Rare - Briar Prescott Page 0,62
worked.” Noah’s voice was so low that it was hard to hear over the rustle of the hay being moved, but when Alex looked at Noah, he could see the lone tear making its way down Noah’s cheek, and something inside Alex cracked open.
Alex threw the pitchfork on the ground and stalked into Noah’s face again. “Bullshit,” he snapped. “You’re just scared or you let that bitch of a mother manipulate you somehow or who the fuck knows what else is going on that you haven’t told me about, but it doesn’t have to be this way.”
Pleading. Alex was pleading. And fighting. Against his better judgment, he was fighting for Noah. For what they had and could have if only Alex could get through to Noah. The pained expression and the tears sliding down Noah’s face did not speak of a guy who was hell-bent on breaking up with Alex. Something was going on, and Alex was going to find out what it was.
“You want to move to Seattle? Fine, I’ll go with you. It’s not like it really matters to me where I live.” Alex grabbed Noah’s hand in his. “We can make it work. Hell, if your mother doesn’t want us to be together, we can hide until you’re ready to tell her. I don’t know what happened in Portland, but—”
Noah pulled his hand away from Alex’s grasp. “It would never work.”
“Stop saying that!” Alex took a couple of deep breaths. “I love you. Doesn’t that count for anything?”
Noah closed his eyes, tears leaking out from the corners. “In a perfect world,” he whispered, “it counts for everything.”
Alex erased the last few inches that separated the two of them and pressed his forehead against Noah’s. Like the closeness would make Noah change his mind. Like the closeness would erase those last ten minutes from both of their minds. Like the closeness would make Noah stay.
They stood like that for a long time. Enough for Noah’s tears to run dry. Enough for Noah to shut down his emotions. Enough for Noah to straighten himself. Enough for him to meet Alex’s gaze straight on for the first time that day.
“We never stood a chance. I fooled myself when I thought I could rebel and change the course my life was on.” Noah took a step back. “I don’t regret anything that happened between us, but I do regret the hurt I’m causing you. I never wanted you to suffer because of me, and had I been a better man, I would have stayed far away from you.”
“That easy, huh?” Alex asked bitterly. “You throw us away that easily?”
Noah looked down at his feet. “It’s the hardest thing I’ll ever do.” The confession was delivered in a breaking voice.
“Then don’t do it!” Alex tried to take Noah’s hand in his again, but Noah took a hasty step back. Tears were running down Alex’s face freely. Desperation roared in his chest because apart from locking Noah away in a prison cell, Alex was beginning to realize there was no way to make Noah stay. There was no way to make Noah love Alex enough to fight for them. To put them first.
Once again, Alex was going to be left behind. Once again, somebody was going to make a choice, and Alex was going to emerge a loser.
As if that wasn’t enough, Noah seemed to have decided that stabbing the knife in hadn’t been enough and some twisting was in order.
“You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Alex laughed. The sound was ugly and cold. “Sure. Just not good enough to stay and fight for us. It seems you have low standards for best.”
He wrapped his fingers around the back of his neck and squeezed as hard as he could. Pain was good. It was going to distract him enough to put an end to his useless tears.
“Why are you still here?” he snapped. “Just go already.”
Noah stood completely still for so long that Alex was beginning to wonder if this was some sort of a bad dream or the shittiest prank ever.
“I’m sorry,” Noah whispered.
Alex had no idea why Noah was still there. He’d said everything that needed to be said. But Noah seemed rooted in place, unable to leave, and Alex couldn’t take it anymore. Couldn’t spend another second sharing space with Noah. Couldn’t bear to break in front of him.
“Get out!” Alex roared. Millie, who’d stuck her face in from the doorway, backed away quickly. Well, great. Even the