Sugar

When we reached my door, he took my key and opened the lock. “I think you need a weekend to yourself, love. Some time to think about your situation and where you want to be in a few months.”

I definitely needed to start thinking about that. It was almost February, and it would be May before I knew it.

“I think you’re right.”

He smiled, and I stilled, not used to seeing his face wearing any sort of telling expression. “Sweet dreams, Avery.”

“Goodnight, Micah.”

He leaned down, and I assumed he would press a kiss to my cheek or brush one across my mouth, but as his full lips closed over mine, I sucked in a sharp breath, and he took my surprise as an invitation to deepen the kiss, pulling my body into his and pressing a hand to my lower back.

The door across the hall crashed open, and I flinched, jerking out of Micah’s arms.

“What. The. Fuck?”

“Noah,” I gasped, wanted to explain that I hadn’t asked him to kiss me, but unable to find the words.

He seethed in his doorway, shoulders heaving and fists clenched at his sides. “She say you could fucking touch her?”

Micah faced him and adjusted his cufflinks, his face a composed mask of indifference. “I think you should go back where you came from, boy.”

“I’m not your fucking boy, and she’s not your fucking girl.”

“Noah, stop!”

“Avery, shut up!”

Micah stepped in front of me, and his voice boomed, “You’ll want to apologize to her right now.”

“How about I call the cops and have your ass thrown out of here.”

Micah chuckled. “That might be interesting. Give them a call.”

“You think I won’t?”

“No, I believe you’re ignorant enough to do something like that. Not much they can do, being as it’s my building.”

My gaze jerked to Micah, but he wasn’t looking at me. He owned the building? I thought he just rented my apartment.

This new information didn’t appear to deter Noah’s anger. “Then maybe I’ll drag you out of here myself.”

Micah took a quick step forward. “Go ahead and try. I’ll have you on the ground before you get one hand on me.”

Noah roared and barreled forward.

I screamed, jumping back and covering my mouth as Micah moved so fast I heard the clash of their bodies. The terrible smash of flesh hitting flesh and pained grunts filled the hall.

“Stop it!”

Noah’s body flung against the wall hard enough that the lights in the antique sconces flickered, his eyes unfocused as he slid to the ground.

Oh, my God, he went down like a sack of rocks.

“What did you do?” I ran to Noah, trying to get his eyes to focus on me. I cupped his jaw and glared at Micah. “Why did you do that?”

“I warned him.” He gave his sleeve a negligent tug.

Disappointment welled in my chest, competing with the ache of concern for Noah. The Micah I knew would never overreact like that. I brushed a shaky hand across Noah’s brow, lifting his hair so I could see his eyes.

“Noah, look at me. Open your eyes.”

Blood coated his teeth as he blinked up at me. “You … kissed him.”

I shook my head, but I couldn’t deny the accusations. I knew I didn’t start it, but that was a stupid technicality, and I could have stopped it the second I realized what was happening. Instead, I let it happen.

“I’m sorry.”

“Avery, you should go inside,” Micah’s voice was cold and absolute.

I turned and scowled. “No. You can leave.”

He stilled and raised a brow. “Think before you speak, Avery.”

I suddenly felt like a child with absolutely no power. I looked down at Noah. His gaze heavy, a blood vessel bursting into the white of his eye.

Shifting to sit up, he winced and cradled his ribs. “Don’t listen to him, Avery. Don’t let him tell you what to do.”

“Avery.” Micah’s tone grew impatient.

“I just want to get him away from you,” I whispered. “Then I’ll come back.”

“If you go with him, he wins.”

He’d already won. Noah was on the floor. How had things taken such a turn so fast? My vision blurred as I blinked down at him, truly regretting that he was on the floor after trying to defend my honor. I had no honor.

“I’m sorry.”

He shut his eyes, his face pinching in obvious pain. He grabbed my wrist as I moved to stand. “Make him leave.”

I glanced back at Micah, who wore a look of displeasure. “Get off the floor, Avery.”

Micah wouldn’t leave until he saw me safely in my apartment, and Noah gone. Everything inside of me wanted to stay with Noah and make sure he was okay. His eye was bleeding, and he might have a concussion. This was all my fault.

I looked back at Micah again and wondered what he would do if I told him to go. He was angry and the longer I crouched in front of the man who just tried to attack him, the more his irritation showed.