5

 NOAH’S POV

“Fucking bastard.”

  The words didn’t leave my mouth as I stormed out of the house and got into my car, immediately roaring the engine to life.

 I was enraged and for the first time in a long while, wasn’t sure who exactly to direct my anger towards—Rayna? Takumi? My father? Or even myself?

 The image of Takumi with Rayna still refused to leave my head, replaying itself every time I closed my eyes. Her sitting half naked on him, his arms around her, their mouths pressed together like neither of them had a single thought about what they were doing.

I tightened my grip around the steering wheel. I didn't know what pissed me off more—the fact that she'd cheated on me or the fact that she'd done it with him.

 Rayna and I had never been the most perfect couple. We were okay at best, respected each other and knew a decent amount of things about each other. But apparently I was terribly wrong all along.

 Trying to avoid the thoughts was useless so I spent the entire ride blaming Takumi. It all had to be his fault. He had fucked up my life right from the first moment I saw him on the rink and he was simply doing that again. By taking my girlfriend away from me. By taking the only thing I thought he wouldn’t at least be able to get to.

 “Mason! You made it!”

 I drew a hand over my face as I walked through the door, the loud sound of music already getting to me. I could spot Ethan from a distance walking towards me with Summer by his side, both of them sharing mischievous glances.

 “Ethan said you weren’t coming,” Summer nudged me lightly by the shoulder as they closed the distance between us. “Why did you change your mind?”

 “He realized Friday night in his room is not a fun activity.”

“Yeah, cause Noah has ever cared about fun,” Summer rolled her eyes at Ethan. “Oh, is it because your girlfriend is here?”

 “Aw,” she wrapped her hand around Ethan’s arm and giggled. “And here I was thinking you guys weren’t really in love. Are you now coming to parties just to spend more time with her?”

 Ethan was smirking, Summer’s eyes twinkling as they both anticipated an answer from me. I watched them in frustration, looking around the room for the closest can of alcohol possible.

 “Wow, Noah is finally in love,” Summer nudged Ethan and he leaned closer, the situation clearly thrilling to them. “Noah is finally in love with his girlfriend of four months.”

 “No, I’m not,” I had to say before they made more irritating sounds. “We— we’re broken up.”

 Summer blinked and Ethan raised his brows. I didn’t wait for another word from them, immediately walking over to a table to grab the beer I’d spotted already.

 “He’s drinking,” they were back to my side the moment I took a chug. “He’s been serious. What the hell actually happened? You guys really broke up?”

 Ignoring the burn down my throat, I looked up at Summer and nodded. After being friends for so long, I couldn’t lie to them for much longer so it was best I came clean about everything already.

 “Yes,” it was easier said than done though. The thought of telling them she’d cheated on me with a guy that was suddenly my stepbrother mortified me. especially when that guy was the infamous Takumi Williams. “We’re done so don’t mention her name around me again.”

 “I’d do that if it was that simple,” Ethan shrugged. I could tell from the look in his eyes he had a couple more words he had to say. “But she’s walking up to you right now so how does that work?”

 “What?”

 I didn’t need to turn around. I watched the look on their faces change and with a final encouraging smile, they turned around to leave, Rayna taking their place in front of me seconds later.

 “Noah, I can explain.”

 I took another gulp of the beer, realizing the can was now empty. I groaned again, tossing the empty can on the table before I turned to face her.

 “You can explain, Rayna?”

 I didn’t need an explanation from her. I certainly didn’t need her telling me what circumstances warranted her kissing Takumi. Whether they were accidental or not.

 “I wasn’t thinking,” she took a step towards me. “I ran into him at the uni and we were just supposed to have a couple of drinks together.”

 They ran into each other at the university? So, after moving his things to my place he dived into campus to find a random girl to lay off steam with?

 “But then things got a little heated and I was a bit drunk so I didn’t realize what was going on. I knew the house was familiar but it didn’t click to me it was your house.”

 He knew that though. He knew he was taking a girl to my place and didn’t hesitate even for a minute.

 “Can you blame me though? I am your girlfriend and I can count the amount of times I’ve been over at your place. And what type of girlfriend doesn’t even know her boyfriend has a new stepbrother?!”

 I swallowed, tightening my fists as I tried to process her words. I was mad. But staring at her, I realized I wasn’t mad at her. We had been dating for a couple of months and the thought of her kissing someone else had never really bothered me. But the thought of her kissing Takumi Williams—

 “I understand,” I unclenched my fists. “It was an accident. I’m not mad at you.”

 “What?”

 “Let’s break up,” I nodded. “You are right. Our relationship was flawed right from the start. There’s no point being together.”

 “What are you talking about?” she grabbed me by the arm just as I was about to turn around. “We don’t have to break up. It was just a drunk mistake and I’m sorry. Nothing has to change between us!”

 “I think you’d be better off without me, Rayna,” I freed myself from her grip. “But when I think about it, I don’t think anything in my life is going to change with or without you.”

 “What?” her face fell as she took a staggered step backwards. She bumped into a stranger as she did, heads slowly turning in our direction. “How is it so easy for you to end this? I can’t believe this. Tell me, Noah. Did you ever love me?”

 Love? I wasn’t sure I knew what that felt like. Admiration was a close call. Infatuation, an even closer one.

 But hate? I was certain I knew what that felt like— every single emotion I felt towards Takumi Williams.