Noble took a step back as she disentangled herself from him, adding more space between them. His back was against the edge of one of his shelves; this wasn't a particularly large space to begin with. He felt like he had with Ford in the living room, when their argument started — like he was starting to watch things spin out in front of him and he didn't know how to stop them. There was an emotion rising in his chest, not anger but — maybe a relative of it. He folded his arms over his chest to steady himself.

He couldn't tell her she was crazy, but he could not tell her the truth, either — right now the truth was just a secret Ford and Noble held together, and he was angry with his brother but he couldn't break that trust, either. The truth, if outed, would fully ruin them. And that wouldn't help Daffy either.

So he couldn't lie, and he couldn't tell the truth either, and he couldn't avoid the question. Fuck.

He swallowed and pushed one hand through his hair. "Things have gotten — more complicated, since my father died," Noble tried, "With the plan."

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