Page 91 of My Fault
“What the fuck are you doing, man?”
“Where’s Noah?” I asked, looking around. There were people everywhere, and I couldn’t see her. When she did appear, she stared daggers at me.
“Are you out of your mind?” she shouted, incensed, hurrying over and shoving me. What did she have to be pissed off about? I yelled at her:
“You like that, when some guy feels you up in front of me?”
“I was dancing!” she shouted. “Dancing!”
I tried to suppress my desire to shake her as I walked close and asked, “And you let him kiss you, too?” I couldn’t control myself anymore, and I was too drunk to think about the consequences of my words as I continued, “If you’re going to let any jerkoff who comes along put his hands all over you, then you should drop the good girl act, walking around with a stick up your ass like you’re some kind of nun—”
She slapped me so fast, it didn’t even start hurting for a few seconds.
In a reflex, I grabbed her by the shoulders.
“Do that again and see what happens.”
Only once I’d spoken did I realize what I’d done. The look of horror on her face made me take a step back. She hyperventilated, and her eyes started watering.
“Noah.”
She stepped back.
“I can’t be with you, Nicholas.” Those words cut like a knife. “You represent everything I’ve spent my whole life running from.”
I tried to hold on to her, but she ducked under me, fire shooting from her honey-colored eyes.
“Don’t you dare put your hands on me!” she screamed. “If you want to solve everything with your fists, that’s your problem, but don’t do it in front of me!”
I wanted to say something, but she turned around and headed for the hotel.
“You’re an idiot, Nick,” Jenna said, hurrying after her.
A hand came to rest on my shoulder. I wanted to shove it away, but I didn’t.
“You fucked up, dude,” Lion said.
“Leave me alone.”
31
Noah
I still couldn’t believe things had gotten so out of hand. One minute you were dancing with a guy, the next you were almost falling over while the guy you wished would ask you out onto the dance floor was pounding the hell out of the dumbass who kissed you without asking. I’d have gotten rid of him on my own if I’d had time, but Nicholas had gone berserk before I’d gotten the chance.
I hated violence above all else. I’d seen too much of it, and I knew it was always the problem, never the answer. I didn’t want to be with a guy who was violent. Nicholas had already shown me he was quick to use his fists when things got ugly, but like a fool, I’d overlooked that detail because what I felt for Nick was stronger than anything I’d felt for anyone. The past few days with him had been amazing. I’d even started to open up to him, but after tonight, it was over. He was revealing he was just a jealous tough guy trying to mark his territory, and I didn’t like that one bit. I’d been terrified when he’d grabbed my shoulders, and I’d seen how furious he was. I couldn’t be with anyone who scared me; that was a deal breaker.
When Jenna and I got to our hotel room, she was still raging about Nick’s behavior at the same time as she begged me to forgive him, but I didn’t care, I just wanted to get into bed. The day hadn’t ended the way I’d planned, and all I could think about was getting back home and looking at things from a clearer perspective.
An hour later, I heard a noise in the hallway. I knew Nick had stayed out late, and I was worried about him. I got up and went to the door, cracking it to glance out into the hall. What I saw made me freeze.
Nick wasn’t alone. He had a girl pinned between him and the door. They were making out. He was feeling her up.
I didn’t know if I made a noise, but Nick seemed to realize I was there. He turned and looked at me. Letting the girl go, he turned toward me, covered his eyes with his hands, and started walking over to me.
“Dammit, Noah,” he said, the girl’s lipstick still on his lips.
I turned around and shut the door in his face.
