I added, then deleted, then undid, then added and then added some more.

This chapter was a little harder to get just right.

Hope you guys like! As usual forgive any mistakes; I'm my own worst beta.

Enjoy!

Chapter Ten

Boiling Point

Noah sat on the opposite end of the couch, across from Luke and they fell into an awkward silence. Neither one knew where to even start. Luke was trying to hold back on his anger. He was having a hard time believing that Maddie didn't know that Noah was here. Noah concentrated on what he was hearing and feeling. He could hear Luke breathe; long breaths to calm himself. He could feel Luke's knee bounce, lightly shaking the couch; he was nervous. Noah felt some comfort that Luke was as nervous as he was. Noah even heard Luke's phone vibrate that he had a text message. He heard Luke type something back and then he closed his phone.

"Was that from him? The guy you're seeing?" He asked and almost regretted the words as soon as they came out.

"Is that why you wanted to talk to me? Find out about him?" Luke was immediately on the defensive. As soon as he saw Noah tense up, he wished he hadn't said it like that.

"No. I'm just curious that's all," he hoped that he sounded convincing. He was trying to go for supportive, but ambivalent; enough though he felt neither.

"Yeah, we're arranging for time to meet later," Luke regretted what he just said. He could have waited to text Reid back. He didn't want to hurt Noah anymore than he already had. He was about to apologize when Noah asked him a question.

"Is it serious?" Noah was fidgeting with his cane. It had become a nervous habit of his. Whenever he was nervous or anxious he would twist it in his hands or lightly tap it on the floor.

"I don't know. We just started to ah… I don't know what it is actually,"

"Are you happy?" Noah's voice was very quiet; almost as if even he didn't want to hear the question.

"I…," Luke was hesitating on purpose. How do you answer a question like that? He started things with Reid when he was at his lowest point, but now…

"It's a simple question Luke. Does he make you happy?" Noah's voice was a little more demanding this time. He was trying to stay calm even though his heart was pounding and his stomach was in knots.

"He makes me feel wanted and needed and, yes, I'm happy when I'm with him," Luke said those words and Noah had to close his eyes. It felt like a punch in his stomach.

"Do I know him?"

"Noah, don't…," Luke finally looked at Noah. He could see that Noah was angry. Then he wondered what for? Was he jealous? Why? Noah left him. Noah had been extremely distant since the accident and now he was angry because Luke had decided to move on.

"Do I know him Luke?" Noah's voice raised and he was demanding an answer.

"Yeah, you do,"

"Who is it?" As Noah's anger grew so did the pace at which he was tapping his cane on the floor. Sounded like a woodpecker was in the apartment.

"….."

"Come on, I think I have the right to know who's dating my boyfriend," Luke heard Noah say those words and his anger went through the roof. He was up on his feet and standing right in front of Noah. Noah felt him standing in front of him and rose to his feet to meet him.

"Whoa, I'm not you're anything. You lost any right to know anything about me. You left me remember. You told me to leave you alone. You wanted to throw two years together away. I have lived through too many break ups with you to just sit around this time,"

"So, as soon as we break up you hop into bed with the next warm body that gave you a little bit of attention. That's pathetic Luke," Noah said and heard Luke lightly gasp in shock. That gasp was like a stab in Noah's heart.

"Is that how you see me? Is that how little you think of me? Well, it's a good thing that you dumped me when you did. Hell, I might have started screwing every gay guy in town. It was probably just a matter of time right. Your dad must have been right about me all along," hearing Luke talk about himself that way made Noah's stomach clench. "I have done nothing, but support you and be there for you since the accident,"

"And if you had just minded your own business in the first place, it was an accident that wouldn't even have happened!"

"Oh my God! After all of this, you're still…," Luke paused to steady his voice. He could feel the emotion trying to push its way out. He looked away from Noah, he had to. He eyes dropped to floor; to a spot just the right of his left shoe. "You know what? I'm done. I am so done. I am getting dizzy while you figure out what it is that you want,"

"What does that even mean?"

"Well, first you want Maddie, then you want me, but no you really love Maddie. Then we get together, but wait here comes Ameera, so then we can't be together because she's your wife. Then you leave me because of what happened with your dad and for getting Ameera arrested. You break up with me, but then get jealous when you see me talking to Reg. We get back together again because you say you want me, but you decide to enlist. We get back together again, but there's the election then Brian then Mason then your accident. Did I miss anything?" Noah had to swallow hard while Luke replayed their entire relationship and he had no response. Luke walked around the couch to leave and was halfway to the door when he comes back. "You know, I am sick to death of getting blamed for everything that goes wrong between us. I am just too tired to fight anymore; I just can't do it. It hurts too much to do this anymore," Luke's voice cracked and his eyes filled with tears. Noah could tell by his voice that he was trying not to cry. "I feel like I have been fighting for two years for this to work and I just cannot do it. So if you want me gone, I'm gone and you won't have to worry about avoiding me anymore. I'll make it easy for you,"

"Luke, wait," Noah said, trying to get Luke just to stay for a minute until he could think of something. He let his anger get away from him. He didn't mean what he just said about the accident.

"Wait for what? For you to want me again? For you to realize that you miss me? You were not the only one in this relationship Noah. Everything that affects you, affects me too. You act like you're alone in this, but I was hurt too. You don't want me to go, but you definitely do not want me to stay. So I wish you well. I do. Take care of yourself," and he was gone. Noah heard the door slam and the pictures on the walls shook from the vibrations. Noah sat and took in what Luke said, but instead of thinking about what he said, Noah could only feel his heart ache. He had finally done it. He drove Luke away.

Luke was so angry when he left Noah's that he drove straight to the Lakeview. His grip on the steering wheel actually made his hands hurt. He called Reid on the way and asked him to meet him in the elevator. Reid was standing in the elevator with his hands on the railing and his head resting against the back wall. Luke breathed out a sigh of relief and walked inside. He was dressed in his casual look that Luke loved so much; he was even bare foot. Reid straightened up as he saw Luke come into view. Luke stepped into him, slid his hands around Reid waist and buried his face in his neck. Reid wrapped his arms around Luke's shoulders and held close to him. They were so close, Reid and Luke could feel the other breathe. They were silent the entire ride to the 12th floor. When they got back to the room, Luke said he wanted to shower and he wanted Reid to join him. There was nothing sexual in his request. He just wanted to feel someone else with him. While Reid was massaging the tension out of Luke's shoulders, he asked Luke if he wanted to talk about it, but all Luke wanted was Reid. And for his part the young doctor was ok with that.

Maddie came home about an hour later and found Noah sitting in the living room on the couch. He was just sitting. There was nothing on; lights, stereo, TV. The apartment was as quiet and dark as a church on Monday. Maddie quietly hung her coat in the closet and put her bag down. She was trying to be as quiet as she could. He looked like he hadn't moved in some time and she didn't want to jar him. She softly walked over to Noah and she flipped on the light near Noah and crouched down next to him. She looked up at him and saw his eyes were red and bloodshot. He had been crying and Maddie wondered for how long.

"Noah? Sweetie? What happened? Where's Luke?" She asked; looking around the apartment. It looked nearly the same as it did when she left. Save the picture frame that had been hanging on the wall that was now on the floor, small glass shards on the tile by the door.

"I finally did it," his voice was a ghost of its normal level. She almost didn't recognize it. He never looked up to the direction of her voice.

"Did what?" She asked as she rubbed his back in wide circles.

"I drove him away. He finally saw through me. I hurt him real bad Maddie," he said and then had to choke back a sob. Maddie sat down next to him and pulled him into a hug. He cried on her shoulder and she didn't say anything.

There was really nothing she could say.

It was little shorted than the last few, but I wanted to end at a good point.

Whatta think? I really do want to know!

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