a lounge chair, his broad shoulders still tense. I realize he's trying
to control his temper, something that Cole rarely ever did.
My eyes shut
briefly and I know my life is falling apart. Noah knows that Cole is abusive
and Tate's going to kill Cole when he finds out. I have no idea how to fix
this. The only thing I can think of at that moment is to clean up the only mess
that is currently fixable.
I set the
ice pack down on the counter and grab the broom and dust pan. I brush all the
glass I can find into the dust pan and then I go to work wiping the wall down
and cleaning the kitchen tiles. I'm just finishing cleaning the floor when I
hear the sliding glass door open behind me. My body tenses from where I'm at on
my knees.
“Can we
talk?” Noah asks quietly from behind me.
I have the
urge to turn and ask him if my answer really matters because I know he's going
to have his say whether I want him to or not. But after watching him struggle
with his temper, I didn't dare push him more than he's already been pushed
today.
My head
lifts and I look up to meet his dark eyes. “I'm sorry.”
His eyebrows
furrow. “Why are you sorry?”
I bite my
lip and look away.
“Come here.”
With a sigh,
I slowly rise to my feet and much to my surprise, he pulls me into his arms and
holds me against his chest as if I am the most important person on earth. It
feels so good that I can't help but press my cheek against his chest where I
can hear his heart beating steadily. Comfort sweeps through me.
One of his
hands reaches up and gently searches for the knot on the back of my head. “Did
you ice it?”
My head is still
against his chest so I shake it in reference to his question.
He eases me
away from him and nods at the dining room table. “Sit. Please,” he adds when I
hesitate. When I slide into one of the chairs, he walks over to grab the ice
pack before he comes back and hands it to me. Once I carefully press it against
the back of my head, Noah pulls out the other chair and studies me as he sits
down. “Your neck is red.”
“It'll
fade.”
“There was
no fight with a girl, was there? I want the truth,” he says as he watches my
lips intently.
There's no
point in lying. “No. Cole got mad when I danced with another guy.”
“Why? Why
are you staying with someone who hurts you, Blayre?”
“You
wouldn't understand.”
“Try me,” he
says softly.
“Please don't
tell, Tate,” I plead. “Tate's temper is really bad. He'll kill him.”
“We'll talk
about Tate later. I want to know why you feel it is okay to stay with someone
who physically abuses you.”
“It's only
happened a few times. I didn't think it was that big of a deal.”
Noah stares
at me as if I've suddenly grown two heads. “ Once is a big deal.”
I'm not sure
what to say to that, so I decide not to comment at all.
“Are you
going to break up with him?”
This has me
avoiding his eyes.
“Bloody
hell, Blayre, are you trying to kill yourself between the cutting and getting
knocked around?” he asks as he glowers at me.
“Of course
not!”
“Then explain it!”
“He gets me,
okay! He makes me feel normal and I feel like I can be myself!” I shout back.
“You feel
you can't be yourself around me? What the hell else is going on with you?”
“You
wouldn't understand!” I say as I jump to my feet.
Noah rises
to his feet as well. “That's because you won't give me a chance,” he says
angrily.
“You'll hate
me!”
His eyes
widen with surprise. “Hate you? I could never hate you, Blayre.”
I laugh
bitterly as my fists clench at my sides. “I've done some terrible things.”
“Like what?”
“It doesn't
matter. I'm not the girl you think I am. I'm not good like you want me to be
and I've done things that you wouldn't like. You need to understand that and
leave me alone.”
“Quit
beating around the bush and tell me what is so bad that you're doing. I bet
Cole has a hand in it, doesn't he?” Noah asks darkly
to control his temper, something that Cole rarely ever did.
My eyes shut
briefly and I know my life is falling apart. Noah knows that Cole is abusive
and Tate's going to kill Cole when he finds out. I have no idea how to fix
this. The only thing I can think of at that moment is to clean up the only mess
that is currently fixable.
I set the
ice pack down on the counter and grab the broom and dust pan. I brush all the
glass I can find into the dust pan and then I go to work wiping the wall down
and cleaning the kitchen tiles. I'm just finishing cleaning the floor when I
hear the sliding glass door open behind me. My body tenses from where I'm at on
my knees.
“Can we
talk?” Noah asks quietly from behind me.
I have the
urge to turn and ask him if my answer really matters because I know he's going
to have his say whether I want him to or not. But after watching him struggle
with his temper, I didn't dare push him more than he's already been pushed
today.
My head
lifts and I look up to meet his dark eyes. “I'm sorry.”
His eyebrows
furrow. “Why are you sorry?”
I bite my
lip and look away.
“Come here.”
With a sigh,
I slowly rise to my feet and much to my surprise, he pulls me into his arms and
holds me against his chest as if I am the most important person on earth. It
feels so good that I can't help but press my cheek against his chest where I
can hear his heart beating steadily. Comfort sweeps through me.
One of his
hands reaches up and gently searches for the knot on the back of my head. “Did
you ice it?”
My head is still
against his chest so I shake it in reference to his question.
He eases me
away from him and nods at the dining room table. “Sit. Please,” he adds when I
hesitate. When I slide into one of the chairs, he walks over to grab the ice
pack before he comes back and hands it to me. Once I carefully press it against
the back of my head, Noah pulls out the other chair and studies me as he sits
down. “Your neck is red.”
“It'll
fade.”
“There was
no fight with a girl, was there? I want the truth,” he says as he watches my
lips intently.
There's no
point in lying. “No. Cole got mad when I danced with another guy.”
“Why? Why
are you staying with someone who hurts you, Blayre?”
“You
wouldn't understand.”
“Try me,” he
says softly.
“Please don't
tell, Tate,” I plead. “Tate's temper is really bad. He'll kill him.”
“We'll talk
about Tate later. I want to know why you feel it is okay to stay with someone
who physically abuses you.”
“It's only
happened a few times. I didn't think it was that big of a deal.”
Noah stares
at me as if I've suddenly grown two heads. “ Once is a big deal.”
I'm not sure
what to say to that, so I decide not to comment at all.
“Are you
going to break up with him?”
This has me
avoiding his eyes.
“Bloody
hell, Blayre, are you trying to kill yourself between the cutting and getting
knocked around?” he asks as he glowers at me.
“Of course
not!”
“Then explain it!”
“He gets me,
okay! He makes me feel normal and I feel like I can be myself!” I shout back.
“You feel
you can't be yourself around me? What the hell else is going on with you?”
“You
wouldn't understand!” I say as I jump to my feet.
Noah rises
to his feet as well. “That's because you won't give me a chance,” he says
angrily.
“You'll hate
me!”
His eyes
widen with surprise. “Hate you? I could never hate you, Blayre.”
I laugh
bitterly as my fists clench at my sides. “I've done some terrible things.”
“Like what?”
“It doesn't
matter. I'm not the girl you think I am. I'm not good like you want me to be
and I've done things that you wouldn't like. You need to understand that and
leave me alone.”
“Quit
beating around the bush and tell me what is so bad that you're doing. I bet
Cole has a hand in it, doesn't he?” Noah asks darkly
Similar Books
