Falling for her Brother's Best Friend (Tea for Two Book 1)

by Noelle Adams

  “I tried.” His father looked even older now, as if he’d aged in the last two minutes.

  “You did not try at all.”

  “I did. You might not know it, but I tried to see you and Ginny after I left your mom. She didn’t want me around. I guess I can understand that. But one day maybe you’ll see that I just couldn’t stay in that marriage. It was… empty. It could never make me happy.”

  “Fine.” Noah was still clutching at the top of the chair, trying not to let his father see how he was trembling slightly. “You made yourself happy at our expense. If that makes you feel better, then you can use that as an excuse.”

  His father’s lips parted slightly. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  “Well, you did anyway.”

  His father’s green eyes—exactly like Noah’s—narrowed now, as if he’d grown impatient and was tired of Noah’s attitude. “And you’re telling me you really can’t understand that? You’re saying you haven’t spent your life trying to make things better for yourself, even if you ended up hurting someone else? Hurting your sister. Hurting your grandmother.” He nodded at Nan.

  Noah froze—more than physically. It was like every thought, every feeling, every flicker of existence inside him suddenly went ice cold.

  He saw in that moment that his father—no matter how hypocritical and infuriating—was right.

  He was appallingly right.

  Noah had spent all his life trying to run from his father, and instead he’d turned into him.

  He’d turned into his father.

  He was never going to be a better man.

  He was never going to be anything but what he’d always been.

  He stared at his father blindly, the whole world shuddering in an icy blur.

  Last night might as well have been a dream.

  No matter how much he wanted Emma, no matter how much he wanted to protect her, take care of her, love her forever, he was never going to be able to not hurt her.

  Exactly the way his father had hurt him.

  ***

  Emma was still in her office at six-thirty that evening. She was supposed to be working—catching up on some things she’d let slide over the last few days—but instead she was just staring at her phone.

  Noah hadn’t called.

  She’d texted him this afternoon to check in, and he hadn’t replied. At four, she’d started to get worried, so she’d called Ginny to see what was going on.

  Ginny said that Nan was doing better, but Noah had just disappeared.

  It wasn’t an emergency keeping him from calling her or replying to her texts.

  So it was really hard for her not to think the worst.

  It was like déjà vu, but worse. So much worse.

  She’d given herself to him. She’d believed him when he’d said he loved her last night when he was deep inside her body. She hadn’t said it back, but she’d felt it.

  She’d trusted him. For real. For good.

  But once again, she’d been wrong.

  She was always, always wrong about men.

  Taking a deep breath, she sent him another text and waited for five minutes.

  No reply.

  This had to be on purpose. Noah would never do this to her otherwise. He’d know what she would think.

  He had a kind heart, despite everything. He wouldn’t hurt her like this unless he intended to.

  “Hey, what are you still doing here?” a voice came from her office doorway.

  She blinked up and saw Patrick. He’d been smiling, but his smile faded as he studied her face.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, coming into the room and closing the door behind him.

  “Nothing.” She sniffed slightly.

  She couldn’t tell Patrick. She just couldn’t.

  It would destroy his friendship with Noah. She knew it would.

  She didn’t want to do that.

  She didn’t want Noah to lose everyone.

  “Damn it, Emma, tell me what’s wrong.” Patrick came over and sat down in the chair beside her desk.

  A tear slipped down her cheek.

  And then another.

  And she couldn’t hold back a little sob.

  Patrick was her brother, and he loved her. He cared that she was hurting.

  She just couldn’t lie to him.

  “It’s Noah,” she began.

  ***

  That evening, Noah was nursing one too many glasses of scotch, slumped on a barstool at a rather grimy bar on the outskirts of Christiansburg, one town over from Blacksburg.

  He hadn’t wanted to see anyone he knew, so he’d come all the way out here.

  He wanted to forget everything and drink himself into a stupor.

  He was getting there. The agonizing ache in his chest had finally dulled over slightly from the alcohol. He didn’t feel good, though.

  He felt sick.

  And dirty.

  And everything he’d always hated.

  And Emma’s texts were still unanswered on his phone, burning a scar into his soul like a brand.

  He blinked when a motion from the front entrance drew his attention. He couldn’t see very clearly. He was way too drunk for that. He wasn’t sure he’d even be able to sit upright if he hadn’t been propped on the bar.

  A recognition flickered in his mind, however. Something he should know, notice.

  It didn’t hit him until someone was standing right beside him.

  Noah recognized the face.

  Patrick. His best friend since he was twelve years old.

  There was no friendship evident in Patrick’s expression. No laughter or understanding.

  Patrick’s face was transformed with a look of anger, resentment, real animosity.

  Of course Patrick hated him now. Noah hated himself too.

  He swallowed down the last of the liquid in his glass. It didn’t even burn his throat anymore. “Hey there,” he slurred. “Old friend.”

  Patrick sucked in an audible breath. Then he drew back his arm and levered it forward hard, slamming his fist into Noah’s face.

  Ten

  “Patrick,” Emma said, worried and exhausted after a terrible night of mostly crying. “Why would you be that stupid?”

  Patrick was sitting on one of the counter stools in her apartment, and he looked almost as bad as she did. He’d knocked on her door a few minutes ago. It wasn’t even seven in the morning, but she hadn’t been asleep.

  “He deserved it,” Patrick grumbled, wincing slightly as Emma wiped antiseptic wash over the torn skin on his bruised knuckles.

  “You tore up your hand.”

  “I know. I’ve never hit anyone before. It’s really hard on your hand.” There was a dry, sympathetic note in his voice that was very much like him.

  It made Emma’s throat close up again, even as she smiled at her brother. “There was no reason to hit him.”

  “Yes, there was.”

  “You could have really hurt him.”

  “Not really. He’s a lot stronger than me. If he’d have fought back, I wouldn’t have stood a chance.”

  Emma’s stomach churned. “He didn’t fight back at all?”

  “He didn’t even try to defend himself. He saw it coming but just let it happen.” Patrick slumped forward. “It was like he wanted to be hurt.”

  “He probably did,” she murmured, aching for Noah, for Patrick, for Ginny, for everyone.

  What a mess this had turned into.

  “Does he have a black eye?” she asked.

  “Yes. Or I’m sure he will have one this morning.”

  “What did he do?”

  “Nothing. He was drunk out of his mind already. He just lay there on the floor.”

  “Oh. Damn.”

  “I had to haul the bastard up and drive him home.” Patrick was scowling, as if this had been the final indignity. “I passed him off to Ginny when I got to the house. I’m sure he’ll be fine once he sleeps it off.”

  Emma patted
Patrick’s forearm. “You’re a good friend.”

  “I’m not a friend anymore.”

  She contorted her features to keep from crying again. She’d already cried enough. “No, Patrick. I don’t want that. These things happen. And it shouldn’t get in the way of a real friendship. I don’t want you two to stop being friends. I would hate that.”

  “Well, I’m sorry, but you’re my sister, and I’m not going to be friends with someone who treats you like he did. I don’t care what kind of demons he’s running from. He doesn’t get to do that to you. No one gets to do that to you.”

  Emma came over and sat on the stool next to him, leaning her face against his shoulder.

  He wrapped an arm around her and gave her a brief squeeze.

  This was the extent of their brotherly-sisterly affection, but it meant a lot to Emma.

  It was seven now, and she hadn’t had a shower yet. It was a Friday, and they would both need to get into work soon.

  The business didn’t stop just because she had a broken heart.

  The world didn’t stop to mourn for what she’d lost.

  She was about to stand up and make herself get on with the day when there was a knock on the door.

  Despite herself, her heart gave a little leap, wondering if it could be Noah, coming to apologize, to beg for forgiveness.

  It was a silly thought, and she knew better than to entertain it. This time, Noah’s absence was final. It was clear to everyone involved.

  Ginny was at the door when she opened it, her hair pulled back, wearing her glasses, and looking like she hadn’t slept at all.

  “Are you okay?” Emma asked, stepping aside to let her friend in.

  “You’re asking me that? I’m here to ask you that.” Ginny gave Patrick a little wave, which he returned. “How are your knuckles?”

  “They’ve been better.”

  “Well, they probably look better than Noah’s face.” Ginny shook her head, coming farther in to sit at the counter. “He deserved it, of course.”

  “Is he okay?” Emma asked.

  “Yeah, I don’t know,” Ginny admitted, the words coming out in a long exhale. “He’s a wreck. I’ve never seen him like this.”

  “I don’t understand what happened,” Emma said, her throat aching again. “Things were… were so good between us yesterday morning. How did it all fall apart?”

  “I don’t know. But he was babbling out a bunch of stuff before he finally dropped off. I think…” Ginny took an uneven breath. “I think he must have talked to our dad yesterday.”

  Emma gasped. “He went to see your father? Why?”

  “I don’t think he went to go see him. I couldn’t get the whole story. He was just babbling out all these disconnected ramblings, totally out of it. I think maybe Dad came to the hospital to check on Nan or something. But they talked, and that was what sent Noah into this tailspin.”

  This sounded true, right to Emma. If anything could tear Noah up this way, it would be an encounter with his father, especially when he was as emotionally vulnerable as he’d been lately, trying to take some new steps, be a different person.

  “He’s crazy about you,” Ginny went on. “I’m not lying or exaggerating. He’s head-over-heels in love with you. He’s was babbling on about that too. I thought at first it was just one of his infatuations. In fact I…” After a pause, she continued, “I encouraged him not to pursue things with you.”

  “You did?” Emma straightened up sharply. “Why would you do that?”

  “Because I thought he would leave. I thought he would hurt you. I couldn’t believe he’d… he’d actually stay. I’m really sorry if I messed things up for you. I did it a few weeks ago, after that first time. I didn’t do it yesterday. But still… I’m sorry if I got in the way of things. Are you mad at me?”

  Emma felt dazed and so, so tired. She shook her head. “I’m not mad. Maybe I will be later. Maybe I’ll be mad at Noah later too. But I just can’t right now. I just… can’t. I feel like I don’t have the energy to be anything but sad. You know what I mean?”

  “Yeah. I know.” Ginny gave a loud sigh and slumped forward. “But this is more than just an infatuation for Noah. This is the real thing. I know it is now.”

  Emma’s whole body clenched with emotion, but she cleared her throat. “It… it doesn’t matter.”

  Ginny’s face was more openly emotional than Emma almost ever saw. “I know he was terrible. I know he hurt you a lot. But it’s just this emotional response from seeing Dad and whatever it was they talked about. He’s really a good guy.”

  “I know he is,” Emma said hoarsely. “I know how good he is when he lets himself be. But it doesn’t matter. He didn’t choose me.”

  “I think he will. I really think he will. He’s going to wake up and hate himself and want to make things better. So I was thinking… I really think if you go to see him and try to talk to him, you two will be able to work things out. He doesn’t want to go down this road. I know he doesn’t want to.”

  Emma was tempted. Incredibly tempted. She wanted desperately to see Noah again, talk to him, make sure he was all right. Shake him out of whatever had gotten into him yesterday.

  But she shook her head slowly. “I can’t. I won’t do that. I’ve spent too many years chasing after men who don’t really want me. And I’m not going to do it anymore. If he wants me, then he would choose me. And he just hasn’t done that.”

  Ginny sighed again, lowering her head, but she didn’t argue anymore. Patrick put a supportive hand on Emma’s shoulder, and it made her feel like she’d done the right thing.

  “I’m really sorry,” Ginny said at last. “I don’t want you to hate me.”

  Emma’s eyes widened. “Why would I hate you? It’s not your fault. I’m sorry all this happened too.”

  She got up to give Ginny a hug, which her friend returned.

  “Do you want me to stay with you?” Ginny asked when they pulled apart.

  “No. Go back home and make sure Noah is all right. He’s your brother.” The words almost caught in her throat. “He needs someone.”

  ***

  Noah woke up with a brutally aching head.

  And a heart that hurt even more.

  He hadn’t gotten so drunk in years, and he’d forgotten what the hangover afterward felt like. He managed to limp into the bathroom. His stomach heaved, and he gagged a little, but he didn’t actually vomit. He turned on the shower and stood beneath the spray for a really long time.

  His head hurt. His cheekbone hurt from where Patrick had hit him.

  But nothing hurt as much as the knowledge that he’d lost Emma for good.

  And maybe lost everyone else he loved too.

  Eventually, the water stopped being hot so he finally got out and dried off. He changed into an old pair of his high school sweats and a T-shirt, and he managed to get to the kitchen to look for coffee.

  Ginny was there. It was late. After eight. He’d expected her to already be at Tea for Two.

  She wasn’t, though. She was sitting at the kitchen table, drinking coffee and working on her laptop.

  Like their mother used to do every morning.

  The wave of grief that slammed into him almost knocked him over.

  Ginny glanced up and said coolly, “I hope you feel like hell.”

  “I do.”

  “Good.”

  He couldn’t expect anything else. She’d warned him that, if he broke Emma’s heart, she would have a hard time forgiving him.

  It was only what he deserved.

  He went to the coffee pot, got himself a cup, and swallowed it down. It burned his mouth, but he didn’t care.

  When he’d finished it, he got a second cup and brought it over to the table so he could sit down. He wasn’t sure how much longer his legs would support him.

  Ginny pushed away her laptop and looked at him. “You have a black eye.”

  “I know.”

  “I’ve never seen Patrick so angry
with anyone.”

  “I know.”

  “Emma cried all night.”

  At this, Noah winced and closed his eyes.

  “Nan was asking for you at the hospital.”

  He hadn’t known his heart could hurt any more, but it did.

  It did.

  “How is she?” he managed to ask.

  “She’s fine. Better. The doctor said she can get out in another day or two.”

  He let out a breath.

  “Are you going to leave?” Ginny demanded.

  “What?”

  “Are you going to leave? Take off? Abandon all of us the way you did Emma?”

  Her face went fuzzy before his eyes, and he couldn’t answer immediately. “I… I don’t know.”

  This halting answer evidently surprised Ginny. With an quick intake of breath, she leaned forward and put her hand on his forearm. “Noah, you don’t have to. You don’t have to. You’re better than this. You know you are.”

  “I don’t think I am.”

  “I don’t care what you think. I know you better than you know yourself. All of us do. And we all love you. Why can’t you understand that? What can’t you accept it? Why do you assume everyone is always going to leave you eventually, just because Dad did?”

  He didn’t say anything. He just breathed heavily.

  Ginny went on. “Well, I don’t care what you think about yourself. I don’t care how much you try to drive away everyone who knows and loves you. Nothing you can ever do is going to make me stop loving you. I’m never going to leave you, Noah. You stomped my best friend’s heart into the mud, and you did it on purpose, but you’re still my brother. I love you, and I’m never going to leave you.”

  Noah couldn’t breathe. He literally couldn’t breathe. His eyes blurred over, and he made a helpless, ragged sound as emotion too powerful to control consumed him.

  Ginny’s face was streaming with tears, but she wasn’t making any sound. She just kept her hand on his arm and sat there, waiting for him to compose himself.

  “I love you too,” he managed to say at last, needing to answer the gift she’d just given him. “I don’t want to leave you.”