Chapter 12
CHAPTER TWELVE
Bentley
Christmas Eve
I made us each coffee before making my way down to start the car.
After letting it warm, we both hopped in and made our way through the city.
Noelle was on edge. I did my best to comfort her, letting her know I was there for whatever we were about to face emergency wise and to remain calm.
She gripped my hand as we rounded the corner and began driving down her street.
Once her house came into view, she seemed to relax, as did I. There was no sign of police, fire trucks, or ambulances, so I knew it couldn’t be anything major. I frowned as I slowly pulled up to the house, wondering what the emergency could be.
“This is odd,” Noelle muttered.
“Sure is,” I added, placing the car into park.
I swallowed hard, wondering what I’d been thinking when I said I’d bring her here. There was absolutely no reason I could think of why I should be with Noelle this early in the morning.
I watched as she opened the car door and climbed out, coffee in hand. When I didn’t move, she bent down and looked at me through the open door.
“Are you coming?” she questioned, still looking a little pale. “I don’t think I can face whatever it is alone.”
I took a breath and opened the car door, climbing out, my mind racing.
What was I going to tell Bruce if he asked?
I guess I could just say that she stopped in before we closed and that the weather was too bad for her to drive, I thought to myself as we approached the front door, Noelle’s hand in mine, until she heard the lock on the front door open.
It was then she took her hand from mine and we both stood there staring up into the face of her father and my best friend.
“Dad, what is it? What’s the emergency?” Noelle asked.
He didn’t even look her way. He just glared at me.
I’d seen this expression on him one other time and it didn’t end well for his opponent.
I knew almost immediately that it was better to just rip the bandaid right off and explain things than it was to wait any longer or to make up some silly reason that wasn’t true.
“Look, I can—”
“Don’t say another fucking word,” he said through clenched teeth.
“Bruce, I think it’s best that we just go inside and—”
I didn’t get another word out. Instead, my coffee cup went flying, and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground. I felt a searing pain in my face as Bruce punched me.
“DAD! Stop!” I heard Noelle shout. “Mom, help me!” she screamed.
I lifted my arms, covering my face from yet another blow, when I heard Jenelle’s voice. All it took was for Jenelle to speak up and Bruce stopped.
“What the hell do you think you are doing?” she demanded as she reached down and pulled Bruce off me. Noelle dropped to her knees by my side and began checking me over, ignoring both her parents.
“Are you alright?” Noelle questioned, pulling some tissue from her coat and dabbing at my lip.
“Bruce, I am so disappointed in you. You’ve just made an absolute fool of yourself in front of all our neighbours,” she scolded.
I looked up at Jenelle, thankful she took control of the situation. I didn’t want to hit my best friend in front of his daughter, but if I had to, I would have.
“The three of you get up and get inside this house, now!” Jenelle said, turning and heading inside.
* * *
The two of us sat in the living room, neither one speaking a word to the other, only staring.
It had been years since Bruce and I had a fight, and honestly, I couldn’t even remember what it was about.
I didn’t know why he’d even attacked me to begin with, since we hadn’t even shared that Noelle and I were together.
So he’d better have had a damn good reason, otherwise his actions were far out of line.
He looked away from me when Jenelle and Noelle came into the room. Jenelle carried a tray with four cups of coffee and placed it in the centre of the small coffee table, while Noelle set down a plate of fresh cookies beside the tray of coffee before she sat down beside me.
“Now, I think everyone has calmed down enough so we can have a civilized conversation,” Jenelle said, gently nudging Bruce on the side with her elbow.
When he didn’t speak, Noelle tapped my knee with her hand. I was glad to be the one to start this, because right now he owed me an explanation.
“So, what the hell is your problem?” I gritted, staring at Bruce, who was now staring at me again.
I looked at Noelle, who grabbed my hand and squeezed, reminding me to stay calm.
When I looked back at Bruce, I noticed he was staring at our hands, so I pulled mine away from hers.
I didn’t know if I was going to have to defend myself again, and I figured it would be best to have both hands readily available.
“My problem?” Bruce huffed. “Let me tell you what my problem is. Did you forget what you were supposed to be doing last night?”
I thought for a moment, remembering many things from last night, but not one of them involved me having plans to do anything that I could remember, so I shook my head.
“We were supposed to go to Callum’s divorce party.”
Callum was one of our fellow marines who was in a shitty marriage.
The night he announced he had finally come to his senses and filed for a divorce, we all agreed to give him a huge welcome to being single again party once it became final.
So, when he told us that his divorce was a sealed deal, we planned the party, and we were to meet him once the bar had closed.
Last night was the night. It all came flooding back to me, Bruce was going to pick me up, and we were to celebrate the fact that our buddy was finally free from the hell he’d been living for the past twenty years.
“Oh, fuck,” I muttered under my breath, running my hands over the couple of days’ worth of stubble on my chin. It was then I realized exactly what was going on at the time he would have picked me up.
“Oh, fuck is right. Imagine my fucking surprise when I swing over to the bar to pick you up only to see you clear as day fucking my daughter over a goddamn bar chair like she was just another one of your whores!”
My stomach dropped. I’d been so wrapped up in my pity over Noelle I hadn’t even thought about last night. I’d totally forgotten about the party we were supposed to go to, and I’d also forgotten to close the shutters on the bar windows.
“Look, it’s not what you think,” I said, glancing over at Jenelle, who ripped her eyes from me with disappointment.
“Ha, remember, I’m a guy. I know exactly what it is,” Bruce bit out.
It was then Noelle cleared her throat. “Dad…”
I stopped her. This was my mess, not hers, and I didn’t want her to say things she’d regret. This was her parents.
“Sit down, just relax,” I said, taking hold of her hand and pulling her down beside me.
“Look, I’m sorry you saw what you did. Please, just let me explain.”
“Let you explain? Ha, do you think you deserve a chance to explain?” Bruce questioned. “We do not.”
He had every right to be pissed, and I could tell from his demeanor he was growing angrier by the minute. Yet, he still needed to allow me to explain our side of the situation.
“Dad, please,” Noelle cried.
I looked over at her, silently begging her to stop and just allow me to handle the situation. I could see the anger in her eyes. I could also see her fear.
“Bruce, Jenelle, this isn’t what you think.
I truly am in love with Noelle. I never meant for this to happen or for you to find out the way you have.
We were going to tell you after Christmas, however, now that it has happened, there is nothing I can do about it now except to stand up and tell you to your face that—”
“Spare me. I don’t want to listen to this shit. I know men like you. Hell, we both know men like you. From now on, you are not welcome in our home or to be here around Jenelle or Noelle.”
“What?” I questioned; not sure I heard the words correctly. I was trying to do the right thing, and it was blowing up in my face and resulting in exactly what I’d known would happen.
“Bruce, I think you are overreacting,” Jenelle said, placing her hand on his forearm. “Perhaps we give this some time, think things over, let the dust settle, and look at it with fresh eyes tomorrow or the next day. We really shouldn’t be acting in haste. Noelle is an adult.”
“There is no need,” Bruce said, glaring back at me. “My answer is definitive. Noelle is only a child, and she needs protecting from men like this. Bentley, I never thought I’d have to say these words, and while it kills me, I want you to get the fuck out of my house.”
I grabbed a napkin from the pile and placed it against my lip where it was bleeding again as I heard Noelle crying. She grabbed my arm, begging me not to leave, and even though I wanted to fight for her, I had a feeling it would only make things worse.
I left the room and headed through the kitchen to the front door. With my hand on the knob, I stood there for a moment, looking around at the only proper home I’d been welcomed into.
As I looked at the decorated tree lit in the corner, memories of the past Christmases came rushing to my memory. I let out the breath I was holding and went to open the door when I heard Noelle shout.
“Dad, how dare you kick him out of the house!” Noelle cried as she came running toward me and grabbing for my hand.
Instead of reaching for her or allowing her to take my hand, I simply walked out of the house, shutting the door behind me. I couldn’t stand to see her cry. My heart was already breaking at everything I’d just lost in those ten minutes.
As I made my way to my car, I realized exactly how right people were. Things you love, people you love, could be gone in an instant. Not only had I lost my best friend, but I’d lost what I believed could have been the best thing for me.