Chapter Twenty The Bar
1105 Words
Noah’s POV
How good a week they must have had to gather here even on a Saturday night.
The bar smelled like liquor, smoke, leather jackets, and all the bad decisions people mistook for freedom. I sat in the far corner booth with my drink untouched in front of me, normal weekend night with all the meaningless conversations
Tyler dropped into the seat across from me, tossing car keys on the table. “Well, you look homicidal.”
“I usually do.”
“Fairs.”
Tyler flagged down the bartender for another drink before leaning back into the chair. “You racing tomorrow?”
“Depends.”
I shrugged once, eyes fixed on the crowd, barely hearing him because my mind had been unbearable all week, it had become so bad nothing could it shut it off i mean, I had spent years building myself into someone untouchable until Abby Carter started looking at me with those stupid sad eyes and suddenly I was hiring men to watch her campus building at night like a f*****g psychopath.
Tyler followed my gaze toward the bar. “You looking for someone.”
“No.”
“You sure?”
I ignored him
Meanwhile, Anna was furious with me, Wes had become increasingly secretive since taking over the Carter Industries
And Abby…
Jesus Christ
Even thinking of her got me tired.
I still remembered the way she looked sitting in my penthouse living room, curled into herself
I had walked in with Anna’s hand around my wrist and still I felt Abby’s presence long before I saw her. Then she looked at me and something snapped in my chest.
So naturally, I had handled it the worst way possible.
“Wes’ dumb sister.”
“Okay.” Tyler muttered. “Now you definitely look homicidal.”
“Shut up.”
Tyler laughed under his breath. “Who is she?”
“You’ve been staring through walls for weeks.” He took a drink. “So either you’re finally loosing your mind or there’s a woman involved.”
“There’s no woman.”
“Hmm.”
My phone buzzed against the table
A text from one of the men watching Abby’s campus building:
“Jordan cruise entered dorm forty minutes ago.”
Then another arrived
“Raised voices heard earlier.”
Tyler noticed the shift in my countenance. “What happened?”
I pocketed the phone. “Nothing.”
“Bullshit.”
I stood up. “I gotta go.”
Tyler frowned. “You just got here.”
I tossed some cash onto the table without answering
As I walked out, the bar thickened near the exit, bodies brushing against me, perfume, sweat, arghh people.
Then I saw him
Jordan Cruise
The bastard sat four stools down the far end of the bar with a blonde in his lap, her fingers slid through his hair while he laughed against her mouth
I stopped walking as cold air travelled through my bloodstream
Jordan said something that made the girl laugh harder before kissing her again openly.
Suddenly Abby’s face flashed through my head too vividly, it physically pissed me off. I thought about the bruises she tried hiding, the nervous apologies she keeps giving, every damn thing. My jaw flexed hard enough to ache
Tyler caught up beside me. “Problem?”
My eyes never left Jordan. “That guy plays basketball at Abby’s college.”
Tyler looked between us. “And?”
I couldn’t bring myself to answer immediately because the anger building inside of me felt irrational.
Jordan kissed the girl again and I just moved without thinking
“Jesus Christ.” Tyler muttered behind me
Jordan noticed me halfway there.
“Noah Fisher,” He said, removing the girl from his lap. “Didn’t know mechanics drank here.”
I stopped directly in front of him. The girl looked between us nervously
“You should leave.” I told her calmly
Jordan laughed. “She’s fine.”
I looked at her once. “No, she really isn’t.”
She kept looking between us, I almost felt sorry for her.
“Girl, are you good? I asked her calmly
Something in my tone worked because the girl grabbed her purse
Jordan scoffed as she hurried off. “Wow, congratulations, you scared a college girl.”
I casually leaned an elbow against the bar. “ So tell me, you cheating on Abby publicly now or are you just stupid?”
He moved a step closer. “What happens between me and my girlfriend isnt your business.”
I smiled slightly
“I think,” Jordan said, with his fingers pointed at me. “You’re a little too interested in someone else’s girlfriend.”
I laughed. “Oh you bastard, you think you own her because she stays even after you hurt her?”
Jordan’s eyes hardened. “You don’t know anything about us.”
“Maybe, but I know the bruises though.”
Jordan’s jaw tightened immediately. Around us, the noise of the bar had started to dim already. I kept my eyes on him hard, daring him to expose himself to the public
“You should mind your f*****g business.” Jordan said
“And you should stop putting your hands on women.”
“That’s cute.” Jordan said. “So what Fisher? You wanna save her?” He laughed. “You’re gonna teach me to be a boyfriend?”
My expression must have changed because Jordan stopped smiling once he met my gaze
Good.
At this point, I felt like apologizing to me for regretting that I had referred to Abby as dumb, cause seriously, how exactly did you end up with this? But I knew how to pick my fights
I grabbed Jordan by the collar so fast, the drinks on nearby tables rattled.
Jordan shoved against me. “Get your hands off me.”
My voice dropped to a low tone. “You touch her again and I swear, I’ll break every bone in your body.”
Jordan laughed despite the grip on him. “There it is! You want her.”
I released him abruptly, watching him straighten his clothes, he looked like the most pathetic version of what a man should be. “I won’t be this nice next time, Jordan Cruise.”
He knew exactly what he was doing to Abby, the abuse was not loss of control, he was just drunk in the control itself. The thought made me feel violent enough to kill him but instead I stepped back, taking one last look at him before walking out.
- Writer
