Page 84 of Aria

“Let him go, Chelsie,” Noah urged.

“Don’t tell my girlfriend what to do.” Devon pivoted, positioning himself in front of Noah. “Not your call.”

Miles interrupted. “Knock it off. Go get some air—both of you.”

“Fuck you,” Devon snapped at the bassist. “This doesn’t concern you.”

“You want to do this, man?” Noah challenged. “In my goddamn living room with my entire family watching?”

I placed my hand on Devon’s elbow to subdue him, but he swung it back without looking, forcing me to waver on my feet.

Noah shot him a death glare as he lurched forward, the veins in his neck distending. “Don’t fucking lay a hand on her.”

“You’re just bitter because you never will.”

Noah shoved at Devon’s chest. “Get out of my house.”

“Fine. But I’m taking my girlfriend with me.” Devon glanced over Noah’s shoulder at Beth, sneering as he added, “Enjoy your Chelsie clone.”

“Get the fuck out.”

Instinct had me backing away from Devon—I’d seen this look in a man’s eyes before, and it scared me to death. He wasn’t himself. “I’m going to stay here. Noah’s right… sleep it off.”

Devon stared at me in silence while a few harrowing beats ticked by. Then he sniffed with an icy laugh and wiped at his nose. “You know what? We’re done. I’m going to Tad’s to cool down.” Devon issued me a disparaging wave. “Enjoy your last night in my million-dollar condo.”

My heart sank.

He grabbed another fistful of chips and followed Tad out the front door, slamming it so hard, the pictures on the walls rattled. A stunned silence enveloped the crowd as nausea swept through me like a monsoon.

What in the world just happened?

Had Devon…broken upwith me?

No, no, no. That wasn’t Devon. That wasn’tmyDevon.

My Devon was kind and patient and loving. The person I just witnessed didn’t hold a candle to the man I knew.

“I – I’m so sorry,” I stuttered to no one in particular. “I don’t know what that was all about.”

Rosa was quietly praying in the corner. “The Devil got inside that boy,” she murmured.

Noah’s hands were balled into fists at his side, his eyes fixed to the floor before he pinned them on me. “Can I borrow you, Combs?”

Pushing back tears, I nodded.

I followed Noah downstairs into the finished basement, away from the crowd, away from the curious chatter. I was about to speak when he pulled me into a strong hug, his arms holding me close, firm and protective. I hadn’t realized how tense I was until my body instinctively relaxed in his grip and I collapsed against his hard frame. He smelled like sandalwood and soap.

He smelled like home.

“Shit.” Noah’s chest vibrated as he spoke, his voice low and raspy. “Are you okay?”

My cheek grazed the front of his shirt as I nodded. “I think so.” A tapered breath left me, sounding hopeless and uneven. “Did he really just break up with me?”

“He just needs to cool down. You can stay here tonight if you want.”

Noah sighed, tickling the hairs on the top of my head, tempting me to say yes. I knew I shouldn’t, though. “I’ll be okay. Apparently, I need to start packing.”

God,where would I go?

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