Apartment 311

Ch | 72

Brooklyn Noelle Brankovich

Chapter Seventy-two: "on Wednesday's we vent"

Knock. Knock. Knock.

I anxiously waited outside of Noah's apartment, hoping he was home and would let me in.

I heard laughter echo out as the door eased open. My eyebrows furrowed at the sight of Sky exiting.

She cut her laughter off and cleared her throat. "Hi. I was just leaving," Sky explained sheepishly as I stared her down, biting my tongue.

Noah appeared in the doorway and said bye to her.

"I was just trying to get him on board with my wedding plans. I don't know if he told you, but you can come if you want," she invited.

I just nodded and watched her wave to Noah again then walk down the hallway.

With my mouth twisted, I raised my eyes to land on Noah's disconcerted face.

Knowing I was going to ask, he said, "Wedding stuff," and left it at that.

I inhaled deeply and told myself not to assume anything.

O.K., I mouthed and clasped my hands together.

"Well I just came to talk, but if you're busy," I said quietly, almost like I didn't want to bring it up.

He shrugged and let me inside.

I hated small talk so I skipped it and got right into things.

Standing in the middle of a room, I started to say my piece. In fact, it probably came off robotic and rehearsed because I spent so much time already thinking of what to say.
"Will is my ex as you know and you can see how much my parents like him. Why? I don't know. They're good friends with his parents and that's just how things go. My dad's a plastic surgeon, and my mother's successful, too," I paused to flail my arms and then went on to say, "so naturally they want me with some arrogant asshole. My relationship with Will was just him telling me what to do and making me feel insecure so I couldn't feel like I deserved better and wouldn't leave him. I was younger then and didn't know any better. My parents and Will babied me for so long that there's still a childish kind of part of me. I'm honestly scared of Will, I'm scared of my mother. So, that's why I didn't introduce you to him. With his ignorance and your temper, it won't end good and I know my mom's just waiting for you - or me- to slip up so she can lock me away in a tower. I wanted to hear an apology from Will and I want him to see how much I've grown and that I'm happy here, like this, with you; that's why I went with them. If it makes you feel better, I can call him right now and I'll ask them all to leave and- are you listening to me right now?"

"Not really, no," Noah said.

My chest inflated and I shut my eyes, trying to contain myself.

"After all that and you- forget it. You're the fucking loser if you're going to keep acting like this and pushing me away when I'm trying to apologize and make things right," I fumed, storming to the door. "Just remember this when you come stomping over to three-eleven trying to get your dick wet. I'm over this, I fucking hate it here. Maybe I should go back to Texas."

"Maybe you should," he agreed in a growl.

I wanted to say "fuck you" but I wouldn't have been satisfied with leaving on that so I just crossed the threshold. Noah had slammed the door shut but I quickly pushed it back open and kept it like that as I walked off.