You Can't Love Him

39

"He's almost here." I tell Hayden as I hang up the phone. I had to call Noah and let him know where Hayden was. He didn't sound happy to hear that Hayden had left the hotel.

He groans in annoyance and places his head in his hands. "He is going to kill me." He mumbles. He said some other things but I couldn't tell what they were.

"You should have stayed at the hotel." I scold him. He raises his head up and glares at me. I have never seen such a look on his face. My eyes widen in worry. I must have said something wrong. There must be something I don't know about this situation.

"You don't know anything. You don't know this but I had a reason to leave." He growls in anger.

"I'm so-" I was cut off by a heavy knock on the door. I look at the door and then back at Hayden. He sits stiffly on the couch with fear written all over his face.

I slowly walk over to the door and open it. Noah instantly walks in, pushing past me without a word. He walks over to Hayden. For a moment he doesn't say anything.

"Look I'm s-"

"You followed me didn't you?" Noah glares at his younger brother. The boy shrinks back a little. He must be a little intimidated.

"I had to! I knew it was going to go bad!" Hayden exclaims as he stands up. I felt so lost. What is he talking about?

"Hayden don't say an-"

"No! I knew they would turn on you. I knew they weren't going to give you you're last pay and just let you leave. Do you know our uncle? He wasn't going to give up that easily. He wasn't going to let you walk away like that." By now Hayden was out of breath and had to take a second to just breath.

"You needed my help." Hayden looks at his older brother sternly." Now go ask Em to help you clean up. You're a mess." Hayden glances one more time at his brother and then sits back down on the couch.

Noah sighs and turns to me. Right away I noticed he had cuts all over him. Blood dripped from his cheek making me eyes widen. How did I not notice he was hurt when he walked in! It pained me to see him cut up. I didn't think I'd have to see that ever again.

"Em don't look at me like tha-"

"You heard him, come on." I grab ahold of his hand and pull him along with me.

Once again I was in the bathroom cleaning wounds and wrapping knuckles. Noah tried his hardest not to look at me the whole time.

"I'm guessing you weren't really at a job interview." I remembered what I was told this afternoon.

"No." He winces as I put on the bandage.

"Why can't I just know the truth? I hate that you don't tell me the real-"

"I didn't ask your boyfriend to lie to you. He made that story up himself." He barks over me.

"Boyfriend?" I look at him confused.

"You're dating Will." He accuses. I couldn't tell if his eyes held jealousy or something else. "That's why you moved in here right?"

"I'm not dating Will," I scoff. "We dated a couple months ago but that doesn't really count because it was only a couple weeks!"

"So you did date him though." He scoffs. What is his problem all of the sudden?

"It doesn't count!" I growl.

"Whatever." He hissed. Noah gets up and tries to leave the bathroom but I quickly run to the door and lock it.

"Why does it bother you so much. I thought you wanted me to forget you." I snap.

"Look we are done taking about this-"

"No we are finishing this. You brought it up so now let's talk about this." I challenge. Noah glares at me.

"When you left, I didn't eat, sleep, or go out and do things. I didn't even write, which is weird because that helped me feel better when I'm upset. I tried to push everyone away. Will saw how hurt I was and he wanted to help me. So I let him." I reveal. Noah still looks cold. "He tried so hard to get me to forget you and to feel better. But it didn't work. So I broke it off. I broke it off because I didn't love him like I love you!" I didn't realize I was crying until my eyes started to burn. "I'm asking you again. Why does it bother you so much?"

"Because I.." He stops and pain shoots across his face.

"Please just tell me!"

"Because I..I don't like seeing you with someone else." He finally says. I don't feel like that's all of it but it's the best I was going to get.

"Well I'm not with anyone else. Oh and the reason I moved in here was because I couldn't stand living with my family. I couldn't stand living under the same roof as my father." I hiss. I turn around and unlock the door so I could leave.

As soon as I opened the door I saw Hayden sitting against the other wall.

"Hayden, what are you doing up here?" I question.

"Noah why can't you just say it?" He doesn't answer my question. He looks at Noah who is behind me.

"Hayden this is none of your business." Noah snarled.

"You've said it before. You even told me! Why can't you say it to her? Tell her the truth instead of pretending to be a heartless jerk."

Noah stays silent causing Hayden to scoff and shake his head in disappointment. "She won't wait forever. She should have just forgotten you."

"Hayden that's enough!" I shriek. I get that he's trying to get him to confess to me but he's taking this too far. "Please just apologize."

"Fine, I'm sor-"

"No he's right." Noah says causing both Hayden and I to look at him confused and shocked.

"You should have." And with that he left the room.