Chapter 466) The Hypocrites

“People tend to criticize their own faults in other people.”

– Iranian Proverb

Newcrest
The Bachelor Pad

Slightly bent over, while digging through a catchall bowl and some boxes in the downstairs hallway, he halted, when Emilee addressed him, before he slowly straightened up.

“Nolan, sorry, but Connor asked me to ask you where the ‘good’ bottle opener is. Said it is not where it’s supposed to be, so you must have had it last. Said to find you to ask for it cos you guys need it for the party, while he went to pick up the order from the liquor store.”

He slowly turned around, staring at her, her smile faded when their eyes met.

“Oh, you’re not Nolan! It’s YOU! Noah …” her tone underlined her surprise.

“Yeah. What the hell are YOU doing here? Don’t tell me that Tartosian slimeball is in this house. Cos if he is here, I am not gonna be for much longer!” Noah snarled.

“No, Ezio is back home. In Tartosa, I mean. What are YOU doing here? Last I heard, you moved to Del Sol Valley … oh, congrats on the Top Ten hit. Good for you. I like the song, too. Good beat. Really cool.” Emilee gave him a forced smile.

“Yeah, thanks. Well, I don’t know anything about bottle openers, sorry, and congrats on the wedding. Also, real big shocker that I would be invited to my twin brother’s party. Sure. Unprecedented, alert the media. What will we think of next?” Noah’s tone was condescending, yet almost a bark, even though he had tried for a neutral sound.

Suddenly, he felt cornered, so he chose flight, his only choices without having to pass Emilee were either Nolan’s room or the tiny guest bathroom behind him. He decided on his twin brother’s room, thinking he’d get claustrophobic in the bathroom right now with Emilee standing outside like a spider in its web. Somehow, porting never even crossed his mind, instead he hurried into Nolan’s room, slamming the door behind himself.

Standing in the middle of his twin’s room, he felt and heard Emilee follow him, once more he felt cornered, but also upset. She had no right. He turned around.

“What are you doing in here? You have no business in my brother’s room, unless there is something you both aren’t telling me!” he snarled, hoping the insinuation would hurt her enough to just leave. He knew Nolan would never. Not with her.

“Of course not! I came to say that you’re wrong. I am not married yet … soon, but not … not yet.” she paused, the awkwardness and tension in this room was palpable.

When she continued, she looked straight at him.

“The wedding is in two weeks. And I was hoping that you may change your mind. It would mean the world to me if you could be there and …” her plea was ended by a tiny shriek, when Noah used his vampiric speed to pin her against the wall, his face inches from hers, as he hissed into her ear.

“One more word about that fucking wedding, and I swear, it will be the last thing you ever spew. I’ll do exactly what you always thought of me once you found out about me. Biggest regret of my entire life, telling you. Trusting you!”

“Noah – stop! Please. You are hurting me …”

“Am I? Ha. Welcome to my world!” his tone almost a deep hiss, but he loosened his grip.

“What do you want, Noah?” Emilee sounded almost as if she was crying, but there were no tears. Only regret.

“What I want? What I WANT? I’ll show you what I want …” his tone sounded more dangerous, as he started kissing her, hard and demanding, breathlessly she eventually quit trying to avert her face and gave into him, kissing him back, pulling his face closer to her, which he took as a signal to mess with her clothing, opening, pushing aside or taking off anything in his path.

He groaned deeply into their making out when he felt her hands fondling his belt buckle, then unbutton his pants, unzipping them, until they slid down his legs, which was like a signal shot for him to lift her up and thrust into her hard, over and over, while she moaned, loudly, which he silenced by putting his hand over her mouth.

They went like that for a while, rough and demanding, her digging her fingernails into his back, his neck, biting his full lips until the climax relieved both of them from their near tantric ecstasy together.

Once it was over, she sunk together in herself a little, weakened after the literal sexual tension dissipated, leaning into Noah. For a moment they remained that way.

Suddenly, without warning, he grabbed her and flung her onto his twin brother’s bed like a ragdoll, where she bounced a few times before staring at him in disbelief, when he tossed her pants and panties at her, from the door, before he left the room.

He was on his second mug of his brother’s – or maybe it was Connor’s – whiskey when someone pulled the mug from him as he was about to gulp it down. Hissing, he turned to face Connor, who immediately laid into him.

“Two questions: 1) why are you inhaling my good booze like a convenience store Slurpee – from COFFEE MUGS at that, and 2) why did a totally disheveled and probably crying Emilee nearly run me down as I was just coming home from the beer run for the party later?! Last I saw her, she was getting a wine bottle opener so we’re ready to go and was pretty chipper then. The only thing that changed between then and now is that you are here.” Connor grumbled, unamused.

“Why are you leaving your ‘good booze’ out if it’s not for drinking? Isn’t it for guests? I am a guest. It’s Noah, not Nolan, dude.” Noah tried to blow Connor’s second question off using nonchalance as a distraction.

“It’s NOT for guests and I left it out because I LIVE here, and because Riordan said he may stop by for a little bit, he doesn’t drink much, but if, he likes the finer ones. Can’t believe I am justifying myself here! And I KNOW who you are, DUDE, I have eyes. You two have different haircuts. Plus, you brother seems to have lost his razor or he’s going for the lost in the woods look now with that ungroomed stubble he has going on. What about the rest?” Connor roared.

Noah felt awkward, put on the spot by his cousin about something he wasn’t so sure he himself fully understood enough to explain to someone else. Which upset him more, so he went into the offensive as he snapped at Connor.

“Oh, right. I forgot, pardon me, Goldilocks, you are the Cameron family’s genius, the pride and joy of all, the one we are all aspiring to be one day, because you alone are probably smarter than the entire rest of us combined. Oh hail, Doctor Connor, the Great. My apologies, of course you know who I am – along with everything else, cos you have a computer chip for a brain, graduated high school before most kids can spell and college before the rest of us started growing hair on our balls.”

“Keep that up and I am gonna punch you in those balls! Don’t forget I am a helluva athlete too, I mean, while we’re at it, right? Seriously now, nice try. I am not THAT smart, I graduated high school early at 16 and college at 18, at least get the facts right if you are trying to poke fun of me. Either way, I am smart enough to recognize a distraction when I see it, so cut the BS. What happened between you and your ex?!” Connor insisted.

“None of your business, that’s what! Mind your own shit, ‘Con-Bear’.” Noah over-accentuated the last part, which had the intended effect of pissing Connor off.

“Unless you morph into Keira right now, do NOT call me that. Not EVER. And yeah, it’s my business if you forced Emilee! Watch me make it my business, if you did! The sparrows are whistling off the rooftops how much you are pining after her, how sore you are over her giving you the pass, so it’s in the realm of possibilities I would say. For the last time nicely, did ya? I have other gears, Noah, and you won’t like ANY of them, I promise you!” Connor looked and sounded threatening now.

“What the fuck? Noah, what is Connor talking about? What did you do?!” Nolan joined them in the kitchen, torn between his natural instinct to side with his twin brother, but also aware that Connor was always very fair and kind, meaning when he wasn’t, he had good reason to be. Since the house had an open floorplan Nolan had overheard most of the latter part of their conversation, as he now stared at Noah just as bewildered as Connor was.

“Are you two serious?! You think I am a fucking rapist now?! Fine, let’s talk details then, if you must know! Yeah, that happened. Just like half an hour ago or something I was balls-deep in her. She and I fucked, but – and listen closely – I didn’t force her. I am not THAT desperate, thank you very much! Maybe I pushed harder than I normally would for it, but what the hell did I have to lose?! SHE kissed me back, SHE pulled my pants down, SHE begged me to go harder and to not stop. You think chicks do that when trying not to get raped?! She liked it, she wanted it and she could have walked at any time but didn’t. You two are ASSHOLES! Judgmental pricks! Which one of you fuckfaces invited her anyway?! You both KNEW I was gonna be here, I said I would be, is this supposed to be funny or something?! Shittiest prank ever! Next party I’ll come to, if I ever come to another one, I’ll be sure to bring Danielle, your ex, just for you, Nolan, you Judas!” Noah shouted, then tried to leave but his brother stopped him, shaking his head.

“We didn’t invite her per se, she dropped by looking for you, said she really wanted to talk to you again. And yeah, I knew you were coming, so I told her to stay for the party cos there was a chance you may come too. I thought, best case scenario: you two talk like normal people, worst case scenario: you avoid each other like the plague, both not THAT hard and no big deal. The possibility of your clothes falling off you the moment you see her honestly never crossed my mind. I have known her JUST as long you have, fool, the three of us had many of the same classes in high school, so if I want to invite a former classmate to my parties, I will do that without your authorization! But you know what Emilee and I didn’t do when she was here? Take our pants off! She is your ex, Noah! Let me repeat that slower and louder: your EX! As in PAST TENSE! Why did you sleep with her? To remind her what a stud you are in the sack, thinking she’d drop everything and come back to you? Are you crazy? She’s married you idiot! I get nailing randos, it’s what I do, not the fine English way, but I am not English, so why not? I make more than sure that everyone is clear it’s a no-strings-attached usually one-time thing, we all get the same pleasure out of it. But the married ex? Bruh – seriously, that is a line I’d NEVER cross. You’re messed up, man!” Nolan yelled at his identical twin brother.

“Except she is not married! It all happened because she followed me into YOUR room, which I still have to wonder about how she even knew where your room was, BROTHER. “

“She didn’t know it was my room, she just followed you into whatever room you went into, you idiot!”

“Whatever, not only could she not take a hint when it’s best to leave me alone, she followed me in there and had the balls to invite me to her fucking wedding! So no, she isn’t hitched yet! Maybe after that good fuck she just got, she never will be, at least not to that limp Tartosian noodle. Hard to argue with my rock-hard facts, if you catch my drift!” Noah nearly slavered for anger and excitement.

Slow clapping from next to him, had Noah’s head snap around to watch Connor giving him the most sarcastically implied applause.

“Bravo! Performance of your lifetime. You sure music is where it’s at for you? Thinking you should look into acting.” Connor mocked.

“Or make porns, you nutjob.” Nolan added, huffing a joyless laugh at his brother.

“Oh – because you both have your shit together, huh?! Really!? Nolan bangs EVERYTHING that’s not up in the trees at the count of 3, if necessary, with a paper bag over their head, and Connor, YOU are not one to talk to me about banging your ex, cuz!” Noah argued.

“What is THAT supposed to mean!?” Connor roared back, his eyebrows drawn so much they nearly touched for a moment, until the anger gave way to an unreadable, puzzled look.

“Means you are banging your ex, too, so you are NOT one to cast the first stone at me! I am not my brother, dude. I’ll say it like I see it. We all know Keira isn’t counting sheep up in the guest bedroom when she’s here. Guest room, my ass! You really think ANYONE believes that horse shit!? You both usually look more tired in the mornings than before you went to bed, because neither of you is getting rest, your runaway fiancée is too busy riding you into oblivion while your eyes are rolling back into your head so far you can’t think straight for weeks after, you hypocrite!” Noah told Connor.

“Even IF that were true, not saying it is, but if it WERE, Keira and I are still engaged! She’s NOT my ex! So, if we WERE to do it, it would be legit! Cos that is what engaged couples do in the bedroom! Get a grip!” Connor argued back.

“Seriously now? If you really think that, you are so deep in denial, it’s not even funny anymore, you need an intervention, you genius! That girl is gone, as ex as an ex can be! Maybe she kept the bling, but you two aren’t a couple, least of all engaged! You two are less engaged than Nolan and I are to each other! Does Keira even remember that you WERE engaged once, I am sorry, twice or however many times really? Hard to think about such things when she is running so far and fast that she nearly loses a shoe. I should say, running from you AGAIN!? And when she’s gone, are you so sure she’s not trying out some cabana boy in Selvadorada or something, then comes home to nail you to conveniently scratch an itch while she’s here? If I were you, I’d get myself tested for … well, pretty much every STD known to mankind to make sure she didn’t bring you back an itchy, blistering and probably contagious souvenir!” Noah yelled at Connor.

“Fuck you!” Connor yelled, purposely bumping into Noah hard as he left by the other set of stairs, leading up to his room, where soon after they heard a door slam so hard that made the dishes in the kitchen clink together suspiciously.

Nolan said nothing, just shook his head as he headed for the coffeemaker.

“Oh, so that’s it now? Cast judgement on me, accuse me of some heinous BS and then just shake your head at me, before you sippy-sip some coffee like nothing happened?” Noah roared at him.

“What do you want me to say, Noah? That you were totally out of line with Connor? Or that you shouldn’t have nailed your ex a few weeks before her wedding? I know you know that yourself, so what now? You’re afraid I’d tell mom and dad you were a bad boy? We’re 24 years old! We’re supposed to adult here. You figure out your own BS. But you still are my brother, so I am entitled to have an opinion on it. You REALLY need to take a good, hard look at your life, and not worry about what Connor does with his. I live here, I see things, and I guarantee you, he and Keira and most definitely not broken up! I don’t know what they are, but they’re still together and Connor has never even looked at another girl in that kind of way and I am no woman-whisperer but if any girl ever looks at me the way she looks at him, I am fucking off to Vegas with that chick to make her the next Mrs. Grainger! She’s not getting some on the side, that’s not what that weird shit between them is about. She is just restless, and Connor is giving her space, I guess. Of course I don’t know the details, not like Connor sits on my lap after work to discuss his relationship struggles with me. I am his cousin, not his dad.” Nolan shrugged.

Noah lowered his head, then nodded. Something about his brother’s tone extinguished his anger, leaving only regret. And he knew Nolan was right.

“You’re right. I screwed up. I’ll apologize to Connor tomorrow or something. And I shouldn’t have nailed Emilee. I guess I wanted her to feel rejected, humiliated, unwanted and cheap, just like I felt when she dumped me for that damn Tartosian. Like trash, kicked to the curb for something shiny and new … with deep pockets and a toothpaste grin. At least she knows I am out there, making it big. She told me so herself. She’ll be eating crow when I end up richer than her Mister before too long, hopefully.” Noah admitted.

Nolan sighed.

“You still got some wires crossed, Noah. She did dump you, yes, and that hurt, I get that. I know EXACTLY how that feels, firsthand. But that was almost two years ago now, Noah! She didn’t RECENTLY dump you, and definitely not for her fiancé. You tried to win her back, and it didn’t work. Let’s be honest, you didn’t exactly put much effort into it either, did you? Showed up at her place a few times, like a creep. Poured your lil heart out to her, probably with some ‘me, myself and I’ sobby and sappy take on the thing. Pity parties are not famous for having saved many relationships. Are you really surprised she moved on? Let Emilee go. She is probably miserable enough by now, feeling guilty for doing what you two did, but unlike you, she’s not my brother and therefore not my problem. Take it from someone who would know how all this feels. There is no use. Give her a chance to be happy, and one day, you and I will get our chances. But not by nailing married or engaged exes. Just no.”

“Lots of criticism about what I did or didn’t do to win her back, where was all that when I needed it? And what would you have had me do? Wear a red bow and pledge myself to her for all eternity? File down my fangs and strap hot water bottles to my body, so she is not reminded of some of the undeniable ways I differ from her? Maybe buy her expensive shit with the money I DIDN’T have back then, which is probably one of the main reasons she chose that Tartosian gorilla over me? Well, that and he has a heartbeat, not sure how I would fake that. I still don’t see what her issue was with vampires. If I were malicious, I would definitely not have told her my secret. That is really the lamest excuse to dump someone.”

“Are you serious? You are so profoundly wrong about literally everything, she didn’t dump you for him, you two were broken up for over a year before she started dating him. Probably because he treated her like a queen, while you didn’t do much of anything except whine. You never once really tried to make the vampire thing less scary for her, explain what little we are at liberty to talk about to her, nor did you do any grand gestures to win her back. So, you got friend-zoned. Not really that surprising.” Nolan tipped his index finger against his forehead, then shook his head.

“Didn’t feel like friendzone to me in your bedroom …” Noah said, his tone almost pouty.

“Ah yeah, about THAT. What the fuck, brother? Eeew! Have some decency and nail chicks some place else next time! That’s disgusting! I know you and I are practically the same genetically, but that still doesn’t mean I am comfortable marinating in your bodily fluids all night!”

“Chill, my aim isn’t that bad and we didn’t even use the bed. Just a wall … no biggie.”

“Oh well, now that’s a relief. Just gotta wipe down my walls then cos I am not into butt print wallpaper.”

“Whatever …” Noah turned to leave.

“Where you going?”

“Home. I need to be alone. Not feeling like a party right now. Need to think.” Noah said.

“Yeah, about high time you start thinking with the head on your shoulders for a change.”

“Fuck you, Nolan.”

“No thanks. I know where your wanker has been … he he he.”

Flipping off his twin brother, Noah disappeared into the telltale black cloud.

Chuckling, Nolan muttered to himself

“I am surrounded by idiots. I know I haven’t had exactly eaten wisdom by the pitchfork full either, but compared to those two numbnuts, I am the genius here, not Connor!”