Trust Me by Melanie Walker

date.” I said, actually annoyed. It was really Ramey that was bugging me, not Noah. I had tried every last trick in my book just shy of telling her to fuck off. She was dense and completely immune to the brush off.
    “No, you’re at a bonfire with Chad, who is like us, and doesn’t date. He’s dealt with this shit himself, so he understands, Carrie.” Noah said. His tone and the look on his face told me he thought I was becoming one of those girls now, too.
    Fuck. Was I? Was this not a date?
    “Bro, it’s your sister. I wouldn’t be here with her if it wasn’t a date.”
    My heart fluttered in my chest at his words, but…yikes…Noah did not look happy all of a sudden.
    “No, bro, I’m pretty fuckin’ certain you don’t date anyone, and you sure the fuck aren’t dating Carrie!” The aggression in his tone was terrifying. I had dated plenty, and sure, I was inexperienced in an odd sort of way, but Noah was being a dick! He had never acted like this with any of my previous boyfriends.
    Your previous boyfriends weren’t Chad Blake. The harpy in my head spit the words at me, and I swiftly agreed. That was why Noah was freaking out. Chad was the game changer and Noah knew it.
    “I’m hoping to date Carrie more. I’m also hoping to finish this date tonight without one of us ending up bloody. You know me, Noah, I would never disrespect you.” He stepped close and looked Noah dead in the eyes. “You sure the fuck know I would never play Carrie.”
    God bless Chad, he stood his ground and didn’t bow down to my bully of a brother. In all honesty, it made him uber-sexy.
    Noah was done talking. He went from mildly irritated to straight up pissed off in about two seconds flat. “No, fucker! It isn’t happening, not to my baby sister! You disrespect every female you touch, and Carrie won’t be treated like a fangirl. There’s a fuckin’ reason I have purposely kept her away!”
    Whoa…what?
    “Noah!” I gasped in outrage, completely confused on that whole outburst in general.
    “You act like everyone here doesn’t know who Carrie is.” Chad took a lethal step closer and started clenching his fists, Noah mirroring his actions.
    Fucking men and their bullshit egos.
    Chad kept going. “You act like we don’t know the two of you are like Mutt and fucking Jeff, two peas in a pod, or whatever! We have been boys for years, man, years! I wouldn’t throw that shit away for a piece of ass!”
    Whoa!
    “Piece of ass?” I asked calmly, before I very sweetly kneed him in the nuts. Chad grabbed his junk and doubled over, dropping to his knees. “My ass, the piece you are talking about, is not interested in you or your dick!” And with that I stormed to Noah’s side. “Let’s go before Ramey gets here and I really do unleash the anger.”
    Noah laughed and nodded as he turned me towards his car and started leading me away from the party. He stopped up short and left me standing there, turning to walk back to Chad. Most people would have been fearful that the mother of all beat downs was about to take place, but those people don’t know my brother. Noah walked over to Chad, offered him a hand, and pulled him to his feet. Chad was a little gray from the sixty second flu courtesy of my knee. He and Noah spoke, then laughed and then both walked back toward me.
    Noah glanced over my shoulder at a group of people just arriving. “Too late, Sissy, Ramey just showed. Talk to Chad, I’ll be back in a second.”
    What?!?! Talk about an about face! Two seconds ago Noah wanted him far away from me, now Chad was my keeper. Something was up.
    “Carrie….” Chad started, but I held my hand up and looked away, my eyes following Noah, curious if he was off to hide somewhere or face the music. I didn’t want to hear Chad’s excuses.
    “Its fine, Chad, I get it.” Hoping the whole conversation was dropped I headed back to the bonfire and took a seat while still searching for my brother. The night had gone to shit