“I’m Noah,” I speak up.
The three of them circle me, then one guy grabs my arms.
“We have a warrant for your arrest for the murder of Gabe Reid.” He cuffs my wrists, and the audible gasps echo around me. As he reads my Miranda rights, I look at my dad and Gemma. Then I find Katie and watch her face drop. I’ll never forget the look of pure shock, sadness, and fear on her face. I’m in disbelief and horrified that I caused this.
“Noah, stay quiet. I’ll meet you down there with our lawyer,” my dad tells me. I keep my head down as they walk me to the cruiser and put me in the back. Though I’m mortified, I look out the window anyway and meet Katie’s eyes.
“I’m sorry,” I mouth to her. She’s been crying all afternoon, but a new set of tears falls down her cheeks as she stares at me.
When I get to the station, I quickly learn about the witnesses’ statements used against me. Gabe's side chick completely exaggerated reality, but without Gabe to confirm, it’s my word against hers. The fact our fight resulted in his death means they can charge me for this.
I’m placed in the county jail until my court date. The lawyer encourages me to take a plea deal because if my case goes to a jury, the prosecutor will push for a harsher charge. When my day to stand in front of the judge arrives, I plead guilty and accept the sentence for a class B felony. My family and Katie sit behind me as the judge reads my charges.
Twelve years for involuntary manslaughter.
My dad and Gemma are distraught, and Katie gives me the saddest, most pitiful expression I’ve ever seen. I don’t know what she’s thinking because we haven’t spoken since the funeral two weeks ago, but I see the disappointment and pain written all over her face.
Everything in my life changes in the blink of an eye.
She knows I’m the reason her husband is dead.
The reason her unborn son will grow up without his father and why she’ll have to raise him alone.
How do I apologize for that? Nothing I say could ever be enough or change things. Instead of helping, I hurt her, and I’ll never be able to forgive myself for what I’ve done.
Chapter One
KATIE
PRESENT DAY
I look around the two-story house I bought almost a year ago, knowing that one day it’ll be the perfect home for my son, Owen, and me. It needed a total remodel, so I've slowly been fixing it up on my days off at the bank. Sometimes, I’ll come in the evenings with Owen, but lately, between making dinner, helping with his homework, and getting him into bed by eight thirty, I haven’t had any extra time.
Even so, it’s been one-hundred-percent worth it. I’ve invested everything I own into this place and won't stop until it’s move-in ready. After tearing down some walls, I hired an electrician to fix the wiring before I insulated and hung drywall. Since I learned from watching YouTube tutorials and made a few mistakes along the way, it took months to get that much done. I’m hoping to do as much as I can on my own and am proud to do it.
Between being a single mom and working full-time, I have limited hours to dedicate to this project, but I’m determined. The flooring has been replaced in a couple of rooms, and I’ve been buying wood, paint, and other materials as I’ve saved up the money.
“Knock, knock,” Gemma sing-songs as she lets herself in the front door.
“In the master,” I call out. This room is almost finished and only needs new windows installed.
I smile when I see my best friend holding two cups of coffee. I grab one and take a small sip. “My hero.”
“How’s it goin’?” she asks, looking around. She hasn’t been here in a while, but she’s been busy lately, so I understand.
“Not too bad. Come check out the paint and carpet.”
I’ve decided to leave hardwood in the hallway and tile in the bathroom suite, so the carpet was only needed in this room.
Gemma stands in the doorway. “It looks so good. I can’t wait to see the house when it’s complete.”
I snort. “You and me both.”
We walk into the kitchen, where I chat about my plans.
“Are you sure you don’t want some help? This seems like such a big project for one person,” she says after I describe how I want to restore the cabinets.
“Nah, you and Tyler are busy with the new gym. I’ll be fine. I’ve got Google and YouTube to help save the day. I’ll figure it out.”
Gemma chuckles. “Well, just holler if you change your mind.”
“Do you wanna grab a drink tonight after I’m done here? Owen’s having a sleepover with Gabe’s parents.”