Norah and The Nerd: Best Friends Romance (Love in Ocean Grove Book 4)

by Anna Catherine Field

  She looks over my shoulder and her smile widens. I glance back and see her boyfriend, Carter, walking up. His sun and chlorine-bleached hair is damp and he looks just as happy to see her. She hops up and meets him, giving him a quick kiss. A different kind of feeling rolls over me. Loneliness.

  I’d never needed a boyfriend or really any other friends. I had Gabe and now that he’s not here, I’m feeling lost.

  Suddenly, I don’t want ice cream anymore. I just want to go home. Unfortunately, that’s when I hear a familiar voice on the sidewalk behind me.

  “I came down here for something sweet, but I had no idea you’d be down here.”

  I sigh and turn around, a sharp retort on my tongue, but it’s not just Trevor walking my way with his trademark taunting grin on his face. He’s with someone else. A younger boy, who looks suspiciously like him.

  “Not tonight, Trevor,” I say, quietly. “I’m not in the mood.”

  He walks up and takes my hand. “How are your fingers?”

  “Fine.” I pull them away and glance over the boy. He’s not looking at me or Trevor. He’s kind of staring off to the side. He has the same blond hair as Trevor and the same pretty eyes. He’s almost as tall but not as physically fit. I can’t quite place it, but there’s something different about him.

  “Jamie, this is my friend Norah. Can you say hi?”

  Jamie’s eyes dart quickly to mine before he looks away. “Hi.”

  “Hi.”

  Jamie twists his fingers together and says, “We’re getting ice cream, right Trevor? You’re getting cookies n’ cream and I’m getting mint. Sometimes I get chocolate but not tonight, tonight I’m getting mint. Right?”

  Trevor reaches his hand out and rests it on his brother’s shoulder. “That’s right, buddy.” He leans in to Jamie’s ear and whispers, “I think Norah had a bad day. Do you think it would be okay if we asked her to join us?”

  “Oh,” I say, holding my hands up. “I’m okay, you don’t need to worry about me.”

  “What’s her favorite ice cream?” Jamie asks his brother, his eyes focused on the ground.

  “I don’t know,” Trevor replies patiently, “maybe you should ask her.”

  Jamie smiles broadly but shakes his head, indicating he’s too shy.

  For some reason, I’m compelled to answer. “I like the Creamery’s Candy Explosion.”

  Trevor nudges his brother with his elbow. “There you go. Candy Explosion. Think she can hang with us?”

  Jamie nods absently, already walking to the store. Trevor looks up at me with a different expression than I’ve ever seen. Softer. Calmer. No trace of the jerk that has driven me crazy for the past three years.

  “Come on,” he says, jerking his head to the store, “hang out with us. Seriously, my treat.” I give him a wary look and he holds up his hands. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”

  My eyes shift to Jamie, who’s impatiently pacing in front of the Creamery window. I nod and I’m rewarded by a stomach-dropping, wide grin.

  “All right,” Trevor says, jogging up to Jamie and opening the door, “she’s in. Best behavior, okay?”

  “Okay,” Jamie says, but he’s already in the door, running his hand down the glass case of ice cream flavors. Trevor waits for me, holding the door, and I walk into the sweet-smelling shop, trying not to think about how weird this is and the fact that after three years of trying, I’ve just agreed to do something with Trevor Salvatore.

  “He’s autistic.”

  Trevor and I sit at one of the benches outside the Creamery while Jamie walks up and down the sidewalk with his cup of chocolate mint chip. Every time a car drives by, he shouts out the make and model.

  “Oh,” I reply, not sure of what else to say. “How old is he?”

  “Sixteen.”

  “He doesn’t go to Ocean Grove, right?”

  He shakes his head and licks the side of his cone. “No. He goes to a school that specializes in helping kids like him. It’s lots of therapy and life skills. Small classes and stuff.”

  I nod, feeling completely taken off guard. I had no idea Trevor had a brother, much less one struggling like this. “You guys seem close.”

  “We are, I guess.” He shrugs. “I mean, as close as we can be. We kind of have our own special relationship, but I don’t think it’s like most siblings.” He looks over at me. “Do you have any siblings?”

  “A sister. She’s fifteen and goes to private school.”

  “Academy?”

  “No.” I don’t normally talk about my sister to people. Gabe and Ben know what happened, but that’s mostly because our families are so close. After meeting Jamie, it feels sort of silly not to say anything. “Olivia had some problems in middle school. She has a lot of anxiety and struggles with depression. Things got kind of out of control and my parents moved her.”

  His expression softens. “Oh, that really sucks. I hope she’s doing okay.”

  “She’s a lot better now, but yeah, things were kind of scary.”

  “Huh, I didn’t know Norah Saddler was scared of anything."

  I glance up to see if he’s mocking me. The expression on his face says he’s not, but I’m wary. “Don’t make fun of me.”

  “I’m not. You’re the strongest, most interesting person I know.” He pops the end of his cone in his mouth and wipes his fingers on a pink and green napkin. “Why do you think I’ve asked you out every day for the last three years?”

  “Because you like to make me uncomfortable,” I suggest.

  “It’s because I like you.” He’s staring at his hands and suddenly he seems too close, this whole thing is too real. How did I end up here? “Although, to be fair, I do like it when you blush.”

  “Trev! Trev!” Jamie shouts across the sitting area. He’s waving at a red convertible driving by. “Did you see? Did you see?”

  Trevor gives me a long, hard look before standing and crossing over to Jamie. He listens as his brother talks excitedly about the car that just passed. I can’t help but watch the way he is with him—how sweet and kind. Maybe I’ve been wrong this whole time about Trevor. Maybe I’m the one that’s been a jerk.

  My phone buzzes. Gabe’s name flashes on the screen and that same feeling of insecurity washes over me. A feeling I’m tired of being consumed by.

  I look at my phone and then up at Trevor, who has his brother in a huge bear hug. I put the phone in my back pocket and stand, walking over to the boys.

  “It’s Norah,” Jamie says in a loud whisper.

  “I see her,” Trevor says, holding my eye.

  I swallow back the lump of nerves in my throat. “One.”

  “One what?” his eyebrow raises.

  “Date.”

  A slow grin appears on his face. “You’re serious?”

  “As a heart attack. Don’t make me regret it.”

  Jamie looks between us, aware that something’s going on even if he’s maybe not exactly sure. I smile at him. “Nice to meet you, Jamie, keep your brother out of trouble, okay?”

  “Okay, Norah.” He laughs at the idea of being in charge of his brother. I can’t help but smile at the sound of his laughter, although it’s not enough to cut through the feeling in my stomach that I’ve just made a terrible mistake.

  19

  Gabe

  After the long drive, my mom heads straight to bed when we get home.

  I check my phone for the hundredth time since we got back into Ocean Grove. I’d texted Norah to let her know we were close and could we talk, but she never replied. Maybe the notifications are piling up again? I’m itching to talk to her—see her—so once I’m sure my mom is down for the night, I head out the backdoor and grab my skateboard.

  The air feels cool—a salty breeze from the Pacific. I hated being gone from this place even for a few days. It’s my home. My safe place, and I know now more than ever that even if Norah doesn’t want to be my girlfriend, she’s my rock and I definitely want her by my side.

 
A block from her house I hop off the skateboard, knowing the wheels are loud against the pavement. I cross her yard and push it under the bushes next to the house then climb the ladder to the treehouse. It’s late—past midnight—but Norah often stays up and I see a faint light on the edge of her curtains. Like I’ve done dozens of times before, I shimmy down the long branch and climb onto the roof. After waiting a second to see if anyone is in her room, like her mom or sister, I tap on the glass.

  I wait, afraid she’s not interested in seeing me. Why did I ever start this? Why did I kiss her that night on the beach?

  I know why. I’ve got zero self-control.

  My hope is that now that we’ve had some time apart—a chance to cool down from the intensity of our record-breaking crash and burn—we can sit down and talk this over. Come to a better, different decision. I’m not ready to let her go.

  After a moment I rap on the window again, this time a little louder. A moment later the curtain shifts and I see Norah in a tight yellow T-shirt that makes my heart flip-flop and tiny red shorts that also catch my attention. She blinks when she sees me, crosses her arms over her chest, and opens the window.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “No, hello? No happy you’re back? No, tell me all the news?” She rubs her face and I realize how tired she looks. I frown. “You okay?”

  “It’s just been a long few days,” she says, moving away from the window. I climb inside.

  “I texted you.”

  “Sorry. I was…” she swallows and her eyes dart to the floor, “I was busy. Like I said, it’s been a long few days. Bazinga! has been slammed.”

  I understand she’s tired, but the part about being slammed sounds good—at least for Photobooth Society and Wade. “I just wanted to come by and tell you about the offer we accepted, but we can talk tomorrow if you want.”

  Her expression perks up. “No, tell me. I’ve been going crazy not knowing.”

  I smile. “I’m sorry I couldn’t say anything. I had to sign all this paperwork, these non-disclosure stuff. It’s all being announced tomorrow,” I look at the clock, “well, today.”

  “Tell me everything.” She sits on her bed, folding her legs underneath her. As much as I want to sit next to her, I don’t, settling on the floor, leaning against the wall under the window.

  “Well, like you said, Reese loves the books, my illustrations, and everything you’ve done. She was a great advocate and I think will be a huge asset to the project.” I then tell her about the bidding war between Netflix and a film studio, but we all agreed streaming seemed like the better way to go. “They offered us a lot of creative control. Script and casting approval, even merchandising.” I hold her eye. “I got you a deal, too.”

  “For real?” She hops off the bed.

  “Yep, you’re in charge of the social media campaign. It’s paid. The paperwork will come tomorrow. Your parents will need to sign it since you’re not eighteen.”

  “That’s epic, Gabe,” she says, reaching out to help me off the ground. I scramble to my feet and she engulfs me in a hug. It’s surprising, jarring, and exactly what I’ve thought about for the past five days, having her back in my arms. Every kiss, touch, smile has been playing on a loop in my mind all week; during car rides, meetings, and before I go to bed. I can’t get her out of my mind and I promised myself that when I saw her again, I’d tell her that I want her back. I need her back. I wrap my arms around her and hold her tight, not wanting to let go.

  “I can’t wait to get started,” she says, releasing me and taking a step back. “During my very limited down time this week I came up with a few ideas, but I really need to know a little more about the actual deal—how we want to roll out the news and share it with fans. Get them super pumped up about the project.”

  I nod and run my clammy hands down my sides. “We’ll meet with Reese and the project director this week. They’re coming up here.”

  “Awesome.”

  Her tone doesn’t exactly convey the same level of excitement and she turns, walking over to her dresser, moving a few things around. I swallow and say quietly, “There’s something else I want to tell you—”

  “Trevor asked me out,” she says suddenly, her eyes meeting mine in the mirror on the wall. “For real asked me out. You guys were right. He really does like me, I guess.” She turns to face me, cheeks red and burning. “It’s dumb because we both know this isn’t going to go anywhere, but it seemed like the kind of week to take a chance on something new, you know?”

  I nod, heart cracking in a million pieces in the center of my chest. I force myself to speak. “Yeah, it does seem like that kind of week.”

  She gives me a warm smile. “I’m really proud of you, Gabe. You’ve worked hard for this and I know people don’t see it. They think you’re lucky or whatever, but I know the truth. You’ve given up a lot of time and energy to this project. You sit home with me and Ben on Friday nights when you and whatever sophomore is following you around that week could be out having fun. You did what hundreds, no thousands, of people wish they could do; get an agent, a publishing deal and now this—an actual TV show made out of your material. It’s amazing.” She leans against the dresser—keeping her distance. “You’re amazing.”

  It feels good to hear it from her. Norah’s approval means more than anything. “Well, I didn’t exactly mind hanging out with you two on Friday nights, you know.”

  “Yeah, but I don’t have a flock of fangirls waiting in the wings. That took self-control.”

  The fact that she’s so casual about it, so calm, rattles me. She’s not the least bit upset about our break-up. She’s already moved on.

  “Trevor Salvatore, huh?”

  She shrugs. “He caught me in a weak moment.”

  I shake my head. Norah Saddler doesn’t have weak moments. We both know it, but I don’t call her on it. Instead, I walk to the window and start to climb back out. Then I remember what I have in my pocket.

  “I almost forgot,” I say, fishing out the sticker with the word Hollywood stamped on the front. “For your car. I know you didn’t go yourself but trust me, you were definitely there in spirit.”

  “Thank you,” she says, taking it from me. “I’ll add it to the rest.”

  Out on the rooftop I hold her eye for a moment, getting a glance at this beautiful girl, clueless about how much I care for her. I’m not clueless. I know the truth.

  I may have won the week, but it’s pretty clear that I’ve lost the most important part of this whole thing for good: the girl.

  20

  Norah

  The first thought I have when I wake up is thank goodness it’s Saturday. The last thing I want is to deal with more school drama and questions about Gabe. I mean, now that he’s back home he can answer them by himself, but the flock of girls following him around will have multiplied and I just can’t.

  The second thought I have is that I’m going out with Trevor tonight.

  Yikes.

  I hide under my pillow, face turned to the side in an attempt to shut out the world. At least for five more minutes. Unfortunately, my gaze lands on the sticker Gabe brought me last night and along with it a wave of emotions.

  First it was so good to see him. My heart almost burst when I saw him standing out on the rooftop. Scruffy beard and hair tucked back. His cheeks were red from walking or skateboarding over and his lips pink. Just seeing them made me want to feel them against mine again.

  Which is exactly why I’d ignored that text. My heart and my brain are not on the same page.

  A week apart was as long as we’d been away from one another lately and what a week! I was dying to hear everything about the deal, but I was also scared about how things had changed between us, if anything. Scared to hear that maybe he didn’t need me anymore. Scared that maybe spending time with a gorgeous actress like Reese would make him forget me completely. On top of that, I felt guilty about Trevor.

  And it was strange at first. And awkwar
d. But his news was exciting. Life-changing for the both of us, and then there was that hug…

  Gabe gives the best hugs.

  Too good.

  It brought a wave of emotions from a relationship that never should have happened. I had no choice but to tell him about Trevor just to make myself stand firm.

  I’m a terrible best friend.

  My phone buzzes on my bedside table. My stomach twists when I see Gabe’s name. It’s a link to an article about the Netflix deal.

  A second text rolls through before I can even open the link.

  Trevor: Pick you up at 7?

  I push back my covers and rub my face.

  It’s time to start the first day of our new lives.

  When I arrive at Bazinga! and unlock the door, Wade is already there. I step over three boxes from Blue Star comics, shipped overnight. I hear voices in the back and make my way to the door marked 'Employees'. There’s a bathroom and two rooms. One, Wade uses to manage the store, the other is a big room, mostly storage. It’s a huge mess.

  I pause in the doorway when I see Gabe and Wade in the storage room. Gabe’s eyes are guarded but at least it looks like he slept a little.

  “Hey,” I say, hanging my bag on the hook behind the door. “What are you doing here?”

  “At the meeting last week, they told me I should probably get an office to work out of, kind of a home base. It makes a lot of sense because I really don’t want my mom or dad involved. I remembered this room back here and thought maybe Wade would be interested in renting it out to me.” He pulls off his cap and runs his hands through his hair. “I figure since you’re already here, it would be easier on both of us.”

  I look around at the piles of boxes and old inventory. There are stacks of promotional material and just basic garbage, but there’s enough room to add in a work table and desk. Maybe a comfortable chair. After the last few days, it’s clear Gabe can’t hang out anonymously in the shop anymore.