Page 114 of Quiet Obsession
I take another drag of my cigarette and let the smoke out, Noah’s face disappearing behind it.
The next thing I know, his fist’s coming at me with everything he’s got. It lands on my jaw, rattling my teeth, and my head snaps to the side. The cigarette slips from my fingers. Copper floods my mouth, blood trickling down my chin.
“Youfuckedher?” he seethes, chest heaving.
I roll my jaw, straighten my spine, and wind my elbow back, returning the favor. My right hook clips his cheekbone.
Noah stumbles half a step before catching himself.
“Youkissedher?” I spit out, wiping blood from the corner of my mouth.
My lip throbs in time with my pulse, swelling up fast. For a few long heartbeats, we silently stare each other down, teeth gnashing, both ready to swing again.
We don’t, though.
And we don’t apologize, either.
I reach into my pocket, grab another cigarette, then pass him the pack. He hesitates before taking it, his back parking against the stone a step to my left.
“She told you?” he asks, smoke drifting from his mouth.
“Hyde did.” I flick the ash at my feet. “He saw you kissing in the library.”
“Fuck.” He looks into the drizzling sky, grinding hismolars. “Shit,that’swhy he sent me to check on her last night.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s been warning me off Millie for weeks, glaring, snapping, and then he suddenly stopped. I thought he finally understood she’s an adult who can make her own choices, but when he left me alone... he started watchingyou. I think he—”
“Decided you’re better for her than I am,” I finish, my stomach dropping. “And when Millie saw me with Zara and left, he knew that hurt her, so he dragged me to Jed’s and told me you’ve got his blessing.”
A quiet, bitter chuckle escapes me.
Fuck that hurts. I know I’m no boyfriend material. I have the emotional range of a rabid stray; I drink until I can’t see, walk, or pronounce my name, I let my friends down every week, and I’m usually bleeding somewhere.
I know I don’t deserve Millie, but Hyde’s mybest friend.
Shouldn’t he believe in me a little? I’ve been trying so fucking hard to be on my best behavior since—
Oh.That’swhy he’ll never approve, isn’t it? That night is the reason. Despite insisting it wasn’t my fault, he never truly forgave me and now he’s pushing his sister into Noah’s arms as a form of punishment.
“Well,” I huff, pushing away from the wall. “I knew Hyde wouldn’t be happy about this but fuck... I didn’t expect him to put me in my place by playing matchmaker.”
Noah grabs my forearm, stopping me from reaching into my back pocket. “So what? You’ll go to Jed’s now, getdrunk, start a fight, and provehim right?”
I cock an eyebrow, yanking my hand out of his grasp and fish out a pack of cigarettes, popping one between my lips.
Jed’s bar is the last place I want to be tonight.
I mean, sure, Hyde’s fucking right about me, but that doesn’t mean he can manipulate Millie so he can feel better about his guilty conscience.
She makes her own choices.
Right now, she wantsmeand I’m not rolling the fuck over just because my best friend thinks I’m not worthy.
I’m not, but that’s beside the point and it’s not like she’ll want me forever, anyway.
“Hyde wants you to end up with Millie,” I start, filling my lungs with smoke.
