The rain fell harder now, soaking into Noah's jacket, dripping from Nicki's hair like liquid silver. Her words hung in the air, heavy and irreversible.
"You were there?" Noah's voice was barely audible, but it cut through the downpour like a blade.
Nicki nodded slowly, her jaw tightening as if bracing herself for a blow. "Yes. I saw everything. I… I made sure it happened."
Noah's heart thudded in his chest, each beat louder than the rain pounding on the car's roof. His mind replayed that night—the screeching tires, the glass shattering, the blood. Until now, he'd believed it was fate, a cruel twist of life. But hearing her admit this… it was like the ground beneath him had given way.
"Why?" His voice cracked. "Why would you do that?"
Nicki's hands clenched at her sides. "Because if I didn't, you'd still be tied to them. And they would've destroyed you, Noah. Just like they destroyed me."
A flash of lightning split the sky, illuminating her face—wet, trembling, but filled with a raw, defiant honesty.
"You think you're protecting me," Noah said bitterly, "but all you've done is make me doubt everything we've had."
Nicki stepped closer, her voice almost breaking. "No. I've given you the only chance you'll ever get to be free. But now… you have to choose, Noah. You can hate me and walk away—or you can trust me and find out the rest of the truth."
The rain drowned out the world, leaving only the two of them, their breaths visible in the cold air. Noah stared into her eyes, searching for the answer he didn't know if he wanted to find.
"Then tell me," he finally said. "Tell me everything."