“No! I’m done with this useless conversation. You want me to listen? Then answer me this. What did you do with her in the shower?”
We stared each other down, as if it were a staring contest for theGuinness World Records.
“You really want to know?” Something in his tone had changed. Even the way he looked at me was different. I didn’t feel like it was Noah staring back at me anymore. Had he removed his mask? Was this his true face? I couldn’t find the words to answer him, so I waited, expecting that he’d reveal the truth.
“Well? Do you want to know or not? Speak up!”
I winced. “Stop yelling!”
He sneered and leaned in closer, placing both palms against the wall. I was trapped now, with no way to escape.
“She gave me an amazing blow job,” he said with a razor-sharp edge in his voice, “and I don’t think I’ve ever come so hard in my life.”
Whoa, this was definitely not Noah. He was never this vulgar. Why did he have to say that to me? Why did he have to stomp all over my heart and wound what was left of my ego? I opened my mouth to say something in defense of my shattered pride, but he pressed his index finger against my lips and silenced me.
“I say that because I thought of you the entire time,” he continued. “I had to close my eyes. I couldn’t even watch Vanessa, because the thought of you sucking me off turned me on in ways that I never thought were possible.”
Un-be-lievable.
“I’m sure you returned the favor,” I said with bitterness.
“I—didn’t—fuck—her,” he said through gritted teeth.
“I don’t care if you fucked her. You can fuck her as much as you want! Fuck her until your dick falls off!” I couldn’t control my anger any longer. We both had a temper. I guess it was another thing we had in common.
“I said, watch your mouth, young lady!” Noah was gradually raising his voice, but it had lost its intimidating effect.
“Oh, so you can curse and be as lewd as you want when it comes to discussing your recent debaucheries, but I can’t? Enough with the hypocrisy, Noah.” I was empowered by my fearlessness and wouldn’t back down. It felt quite liberating.
“Damn it, Aria! Stop mind-fucking me!”
“At least I’m fucking some part of you, since you refuse to sleep with me!” I shouted even louder. There was something about the F-bomb that would just blast into your eardrums, which explained why it was so frequently used for that purpose.
“I don’t want you dating him.” His face was serious. That sounded more like a demand than anything.
“You can’t stop me.”
Noah’s voice took on a dark and threatening tone. “I forbid you.”
“You can’t forbid me,” I argued back.
There was a loud bang, and I jumped. He had punched his fist into the wall.
“I can’t believe you just did that!” I said. “Who’s acting juvenile now?”
“Stop provoking me!” Noah yelled.
“You betrayed me!” I pushed him away as tears streaked down my face. This was a battle I refused to let him win.
“I betrayed mywife!” His voice trembled with rage and despair.
“You hurt me!”
“You’ve been hurting me all evening! Cutting my heart out and pouring salt all over it like you don’t give a flying fuck!”
No way. Was he really that hurt over my flirtation with Ryan? I couldn’t believe it, but the truth was right in front of me. Everything in his eyes expressed his emotional turmoil. He looked like a man haunted by a secret that so needed to come out. How was it possible that he was jealous of a high school boy? Noah was alpha of the wolves, the highest in rank. Of course Ryan was good-looking, but his was nothing compared to the godlike beauty that Noah naturally possessed.
Silence fell between us, yet neither of us looked away from the other.