Page 65 of The Fate of Us

Mason holds his hand up. “Calm down. I told her that, but it’s hard to see past that sometimes. She loves you more than the world, Noah. Her greatest fear is losing you.”

No, it’s not. Her greatest fear is I will cheat on her like Kyle did. But I don’t tell Mason that. Instead I tell him some of my truth. “It fucked me up, man. Her coming back here. All those feelings I had for her came racing back to me at the sight of her. Anger, pain, love.” I pause. “But I don’t love her like Anna. God, Anna is my fucking world. I had a hiccup. A moment of shock. And I feel like it ruined everything.”

Mason shakes his head. “I don’t think it did. She needs time to sort it all out.”

I nod because I know that is exactly what she needs. I know it’s not helping that I keep texting her. It’s not giving her the space she needs to think things over. I vow to stop the texts at this moment.

“Everyone will probably be here soon. Stop moping. Have a good time. Forget about all this for just a few hours.”

I throw back the rest of the whiskey in my glass and pour both of us more. “You’re right.”

I haven’t had a night like this in years. As in probably ten years. I’m always collected. Always the responsible one.

But tonight, I have let myself go. Beer after beer, shot after shot. I’m not even sure what time it is or what day it is. I really hope I don’t have to work tomorrow. I forgot why I am even drinking like this.

I stumble over something on the floor but catch myself on a table. I think I was going to get some water. Maybe. Or a beer. Probably water.

But someone changes the music and I stop in my tracks. The raspy voice of my wildflower floods the speakers.

“Have you heard this girl sing yet?” someone shouts.

“Fucking amazing!”

“Have you seen her? She is hot as hell too.”

“Maybe she will show up tonight. My dick has needed some sweet pussy.”

My vision goes red as I hear these two douchebags go back and forth over Anna.

Fuck. Anna.

That’s why I was drinking. I was trying to forget about her.

I blink and try to clear my double vision when I see the two assholes talking about Anna. My fist is clenched and I am ready to knock out this pompous dick who thinks he can talk about her like that.

“Whoa man,” douchebag number one says as my fist attempts to hit douchebag number two in the face. But I miss or maybe someone pulled me back. I’m not quite sure.

“Noah.” Mason’s voice is in my ear. I look down and see his arm wrapped around my bicep.

“What the fuck, man?” douchebag number two says right before he takes a swing and punches me right in the left eye.

“Fuck,” I groan as I hold my face.

“You two, get the fuck out of here,” Mason shouts.

“What the hell, Mason? He just came at us out of nowhere.”

Someone else grabs me as Mason turns to the guys. “Well you were talking about Anna May like she was some kind of snack.”

“She is, man. Didn’t you try to hit that?”

I look over at Mason and see him punch his friend in the nose. “No,man,I didn’t. That’s my brother’s girlfriend, you idiots.”

The two guys look over at me. I am still seeing red even though I can barely see. My left eye throbbing.

“Fuck. We didn’t know.”

“Shit, isn’t he a cop?”

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