Unraveled
you're talking about,” I say as I brush past him and walk over to the
refrigerator, trying to find a way to stall. How the hell am I going to get out
of this conversation? I open the fridge and grab a can of soda before I shut
it.
    When I turn
around, I find Cole standing right in front of me, his eyes suspicious. “Has he
made any moves on you?”
    “Of course
not.”
    “I don't
believe you.”
    “Why would I
lie?”
    “You tell
me.”
    “Cole, you're
being ridiculous,” I say as I search for a way to end the conversation.
    He steps
closer to me and I instinctively step backwards slightly. “The way he looks at
you is the way I look at you. And I've had you. Your eyes are guilty as sin,
Blayre,” he growls.
    “He kissed
me once. I didn't initiate it and I told him I'm taken,” I say in a quick rush.
    Fury flashes
in Cole's gaze before he grabs my shoulders and shoves me backwards into the
refrigerator, the can of soda dropping from my hand. Pain lances my back
briefly and then Cole's right hand wraps around my throat as he slams the back
of my head against the freezer door. “You've been fucking lying to me,” he
hisses.
    One second I
am scrambling for a way to get out of this mess and then within the next—Cole
is suddenly yanked off of me. I'm shocked to see Noah standing there, his
forearm pressed tight against Cole's neck, while his eyes are nearly black with
anger. He glances at me briefly before he concentrates on Cole, who is fighting
and struggling for all he's worth but Noah has his arms easily pinned.
    Cole swears
violently, a vein popping out of his temple with anger as his face turns red.
Noah calmly begins to force Cole out of the kitchen as he says, “You're not
welcome here anymore,” as they disappear out of the kitchen.
    I'd had no
idea Noah was even home and I hadn't bothered checking the garage. You'd think
Cole and I would have learned our lesson yesterday.
    I stay
frozen against the refrigerator for a second before I move into action and
chase after them. I come to a skidding halt in the living room just in time to
see Noah literally toss Cole out the front door before he slams the door shut
and locks it. Through the large window I see Cole rise to his feet and turn
back, a deadly glint in his eye as he stares at the shut door. Then he turns
and calmly walks across the yard to his motorcycle.
    Once again
my life is being turned upside down. Nothing stays calm for long and I want to
hit something with frustration.
    Without a
word or a glance, Noah walks past me, his jaw clenched.
    I find in
that moment that I don't know what to do. Going after Cole was not an option
right now but confronting Noah was just as bad. He'd just watched Cole
manhandle me, which proves his suspicions correct all along.
    Glass shatters
in the kitchen.
    My head
jerks up and I race to the kitchen to see Noah standing near the island
counter, his expression torn as he turns his head to stare at me. I look around
to find that he'd thrown the bottle of Jack at the dining room wall and liquor
was splattered all over, while the shattered bottle lay on the kitchen floor.
     Without
a word to him, I turn and head for the closet near the garage door and pull out
a broom and dustpan. I'm walking towards the mess when Noah's voice stops me.
    “Leave it,”
he says sharply.
    I'm not sure
what to do, so I wearily prop the broom against the counter and set the dust
pan down before I look at him.
    He walks
over to me and his hands gently run along the back of my head. His fingertips
brush against the knot that is swelling and I wince. Without a word, his hands
leave me as he moves away to pull the ice box out of the freezer.
    The fact
that he's not speaking to me has me worried.
    I watch as
he calmly puts together an ice pack for me and then hands it to me. My eyes
search his and he doesn't say a word before he turns around and heads for the
patio door. My eyes follow him as he goes outside and sits down with his back
to me on

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