Page 120 of Echoes of Us

“Atty.” He ran his tongue over his lip and smiled at me. He frowned as if he didn’t understand why I was saying no, likeIwas being irrational. “Come on, you’ve been on it for hours and loved it. Why are you acting like this now?”

“Because it’s almost three in the morning, and I still don’t feel like it’s gone. Even if it were, I would rather not do it. I like having sex with you sober. It’s pretty amazing like that too.”

His face softened. “I’m not saying it’s not. It’s just this once,” he insisted. He moved his hand closer to me again.

“Stop it, Noah. I’m serious.”

He grabbed my shirt, and I snatched my face away from him again. He was about to say something when he moved sideways off me, sitting back on the couch. I thought he had given up, but I got one look at his pissed-off face before seeing Ezra standing in front of us with a deep frown.

“What—” I started to ask.

“He told you to stop,” Ezra told Noah, who looked up, furious. I had never seen him this angry before.

He stood up and shoved Ezra back. Whoa. I got up after him and tugged him back by his arm.

“What the fuck is your problem with me?” Noah shouted, his voice clear over the music.

Ezra was pissed too. He shoved Noah right back.

Alarmed, I glanced at Colin and saw him walking quickly towards us.

“Noah, calm down,” Holly said, her eyes wide.

“No. I’ve fucking had it with you and your self-righteous act. You think you can justify treating me like shit, and I’m done,” Noah yelled at Ezra.

“Maybe if you stopped treatinghimlike shit, then I’d stop.Have you ever thought of that?” Ezra retorted while Colin held him back.

“Noah, stop.” I grasped his arm.

He shrugged me off. “I’m not treating him like shit, and he’s a big boy. He can take care of himself,” Noah called out.

That really pissed Ezra off, because he pushed Colin back and took two steps towards Noah, standing right in front of him and getting in his face.

“He shouldn’t have to take care of himself with you, you fucking asshole. You’re his boyfriend. He trusts you,” Ezra said, his nostrils flaring. Ezra was almost as tall as Noah, but he was stockier and much stronger.

I tried to pull Noah back again, looking at Colin, who was attempting to do the same with Ezra.

“Noah, stop, please,” I pleaded.

“No, I want to know what his problem is.” He glared at Ezra. “I’ve ignored it because, for whatever reason, Atty likes you, but I’m done with you rolling your eyes at me and scoffing at everything I say,” Noah shouted.

“You want to know what my problem is?” Ezra asked, bumping into Noah.

I tried to push him back.

“Yeah, I do,” Noah said, tilting his chin up defiantly.

“Youmotherfucker,you’rethe fucking problem. You’re an entitled piece of shit drug addict, and I have no idea how you managed to convince him otherwise. Other than buying him off as you do with the rest of your life,” Ezra said.

I stared at him, alarmed.

“Oh, so that’s it? You can’t handle the fact that I can do whatever the hell I want. I knew it was a money thing. You’re so fucking resentful, you think you can paint him in the same light. He doesn’t care about it,” Noah said.

I raised an eyebrow, confused.

“You sure as hell don’t seem to mind when you’re here at the party my dad’s money paid for, or is it only when youdon’t get anything from it?” Noah continued, further puzzling me.

Colin was still trying to pull Ezra back, telling him repeatedly to calm down.

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