Page 32 of Wildflower Hearts
She twisted her arm free, nearly stumbling into the wall, her wide eyes locking onto Mark from where he stood in the doorway.
Chapter Eleven
“Isaid,” he barked, stepping further into the living room, “What the fuck is going on?”
“Babe, you left the bags in the …” Debra’s voice trailed off as she came up behind him, eyes scanning the three of them. Without another word, she shrank back into the hallway.
“Nothing’s…”
“We were….”
“Shut up.” Mark grabbed Lyla by the upper arm and snatched his brother’s ear. He ignored Noah’s yelp of protest as he jerkedthem toward the couch. He pushed Noah down with a careful eye on his leg and shoved Lyla beside him. He looked between them. “Spill it.”
Crossing his arms, Noah glared at his brother with a fire of determination in his eyes. “This doesn’t concern you.”
“There’s nothing to be concerned with in the first place,” Lyla muttered, refusing to look at him.
“You’re both shitty liars.” Mark chuckled even though the anger not lost in his voice. “I was there at lunch. I know what I saw. I’ve been seeing it since the hospital. If you two are bumping uglies…”
“We are not bumping anything!”
“Nice vocabulary skills,” Noah chuckled. “It’s called fucking, not bumping uglies.”
“We are not doing either of those things.” She shoved herself up from the couch and pointed at Mark. “Don’t you dare touch me like that again.”
Debra reappeared in the doorway, biting her lip nervously.
“Noah and I haven’t slept together. We aren’t planning to sleep together. How dare you accuse me of that? Look at him!”
“Hey!”
She flinched at Noah’s insulted objection but ignored him. “He’s injured, he’s heavily medicated, and he’s at home under the same roof as us. I wouldn’t betray Elias that way.”
“Betray me in what way?” Elias entered the living room, glancing around in confusion, as he jerked off his gloves. None of them answered, nor looked in his direction. “I asked you guys a question.”
“Yeah,” Mark crossed his arms, eyeing Lyla with a smug look, “he asked you a question, Girlie.”
“I didn’t come here to get attacked.” Her voice betrayed her when it quivered with uncertainty. “I came here…” She shookher head. “I don’t know why I honestly came here. This was a mistake. Excuse me.”
She shoved past them and was halfway up the stairs when Elias grabbed her arm to stop her. He frowned, eyebrows furrowed in the way that always let a person know they were about to be in serious trouble. She felt no fear of him hurting her, but the intense look on his face made her instinctively back up against the wall.
“Tell me what’s going on, Lyla. I came home to you and Mark squaring off like you’re about to throw down. What did I interrupt exactly?”
“I can’t do this. I thought I could, but I can’t.” Lyla motioned at her arm he held in a tight grip.
“Do what?” He let go, but she knew if she moved, he’d only grab her again. “What can’t you do?”
“I can’t be here. I’m no longer Noah’s nurse. I have no right to barge into your life; it’s only complicating things. I can’t be your girlfriend anymore. I’m sorry.”
“You’re breaking up with me?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Everything was fine this morning, and now you’re fucking bailing ship?”
“Don’t cuss at me, Elias.”
“You’re breaking up with me for no reason, and you expect me just to let you go on your merry way?”
