Before I have time to register what’s happening, the table’s been flipped onto its side, its contents crashing to the floor. There are loud, exaggerated shrieks from the people around us and suddenly Grace is at my side, pulling me away from what looks like two men in a boxing ring.
Noah takes the first swing, landing a solid punch to Declan’s jaw. I expect him to stagger from the impact, but instead Declan remains steady and hammers on by returning a blow to the right side of Noah’s head. This time, Noah staggers a bit to gain back his footing. He sways backwards, but then lunges forward, grabbing Declan’s shirt and ripping it in the process. This time his fist meets with Declan’s nose.
“Stop! Noah, stop! Please!” I rush over to Declan with the napkin that’s been in my Kung-Fu-like grip since Declan started singing. All I can see is blood. Everywhere. On Noah’s hands, Declan’s face, his shirt, the floor. Too much blood. I think I’m going to be sick.
But there’s no time for that, because in a frenzied rush, the four of us are escorted outside by two brawny bouncers and the manager of the bar. Grace leaves me for a second to speak to the gawky, nervous manager. He’s irate, but he’s also terrified. I bet he doesn’t want to piss off the two guys who just messed up his place with their ridiculously violent pissing contest.
“I think you broke my fucking nose, asshole.” Declan is keeled over in pain, nursing his bloody face.
“Good. That was for Mia.” Noah holds his fist, shaking the pain off every few seconds. Seems my husband does have that thick skull I’ve always accused him of having.
“She doesn’t need you defending her, prick.”
“And she doesn’t need your line of bullshit or your pretty words anymore, dickhead.”
Declan straightens up, forgetting the nose and the blood and apparently the pain, ready to lunge at Noah again.
I step in between the two of them, separating them between my shaky, fragile arms. “Enough! The both of you. This is ridiculous. Can’t we talk like adults?” I feel like I’m refereeing Cara and Charlie. There has to be a better way. And if one of them says “he started it,” I’m going to scream.
“Mia, I know he’s your husband, but—I thought what we had going was amazing. Am I batshit for thinking we had a future? That you were done being taken for granted?”
“You son of a bitch…” Declan dives in for another attack, but this time big brawny bouncer number one steps in when he sees my scrawny arms aren’t going to do much to keep him off of Noah.
Noah laughs, which has got to be patronizing Declan. “What? Sucks to know your wife could be spending her future with another man, huh? You got her past, bro, I’m claiming the rest.”
My head is spinning with all of this back and forth. Declan is wrong for being mad at Noah; he’s innocent in all of this. And Noah shouldn’t be speaking for me; I don’t know what I want, how can he know?
Grace finishes kissing the manager’s ass and comes back for a front row seat of the love triangle that is my life. “You boys just couldn’t play nice, could you? That dweeb nearly called the police, but once I got him to calm down, explained the situation, and flashed a little of this…” she pushes her boobs together, creating way too much cleavage to be flaunting in front of Declan or Noah. I throw my hand over her deep cut shirt, covering up her negotiating tools. “Okay, Grace, we get the picture.” I pull her by her elbow, jerking her towards me so we are nose to nose. “What the hell were you thinking telling Declan to come here? This is a disaster! I don’t even know what to say.”
Grace pushes me away, brushing off her shoulder casually. “Well, you better think of something quick because they’re both looking at you for answers.”
“I’m furious with you, you know? Things were going so well. I…”
“Going so well my ass. You’re happy with Noah, but that’s only because of the way things have been with Declan. If he wasn’t in the picture…”
“No, Grace, you’re wrong. If Declan hadn’t done what he did…”
“How long are you going to let this go on? You’re going to divorce him, get remarried to Noah, sail off into the sunset all because he kissed some floozy he met in a bar?”
I can’t believe she’s making it like what Declan did is okay. What he did was so much worse than infidelity. He gave up on us, lost hope, trust and faith in me and everything we stand for. How do I know he won’t do it again? And all the while I’ve been wondering this, I’ve been conveniently falling in love with another man. But are my growing emotions for Noah strong enough to deaden everything I ever had with Declan? Can I actually choose one over the other? I got used to being separated from Declan, but part of me realizes that it’s also because I haven’t had to do it alone. The other part of me hates the idea of letting go of Noah and the beautiful relationship that’s blossoming.