His mouth thins. "Go on."
"She kissed him." I pull my hands to my lips. "He said it wasn't like any other kiss before."
"Sammy kissed him?"
"She told him that she was going to do things to him." My voice cracks at the admission. "They were sexual things."
"How could he have been a virgin then?" The question isn't directed at me judging by the way he's speaking softly in the direction of the floor. "He was too old to still be a virgin. I'd slept with so many…"
I jump in out of necessity. I don't want to hear about his sexual conquests when he was a teenager. I need him to help ground me. I feel lost within our conversation. "Noah, he was a virgin until that day."
Without warning his hand slams the table next to me, causing the vase of fresh flowers to teeter precariously. He reaches to balance it, his arm sweeping past my face. "I can't believe this."
I grab hold of his forearm. "Please, Noah. I don't understand."
His eyes float over mine but they're distant and detached. "Kayla, what else? Tell me what else he said."
I hesitate only briefly before I answer, "Ben said that he removed the empty oxygen tank and put the new one in place but that he was in a rush and didn't check to make sure the hose was connected properly. He said it fell away at some point and your mother died then."
"Christ." The word falls slowly from his lips. "What else?"
I can't delve into the details of what Ben shared about their intimacy because there weren't any beyond her taking him in her mouth. "He said he woke up when your father showed up and smelled marijuana. He said she was gone by then."
"Fuck." His hands race to his face as he stumbles backwards into the chair. "Fuck, no."
"Noah." I reach to grab hold of his hand to steady him but he recoils sharply. His entire body pushes back away from me. "Noah, tell me what's going on."
"Leave." His hand floats into the air between us. "Just go."
I sit in silence for not more than a minute before I pick up my purse and pull myself to my feet. "Do you want me to call Lex? Should I tell her about this?"
His head shakes violently from side-to-side. "Not a word. Don't say anything to her or Ben."
I don’t respond. I turn on my heel and walk quietly towards the door while listening to the dull thud of his fist hitting the table again and again.
Chapter 10
"This is the best bridal shower ever." Alexa pulls on my hair causing my head to fly back.
"Shit." I reach to grab my neck. "What the hell, Lex?"
"You're in a horrible mood," she slurs the words into my face. "Have a drink, or two or ten."
She's drunk. She was drunk the moment I arrived and it's only gotten worse in the hour that I've been here. I can't blame her though. This is her celebration. She's carefree and excited about jumping into married life. I, on the other hand, am trying to decipher exactly what happened between Noah and me earlier.
"You were so late." She pats me on the top of the head. "I should send you to the principal's office."
"Teacher jokes?" I smile. "You're actually telling teacher jokes?"
"What can I say?" She shrugs her shoulders causing the drink in her hand to tip to the left.
I reach for it and her, steadying her back on her feet. "You should have some coffee."
"I have the day off tomorrow." She raises the glass high above her head. "I don’t have to think about anything for two whole days."
I'm envious. It's not because she's marrying her life partner and their path together is right there at her feet. I'm jealous that she's so blissfully unaware of what happened earlier. I wish I was oblivious to it as well. "You're lucky," I say it with genuine sincerity.
"You'll find a guy too one day, Kayla." Her hand drifts to my chin. "You're so pretty. You're going to find a man just like Noah who will love you so much."