Blindside

Episode Eleven

Roni

"Were you with him yesterday?"

Roni shook her head, confused by the fury in Noah's eyes and voice, but even more so by his line of questioning. She'd been a wreck all morning because of the inevitable impending conversation, but she hadn't prepared for this.

"No."

Noah rolled his eyes as she held the door for him to come inside, and he stalked by her. There was no greeting, no hugging, no kissing. He'd even flinched when his arm grazed hers as if it sickened him to touch her.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked, peering at him. "Why would you ask me if I'm in love with him or if I was with him yesterday?"

"Why'd you work so late last night?"

Was he really serious? "I told you or at least I tried to, but you were a little drunk. When I got to the gym, I saw how much of Bianca's work was piling up since she sprained her ankle and was laid up at home. When I let Nellie know, she said she'd keep Jack as long as I needed if I wanted to knock it out so we could both stay home this weekend when you guys got back."

That seemed to stun him a little, but his brows furrowed anyway. "How long have you known him, Roni?"

Clearing her throat, Roni did her best to remember what she'd rehearsed. Complete honesty. She'd leave nothing out.

"I met him when I worked at ESU."

Noah's rigid expression fell, and for a moment he looked almost devastated. But it was short-lived. In the next instant, he looked ready to kill. "Are you fucking kidd—?"

"But I hadn't seen or known anything about him since," Roni said, holding her hands up. "I swear to you on Jack I'd completely forgotten about him. It's why when he said he thought he knew me but couldn't place me I had nothing for him."

"So, what happened? You two rekindled whatever old flame you had?"

"No!"

"Is that why he sent you dick pics?"

"What are you talking about?"

"He texted you shit you didn't tell me about, right?"

This stumped Roni. How did he know? But again she reminded herself, complete honesty. "He looks completely different now from what he did back then, so I didn't recognize him—"

"Did he text you pictures?"

"He did," she said, cringing when Noah let his head fall back in exasperation. "It was just one photo of him from back then! He had hair and a goatee, and he asked if maybe the old him wasn't familiar maybe the young one was."

"So what? Is that when it all started?" Noah demanded. "Was that how he got you?"

"He did not get me." Roni huffed as she followed Noah around the kitchen island. "And what do you mean it all started? Nothing started."

"Why the fuck didn't you tell me about this?"

Roni's heart pounded as she leaned against the kitchen counter and she pleaded her case. "This whole thing with me worrying about Jack had me crazy. You'd already been so annoyed about his initial texts I didn't see the point. As far as I knew, he still hadn't been able to place me, and I told him the picture didn't ring any bells—"

"Why?"

Roni stood a little straighter, trying to garner the courage to get through this because she'd only ever seen Noah this incensed once in her life. "Because I didn't want him to remember me. We had one appointment left, and I just wanted to get it over with without any awkwardness."