker of concern shot through Matthew’s eyes, and he glanced at Noah. For a second, they shared a look, but I had no idea what they communicated in that fleeting moment.
“What’s she talking about?” William’s voice was low and filled with so much ice it rivaled the chill in the air.
My father’s expression turned just as cold as he faced Noah’s grandfather. “I’ve got no idea. She must be confused because I would never try to mend things with a Hastings. Especially not Liam.”
“What do you mean by that?” Noah asked. He’d gone completely rigid, and I gave Matthew a worried look. Why was he pretending he hadn’t tried to fix the feud? Surely, he knew to tread lightly where Noah’s father was concerned?
Matthew seemed completely oblivious to the fact Noah had gone lethally still.
“I mean that your father was the worst of you. He was a liar, a fraud and a cheater who got my sister and himself killed—” Matthew didn’t get a chance to finish as Noah’s fist came swinging through the air.
“Noah!” I screamed. But my alarm did nothing to stop him.
Matthew’s head cracked back as Noah’s fist connected with his cheek. He stumbled away, his hand clinging to his face as he stared at Noah in horror.
I ran to my father’s side, grabbing hold of him as I turned to glare at Noah. “What the hell is wrong with you?” I yelled before turning to my dad. “Matthew, are you okay?”
He slowly nodded, but he had to be in pain. His cheek was turning red, and I had no doubt it was going to bruise. What on earth had Noah been thinking? And why had Matthew felt the need to taunt him about his dad? Matthew was clearly on edge after finding me alone out here with William and Noah, but I’d never seen him lose his cool that way before.
Matthew gave Noah a tight smile. “You’ll be hearing from my lawyer. Come on, Isobel.”
Matthew placed a hand on my lower back, and I let him lead me away. I was too shocked to put up any complaint. I couldn’t believe what had just happened. I’d thought Noah and I were in a more civil place, that maybe we could rise above the conflict between our families, even if we weren’t going to be together. Any hope I’d harbored that we could both somehow stay out of it had been completely torn apart the moment his fist had come flying toward my father.
I glanced over my shoulder at Noah and his grandfather. Noah was still brimming with barely leashed anger as he stared after us. His eyes were hard, and his mouth formed an unforgiving line. I could tell he was still livid about the way Matthew had insulted his father. But that didn’t excuse his actions, and I found I had no sympathy for him.
William’s demeanor couldn’t have been more different. There was a pleased look in his eyes as he watched us leave. Somehow, it felt like he had just won. And I hated him a little more for that.
“Oh my gosh, Matthew!” Mom cried out as we neared the candle-lit pumpkins.
She was waiting by the entrance to the jack-o’-lantern village, and she rushed over to us when she caught sight of Matthew cradling his cheek, his eyes scrunched in pain. The bright red mark was looking worse. He was probably lucky it wasn’t bleeding.
Mom hurried toward us. She reached out a hand to Matthew’s cheek but quickly dropped her arm to her side. “That’s not fake, is it?”
“No,” he grunted. “I wish.”
“I go to the bathroom for two minutes, and you get in a fight?” Her eyes were wide with confusion. “What happened?”
Matthew glanced at me as both of us hesitated. I didn’t want to explain what had happened with Noah. It hurt my heart too much. I’d known he was on his grandfather’s side in all this. I’d been well aware that he would always choose the Hastings over me. But when I saw him punch my dad to defend his family, I finally realized I’d never even had a chance with him. Not in a relationship. Not as a friend. He would always choose them.
“Somebody better tell me what happened…” Mom said.
I knew there was no way she was going to let this go, so I answered as briefly as possible. “Let’s just say Noah and I will never be getting back together.”
“Noah did this?” Mom gasped.
She looked like she had a million more questions, so I headed them off before she got a chance to start firing them at me. “Can we talk about it later?” I said. “Maybe when there aren’t so many other people around? I think we just need to get Matthew some ice for his face.”
Mom looked around, finally realizing she wasn’t the only one who’d noticed Matthew cradling his cheek. There were several other students and their parents giving him strange looks.
“Okay, we’ll talk about it later,” she said as she turned her attention back to us. There was a sense of promise in her tone, and I knew she’d be wanting every detail. “Now, I’m sure we can get some ice from around here somewhere.”
“I think I’d just like to go home,” Matthew said.
“You’re right, maybe we should call it a night,” Mom replied.
It was still so early, and the thought of missing the rest of the carnival made me sad. I couldn’t imagine staying though. Not after what had just happened. There had been way too much drama for one night for my liking, and I didn’t want to risk sticking around and potentially seeing Noah or his grandfather again.
“Yeah, I think I’m ready to go,” I agreed.
“Give me your keys, Matt, I’ll go get your car,” Mom said.
He pulled them from his pocket without complaint and handed them to my mom. I imagined he didn’t feel up to driving right now.
“You two wait here for me,” she said. “I’ll be right back.”
Mom hated feeling powerless in situations like this, and I had no doubt that getting the car as quickly as possible was her way of feeling useful.
As soon as she was out of earshot, Matthew turned to me. “I’m sorry about what just happened,” he said. “I didn’t mean to upset Noah.”
“I mean, you probably shouldn’t have said those things about his dad, but if anyone should be apologizing, it’s him,” I replied. “I can’t believe he hit you.”
“I deserved it for bringing up his father that way. I was really just angry at William. He shouldn’t have threatened you.”
“I was okay,” I murmured. “And you didn’t deserve to get hit. Violence is never the answer.” I glanced up at his cheek and caught him wincing as he went to touch it. “Does it hurt much?”
“It’s not too bad,” he admitted. “I’m sure it will feel much better once I’ve iced it.”
“I hope so.”
We waited in silence for my mom to return. The car mustn’t have been parked too far because she pulled up and ushered us into the vehicle after only a few minutes.
As she drove us back to Matthew’s mansion, I couldn’t stop looking at the mark on his cheek. The bruise was such a small thing. Within a few days, it would fade and the pain would be forgotten. But it felt so much bigger than that. It was yet another painful scar etched into the history of my family and Noah’s family. A mark that would only fester and grow worse as the years went by.
Deep down, I guess I’d always known there was no fixing the rift between us. It felt like our families were inextricably pulled together and yet doomed to always fall apart. We were caught in some never-ending spiral of pain and hurt. And when Noah had thrown that punch, he hadn’t just shattered whatever tenuous harmony there was between us. He’d cemented that rage in my own heart. I wasn’t just angry with him. I hated him. And I didn’t think it was possible to ever come back from that.
