Glass Hearts || Noah Sebastian

9.

  He takes it upon himself to plate up one of the fresh pastries for me. The sticky insides leaving a stringy trail of cinnamon on the counter as he guides it over to the plate that he pushes in front of me. I give him a soft smile, trying my best to come off grateful. Truth be told I don't think I can stomach it, but I don't have the heart to tell him that. Instead, I pick up a fork and begin to cut it up in small pieces. Throwing a few in my mouth periodically to hopefully please him in some way.

   "How long go did you get here?" I question after a moment of silence. It had been weighing heavy on my mind since seeing him first thing this morning and it was nagging at me to know the answer.

  He opens his mouth to speak, but before he can get a word out Mel comes out from her bedroom. Stepping up to the counter beside Noah and grabbing the corner off a roll that's still steaming in the pan.

  "He stayed" she says nonchalantly, not making eye contact with me when she speaks.

  Her comment causing me to nearly choke on the piece of food in my mouth, forcing it down with a harsh swallow as I gaze at her with wide eyes. I can feel my body heat up as anger begins to pulsate throughout me. My palms getting clammy with nerves. I know she doesn't have even the slightest idea of what him and I have gone through, and she must have seen him bringing me home. But that doesn't stop the rage from fighting to take over as I peer at the two. Who up until this very moment haven't even so much as spent a few minutes together, and all the sudden seem oddly comfortable together.

Who are also standing far too close might I add.

  "Oh?" I question , eyes dancing back and forth between the two.

  "Yeah. It was like 3am when he finally decided to leave so I just offered him the sofa" she shrugs her shoulders as she speaks, as if it's no big deal. But it's quite the contrary.

  I am unsure of when I was taken to bed, but I know it was definitely nowhere near three in the morning. What was he doing up so late? What were they doing up so late? I can't help but wonder as I watch how they, who are literal strangers, stand way too close together. Elbows nearly pressing against each other. I know Melinda Cortez very well, and this isn't how she acts with a perfect stranger. What could they have done to create a bond over night?

  And why do I care?

  I don't.

With a shake of my head, I push the thoughts back. I couldn't care less about what those two get up to when the lights go down. He means nothing to me.

  "Well that's good to hear. Now if you will excuse me, I need to go shower" i force the statement out through my teeth, fighting back a grimace and offering a fake smile. I push myself off the barstool and head towards my room with thunderous stomps.

  I must be getting ready to start my period or something, my emotions are running amuck and I can't seem to get a grip on my temper. All but slamming my door as I pass through the threshold, and more so than ever being grateful for the fact that I have an attached bathroom. I can't look at either of them right now. It goes without saying that I am eternally appreciative that Noah was there last night, for whatever reason, it could have ended a lot worse if he wasn't. But why was he there and not in Oklahoma? He had a lot of nerve to show up at my house and my place of business, regardless of what he prevented. Then to do god only knows what with my best friend while I'm asleep only a few feet away.

  I can feel my internal temperature getting hotter with each passing second, skin tighten with rage. My hands shaking uncontrollably as I gather some fresh clothes to change into before walking into my bathroom, stripping down to nothing and standing bare in the mirror.