Noah's Quest - 20. A Reckoning and A Proposal

Silas’s Perspective

“Can you actually believe this crap?” I muttered to Tristan, watching Shiloh and Parker furiously blame Noah for Parker’s dad getting arrested on live television.

“What bothers me the most,” Tristan said, shaking his head, “is Nathan and Luca just sitting there, staying dead quiet.”

We watched as my younger brothers, Shawn and Shane, started nodding along with them. It infuriated me.

“Why are my brothers so damn stupid?"

“Was that a rhetorical question, or do you want an actual bulleted list?” Tristan replied, deadpan.

“Maybe we should post something on social media to set the record straight,” Parker suggested.

When Shiloh actually agreed with him, that was the absolute last straw. I had to make a point—a massive, terrifying point.

I looked at Tristan, who gave me a firm nod. With a sudden burst of energy, I transported myself straight to the main compound. I decided not to reveal my face right away, staying invisible in the shadows of the living room.

“Psst.”

I turned around. Standing right beside me was Little B—because of course he was already there.

“Hey, B,” I whispered, trying to hide my mounting annoyance with my family.

“You want some help?” he asked.

I had to carefully weigh how I responded so he didn't run off and ignite another massive bonfire, but honestly, I was getting pretty close to not giving a damn.

“No fires,” I instructed firmly.

A look of profound disappointment washed over his face. “I can still take them,” he insisted, flexing his tiny biceps.. I couldn't help but laugh.

“Who’s over there?” Nathan called out, peering into the dark hallway.

God, I loved being invisible. I really wished we’d had these powers back when I was alive, but I digress.

I watched my brothers’ faces; a subtle flicker of recognition hit them when they heard my laugh. It was now or never. I stepped directly into Shiloh’s face before dropping my invisibility and taking physical form.

“I bet Parker screams like a little girl,” Little B snickered from the shadows.

I rolled my eyes. No doubt about it.

“Shawn, get out of my face,” Shiloh snapped, mindlessly swatting at the air in front of him.

Then, he blinked. The room went dead silent.

I took a slow step back. The second Parker caught sight of me, he let out a high-pitched, glass-shattering shriek. Behind him, Little B flashed a triumphant smirk.

Shiloh’s face went completely pale.

“Who the hell is this?” Parker gasped once he finally stopped screaming.

I looked down at Shiloh. “Did you not tell your new boyfriend about me, Shi?”

A chaotic storm of emotions visualised across Shiloh’s face. “...Silas?” he whispered.

I turned my gaze slowly to Shane and Shawn. “Cat got your tongues?”

My brothers scrambled to stand up, but right on cue, Little B materialized on the arm of the sofa. They slammed back down into their seats real fast.

“What is going on here?” Nathan demanded, trying desperately to sound like an authority figure.

“I’m just here to clear up a few minor details for my dear little brothers,” I said smoothly.

“Silas, please—” Shiloh pleaded.

I cut him off with a icy glare. “There are a few things you deserve to know, Shiloh. Things Parker has conveniently left out.”

A wave of pure panic washed over Parker’s face.

“Jack Parker... or should I say, Preston Parker Parks the Third,” I said, letting the weight of the name drop like a bomb into the room. “Otherwise known as Parker’s grandfather.”

“What the hell?” Damian shouted, his face twisting in sudden rage as his brain processed the connection.

Shiloh slowly turned his head to stare at Parker. “He... he was your grandfather?”

Parker sat in absolute, frozen silence. Every single pair of eyes in the room was locked onto him, but he just stared at the rug.

“Parker!” Shawn barked, real anger flaring in his voice. “Say something!”

“It’s true,” Parker finally whispered, trembling.

I stepped closer. “So... do you actually love him? Or was this all just a ploy?” I already knew the answer, but I wanted Shiloh to hear it from his own mouth.

Dominic shoved Shawn off his lap and stood up, glaring down at Parker. “Are you going to answer his question?”

“I don’t have to answer anything to you people!” Parker spat, scrambling to his feet.

“No one is leaving,” I growled. I let my human disguise slip just enough for my eyes to glow like burning coals.

“I can’t believe you,” Shiloh said, stepping back from Parker, his voice shaking with betrayal.

“What don’t you believe?” Parker snapped back defensively. “That I love you, or that my grandfather was a monster?”

“Why can’t you just say you actually love me!” Shiloh yelled, tears spilling over. “You keep dancing around it!”

“Shiloh, I—” Parker stammered, his posture deflating. “It... it started out as me spying on your family. But then I developed real feelings for you.”

“Finally,” I sighed. “He’s being honest.”

“It’s none of your damn business!” Parker shrieked, turning his fury on me. “You mean nothing to him anymore!”

Shane and Shawn spoke up in absolute unison: “Are you a complete moron?”

God, I missed our quadruplet sync moments.

“He’s the oldest of us, idiot,” Shawn added.

“Parker, you really are a clueless moron,” I scoffed.

Before I could say another word, a loud, heavy mechanical grinding noise echoed from the driveway outside. I realized Little B was no longer in the room—which was rarely a good sign.

Nathan and Luca both shot up out of their chairs. Luca grabbed a fire extinguisher from the hall while Nathan sprinted out the front door.

I stayed back inside—I wasn't supposed to be seen by outside authorities—and watched through the window as a massive flatbed tow truck winched a brand-new BMW M5 onto its bed, police lights flashing on its roof.

“What the hell is going on?!” Parker whined, running onto the porch.

“We’re impounding this vehicle under a federal asset forfeiture warrant,” the tow driver called out over the engine roar. He handed Nathan a bright yellow piece of paper, jumped into his cab, and hauled the car away.

“How am I supposed to get home?!” Parker shrieked.

Shiloh looked at him with complete, icy detachment. “Call an Uber.” He turned on his heel and walked back into the house.

“Might be a little tough to get an Uber,” Uncle Nathan noted dryly, handing Parker the seizure notice. “They froze your family’s accounts about twenty minutes ago.”

“Please lose my brother’s number,” Shawn said, and slammed the heavy front door directly in Parker’s face.

Parker went ghost-white. With nowhere left to go, he took off running down the long driveway on foot.

I glanced over at the stone bench by the porch. Little B was sitting there peacefully, swinging his legs, happily munching on a fresh s’more.

Now... it was time to go check on Noah.

Noah’s Perspective

“Chase...” I gasped, my voice cracking as tears instantly blurred my vision.

Standing there in his dark blue Marine dress uniform, surrounded by a glowing sea of flowers and floating balloons, Chase dropped gracefully down onto one knee.

“Noah Nathaniel Jacobs Junior... would you do me the absolute honor of being my husband?”

“Yes!” I sobbed, practically collapsing forward into his arms.

Chase laughed softly, pulling me close before slipping a sleek, simple band onto my ring finger. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him for everything I was worth.

A sudden, booming round of applause erupted from the dining room!

“Congratulations!” Grandma, Grandpa, and a dozen other family members shouted, pouring into the penthouse foyer with raised champagne glasses.

“Congratulations, kiddo,” Uncle Matt said, pulling me into a massive bear hug.

“Thanks, Uncle Matt,” I laughed, wiping tears from my cheeks.

“Welcome to the absolute weirdest family dynamic on the planet,” Uncle Ted joked, giving me a hug next. “You are now officially my great-nephew and my brother-in-law.”

The rest of the evening was an absolute blur of incredible food, endless laughter, and family members streaming in to toast us. I had no idea Chase had been orchestrating this behind my back, but the sheer scale of the gathering was breathtaking.

A little later, Chase slid onto the sofa beside me, wrapping his arm securely around my waist.

“Hey, fiancé,” he whispered.

“Marine... I am seriously impressed,” I said, leaning my head against his shoulder.

“Impressed that I managed to pull it off without you catching on?” he asked with a lazy smirk.

“Yeah. I really figured I would have picked up on some clue.”

“Remember, babe,” he purred, kissing the top of my head, “I do know a thing or two about high-level tactical planning.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just a thing or two.” I smiled, twisting the new ring on my finger. “Did you ask them?”

“Asked what to who?”

“Did you ask my grandparents for their permission?”

“Of course I did,” Chase said softly. “And then I had to ask your extremely protective little cousin.”

I snorted. “You asked Little B?”

“I did. And let me tell you, he was not nearly as quick to give me his blessing as your grandparents were.”

“Is that right?”

“It is,” Chase laughed, shaking his head. “He made me swear a dozen sacred oaths, promised to personally track me down if I ever broke your heart, and explicitly threatened to burn my entire life to the ground.”

I burst out laughing, resting my head against his chest. “Yep. That definitely sounds like Little B.”