Coffee Cup Confessions - Trish Williford Page 0,20

a good indicator of your lack of loyalty.”

I’m crying? My shaking hand reaches my wet cheek, and I quickly wipe away the tears. I hate crying in front of people, and I didn’t even realize that I had been doing so.

“She said she was over him.” Mandy tries to defend herself. “She’s been on dates with other guys, like that coffee guy she was bragging about the other week. If she’s allowed to move on, why can’t Noah?”

“He can but not with you!” Bentley yells across the table.

“Bentley, enough.” Mom smacks the table, causing the silverware to rattle.

Mandy grabs Noah’s hand and pulls him to the dining room table with her. “You can’t help who you fall in love with, Bent.”

“Love?” he questions.

My stomach churns, and I feel like I’m going to be sick.

“Yes. Look at you and Ally, for example. You were trouble with a capital T when you two met. Do you really think sweet Ally would have stuck around until you got your shit together if she didn’t love you? Your heart chooses who you fall in love with, not your brain. Love would be much simpler if it were the other way around.”

“That’s true,” I feel myself say. The entire table looks at me, but I stare at Mandy. “Because then I could walk away from you and all the heartache you’ve caused me all these years.” I stand from the table and sigh. “I’m sorry. I’m suddenly not feeling well. I’m going home. Good night.”

Everyone but Mandy is calling for me, but I leave the dining room without stopping. I grab my coat beside the door and jog to my car without putting it on, and it’s only when I see Noah’s car is parked beside mine that I allow the pain of betrayal to wash over me. Through the blurriness of tears, I’m able to get in my car and start it, but I sit in the driver’s seat with my head on the steering wheel.

Sobs take control of my entire body. I haven’t cried like this since I was in high school and Mandy had the entire student population—minus Drew—making fun of me for being overweight.

Why? Why does she have to do these malicious things to me and actually believe in her heart that she has a legitimate reason to do so?

The passenger door opens, and someone slides in. From the moment I smell the cologne, I know that it’s Noah.

“Get out,” I manage to say between sobs.

In the entire six years of dating, I think Noah might have seen me cry only a handful of times but never like this.

“I’m so sorry, Misha.” His voice is broken, and I know that he is. Noah doesn’t have a mean bone in his body, so the decision to date Mandy must have been a hard one for him to make. “I’m so torn. I care about you, and I hate to see you this upset. The way things ended between us, I really thought there were no feelings left. If I knew—”

“There are no feelings,” I interrupt. I lean back into my seat and wipe my face. “It’s not right, Noah. You shouldn’t have jumped from me to my sister. Are you trying to keep it in the family? Who’s next? Bentley? My mom?”

He’s biting his tongue. I can tell by his tightened jaw that he’s restraining himself.

He stays silent, and I take the opportunity to continue, “I’m furious at you both but more so at her. If you tried to make a move on her, she should have stopped it because she’s my sister. She’s my family, but she doesn’t care about anyone other than herself. I feel heartbroken. Embarrassed. Hurt. But it’s because of her. I have zero feelings toward you.”

“That makes me feel a little better.”

I have so many questions, and if I want the truth, I’ll only get it from Noah. “When did this start?”

“We officially started dating about six months ago.”

“Did anything happen while you and I were together?” Instantly, I regret asking the question, but I need to know. I bite the inside of my cheek, waiting for his response.

“No. I always thought she was attractive, but I would never have done anything like that to you, Misha.”

As mad as I am right now, I still somehow believe him. Noah’s a good guy, except the whole dating my sister thing.

“Do you love her?”

He inhales sharply at the question, and I know he doesn’t want to answer. “Misha …”

“That