by Frankie Rose
Roomie,
That guy from last month came by to see you this morning. He looked tired as hell. I’d still date him, though. Maybe you could tell him that if you see him again. I need an older guy in my life. Anyway, he practically begged me to give you this. He made me promise not to read it, said something about mail fraud being a federal offence (who is this guy???)
Anyway, I’m staying in the city tonight with my sister but I’ll be back tomorrow. See you soon,
Leslie xoxo
Noah watches me read the note with a curious look on his face. He throws a balled up strip of paper at me, and I smile.
“Sorry, that’s…it’s nothing. Just an old friend from back home.” The same one we saw at O’Flanagan’s. The one doing his damnedest to sabotage my love life, even if it is all in my head.
Noah nods and scoots off the bed. “You don’t need to explain anything to me, Avery. It’s none of my business.”
“I know, I just…” I trail off. It’s probably better if I just stop talking.
“Would you like it to be my business?”
I tap the corner of the envelop against my palm, knowing what it will say inside. An apology, probably. For Casey. For basically telling her my new name now. Luke hasn’t texted me since the other night but I’ve hardly had my phone switched on. Maybe he has tried to call. There has to be a reason why he’s written me an actual letter. Why do I feel so conflicted whenever I think about him? Especially after the hottest make out session of my life with another guy. Another really hot guy who’s basically asking if I want him to be a part of my life.
“I think so. I think that would be…”
Noah leans forward and kisses me. It’s soft and slow, and has me melting all over again. He eventually pulls back and strokes down the side of my face. “I’d like for you to be my business. I know I’m going off to Africa in less than a month and then I’ll only be here for a semester after, but we can think about that later. For now, what do you say we just get to know one another and figure out the basics?”
I open the drawer on my nightstand, slipping Luke’s envelope inside. “That sounds perfect.” I really like Noah, sure, but the likelihood of us getting serious in just over four months together is almost non-existent. I won’t have to explain anything I don’t want to, and it would be nice to have someone to take my mind off things. He’s funny and cute, and he makes me feel like a normal human being. That’s an incredibly valuable ability these days.
I kiss him again and pull him up off my bed. He takes my hand and bites down gently on one of my fingers. “So…am I allowed to say it?”
“Say what?”
“Well, the note, it says…” He raises his eyebrows, as if waiting for me to catch on.
I let out a deep sigh and glare down at the piece of paper. “I mean it, Luke really is just an old friend. He’s a pol—” Noah puts his finger over my lips.
“That’s not what I meant. I was referring to the last bit. Your roommate’s gonna be in the city tonight. That means you’ll be…alone?” There’s a question in the way he says that, like I don’t have to be if I don’t want to. I pull on my pea coat, now minus a button, and punch him lightly on his arm.
“Not yet, Noah Richards.”
Ten
Icarus
