by Blue Saffire
I’m so lost in my thoughts and plans that I don’t realize we are entering the airport. I go to get out the truck when Wyatt parks, but my phone rings. I look down at my phone as I pull it from my pocket and I almost don’t answer.
“Shit,” I mutter to myself as my annoyance increases. I know I want to end things with Aria, but I’m not in the mood for this call. Better now than never. “Hey, I’ll catch up. I need to take this.”
Wyatt frowns at me and grumbles something about me being useless under his breath. I smirk and flip him the finger as I place the phone to my ear.
“Yeah,” I sigh into the phone as I turn and walk away from Wyatt’s truck.
“Really, Noah,” Aria huffs. “That’s how you’re going to answer me?”
“What, Aria,” I growl into the phone. “I told you where I stand the other night. I’ve never cheated on you and I’ve never given you a reason to act the way you’ve been. What more is there to say.”
Aria is quiet on the other end for a few beats. “Wow,” she says in almost a whisper. “So you’re going after her, aren’t you? When did she break up with her boyfriend?
I can feel my chest vibrate with a deep growl. “I’m done Aria. Don’t call my phone. Just lose my number,” I explode into the phone.
Aria sucks in a surprised breath. “That’s it,” Aria sniffles.
Fuck. I rub my forehead and sigh in frustration. Before Aria’s sister’s visit, things were fine. I don’t want to end things like this, but she has become crazy about this Bean thing. “Listen, my friend’s plane has probably landed by now. Wyatt doesn’t know what she looks like. I better go so I can help him find her,” I sigh into the phone. “I’ll talk to you some other time.”
Aria snorts. “Hey, sure, whatever,” she hisses and hangs up.
~B~
Bean
I’m exhausted. Joshua showed up in the middle of the night demanding to talk about the scene he heard about between me and Noah. I had planned to ignore him until he went away, but he started calling my phone repeatedly and ringing the doorbell none stop.
I finally let him in, but boy did I regret it. I swear if he would have gone on for a minute longer, I would have just said fuck it and called it all off. Honestly, that would have made it worse and I didn’t know if Noah would answer me last night if I needed his help, so I bite the bitter pill I was dealt until he was tired of hearing himself talk.
Then came the part that annoys me most. Joshua and I haven’t had sex. I personally think it’s too soon and if this is how he acts without sex, I can just imagine how he will act after.
That doesn’t stop him from trying. I mean really, after hours of arguing, I can’t even believe that he would think I want to have sex with him. Let alone for the first time. Needless to say, he left my place pissed off. I am happy to have my place back to myself to breathe, but I miss Noah.
I thought he would get over last night and at least call me. I know for a fact that when Noah is fed up, he will ride his word to the end. I was just hoping this was not one of those times. He can be so stubborn.
My phone vibrates across the room on the kitchen countertop. I rush over hoping it is a text from Noah. My heart sinks when it is not from him, but Heather. She is letting me know that Aunt Faith wants to have everyone over for Nellie’s arrival. I should have known Aunt Faith and Uncle Rob would make a big deal of things. They love Nellie as much as I do.
I was over the moon when her mom married my uncle. I just wish Uncle Steve hadn’t moved them all away. I am so happy that Nellie is moving back. It has been killing me to keep that fact to myself. I’m looking forward to spending some time with my bestie.
I text Heather back to let her know I’ll be there. They are short staffed at the bar and grill I work at. I promised to cover half a shift for Ben, one of the other bartenders. His girlfriend just had a baby and he wanted to take some time off to help her settle in with the baby.
I shower and get ready for work. I work two different bars. Halo’s is laid a back bar and grill. Mustang Fear is the livelier of my two jobs. I used to love bartending. Lately, I think it’s one more thing that I am outgrowing.
I go to brush my hair out in the mirror. I look at the picture I have on the dresser and I pull the brush through my hair. It is one of the pictures from my prom. Noah has his arms around my waist and there’s a huge smile on his face that makes his golden eyes sparkle.
I used to pretend that everything in that picture is real. That in that moment I belonged to Noah and he belonged to me. My eyes look back up into the mirror and I frown. Noah’s girlfriends are always gorgeous. Aria could be a model.
I used to wonder if I did something different with my hair or if I maybe got a nose job, -maybe then Noah would be interested in me. That was when I was younger. Even then though, I couldn’t bring myself to do anything drastic for a man’s attention. What I won’t do is change to be with a guy. At least not my looks.
I want Noah to love me for me. I look into my sad brown eyes. I just don’t think that will ever happen. He and Aria have been going strong. That’s one of the reasons I entertained getting into a relationship with Joshua. I’m so tired of being lonely.
I was the late bloomer in high school on top of being painfully shy. It took me so long to outgrow my awkwardness. I was so happy to go off to college and start new. I was so optimistic that I would find love and forget about my crush on Noah. I had dated Danny from the start of my freshman year. He was sweet, a big teddy bear, just like Noah. I loved that he was soft spoken, but a protector.
We were together for two years before I walked in on him having drunken, sloppy sex with one of the girls that had been snickering with her friends for weeks, every time I walked into my chemistry class. I was simply crushed. It was like being passed up for the prom all over again, but so much deeper. I hurt so much worse.
I had my own insecurities before then, but it went to a new level after that. Heather says that I don’t see myself the way others do. That is easy for her to say. She’s gorgeous and she doesn’t even try.
Seriously, my luck with guys hasn’t gotten much better. While I still have a huge crush on Noah, I also continue to pick the worse boyfriends ever. I just suck with men.
I place my brush back down and run my fingers through my hair. I didn’t get my dad’s straight hair. Instead, I got a mix of mom’s long, kinky curls and dad’s silky shine and dark brown color. I think of Aria and her long dark brown hair. It flows down her back and compliments her olive skin.
Sighing and wonder if Noah plans to bring Aria along to the get together tonight. He has never brought her to a Sunday morning breakfast, but Noah has brought her around the family a few times. I shake myself from my thoughts. Noah is welcome to date whoever he likes.
“Maybe Josh is right,” I murmur to myself.
What if I’m not giving our relationship a real chance because of my feelings for Noah. I think of Lucy’s words last night and wonder if it’s really that noticeable to others that I have feelings for Noah. Well, noticeable to everyone but him.
I tear myself from the mirror and start to gather my things to go to work. My phone rings and once again hope blooms in my chest that it might be Noah. I see that it is Josh and groan. I just let it ring. I don’t want to argue before I go to work.
When I get to my front door and open it, I gasp as I stop short of running over a vase of red roses. I bend to pull the card out, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear as I bite my lip. Opening the card and reading it makes me feel like shit.
One, I feel my chest deflate when I realize that the flowers are not from Noah. Not that he should or would be sending me flowers. Two, the flowers are from my boyfriend and I just ignored his call. I feel sick, because I know both Josh and Lucy are right. I haven’t been giving Josh a real chance.
I have to get my shit together. I either want to be in this relationship or I don’t. Maybe Josh’s jealousy is justified. Whatever, I’ll deal with my though
ts later. I lift the vase and walk it into my kitchen. I read the card one more time.
I’m crazy about you, baby. I want to make this work.
xoxo Josh
I bite my lip and sigh. I just might be overreacting to Josh’s behavior. Noah has Aria and I would never have the guts to tell him how I feel if he didn’t. So, I need to live my life.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The Real You
Bean
One month later…
I’m so excited to be here helping Nellie move into her new apartment. It has been a month since Nellie has been back in Cali, and for a whole month I haven’t spent much time with my best friend. Why? Well, there are a number of reasons for that.
The first one being the fact that I really am trying to focus more on my relationship with Josh. For the most part, things have been better. At least, as long as I don’t hang out with my friends. That would bring me to the second reason Nellie and I haven’t gotten to hang out more.
I made the stupid mistake of mentioning to Josh that Nellie, Noah, and I used to be like the three musketeers in a way. I was caught up in the moment, feeling nostalgic and blurted it out before I could think of who I was talking to. Joshua had wanted to know more about Nellie when she first arrived and in my excitement, I slipped up.
I had already decided to give Joshua a fighting chance. So, when he got all crazy about me spending time with Nellie, I just brushed it off and soothed his ire. I mean there is no logic to his thoughts.
According to Josh, my friendship with Nellie would lead me into Noah’s arms because we all share a past. That might make sense if I was one of the gorgeous women Noah goes after, but I’m not.
Besides, Noah is still giving me the cold shoulder. A whole month, Noah and I haven’t hung out or talked in a whole month. That has been great for my relationship with Josh, but not for my heart. I miss Noah. I miss our talks; I miss laughing and I miss my party buddy. I don’t party nearly as much as I used to. Once again, great for my relationship with Josh.
Josh has been over the moon that I’ve been a homebody for the last month. I, on the other hand, couldn’t be happier to be out of the house today. Josh is away on a surfing trip with some of his friends. He asked me to come along, but I really didn’t want to spend a weekend with his friends.
Here with my friends is where I want to be. I haven’t laughed and smiled this much in so long. I grab a box from the truck and start for Nellie’s apartment once again. Wyatt reaches for my elbow to pull me back.
I turn and look at him curiously and that is when I see he has rounded everyone up. Wyatt looks nervously up at Nellie’s apartment and licks his lips. I lift a brow and smirk. Wyatt has the serious hots for Nellie. I’ve seen the way he looks at her. It is so freaking hot. I swear, I had to fan myself a few times. Nellie doesn’t seem to realize how into her Wyatt is.
“Listen, there isn’t that much left. I can get the rest. Why don’t you guys start to take off,” Wyatt says to everyone.
“You’re kidding, right? You want us to leave so you can molest Nellie,” Braxton chuckles.
Wyatt glares at him and we all laugh. “I just want to have to little time to get to know her. Come on,” Wyatt huffs.
“I’m not going nowhere unless you’re paying,” Ryan says with a smirk. Wyatt rolls his eyes and reaches for his wallet. “Oh shit, he really wants in her pants.” Ry bursts into laughter.
Wyatt pauses and closes the wallet he just opened. “This is not about me getting in her pants. I like her and I want to know more about her. I’ll give you a hundred each,” Wyatt hisses.
All of the brothers hold their hands out. I shake my head and shift the box to my hip. “I’m not leaving, Wyatt,” I pout. “I’m finally getting to spend some time with Nellie. I don’t want to go.”
“Come on, Bean. I would do it for you,” Wyatt says with a plea in his eyes.
“I don’t know, I feel like I’m setting my girl up,” I giggle.
“I know we are setting her up, and that means you’re paying me double,” Heather wiggles her brows and holds her hand out.
“I’m not selling her out so easily,” I shake my head.
“I’ll give you my cut,” I hear Noah’s voice rumble and it nearly startles me out of my skin. I hadn’t noticed him make his way over to me. “You can buy me lunch with your new fortune. I’m starving.”
We have been dancing around each other all day. It is not fair that he is making that sleeveless t-shirt and those navy cargo shorts look so damn good. Who would think that a man as big as Noah would always keep himself so well dressed, even in the simplest of outfits. I mean down to the heavy suede navy boots on his feet. Noah has a presence of his own.
I’m not even going to get started on the ink on his tanned skin. Noah makes tattoos sexy to anyone. I mean you can really hate the damn things and after one look at Noah, you would think that they’re so freaking hot. Okay, wait, that might just be me.
I try not to light up at the fact that this is the most that Noah has said to me in a month. I shrug my shoulders and turn back to Wyatt. “You owe me big time, Wyatt,” I fuss.
Wyatt winks at me. “Name your price, when you’re ready. I just need you all to play it cool. Come up with reasons you need to go, but not all at once.”
“We got you,” Braxton smirks as he folds his cash and places it in his pocket. He then throws an arm around Heather’s shoulders. “Why don’t we disappear together,” he winks at her.
“He didn’t pay me enough for that,” Heather rolls her eyes and then rolls her shoulders pushing his arm off.
I shake my head and turn to take my box up and make my excuse to leave. My heart is pounding in my chest at the thought of spending time with Noah. My palms are sweating and I have to keep myself from running up the stairs.
I can feel Noah at my back as I head towards the apartment. “I’ll give our excuses, just get your things,” Noah says from behind me and I nod.
~B~
Noah
Bean will be the death of me. The moment she walked into Nellie’s new place in those tight tiny shorts, I thought I would lose it. I have pictured tossing her over my shoulder and taking her to my place to fuck her into oblivion, a million times since she arrived.
What makes Rebecca so sexy is that she has no idea that she is a fucking bombshell. I have heard her compliment Heather on her model like face as if she doesn’t have a similar face. The same high cheekbones, that same perfect nose and the same full lips. Only difference is their skin tone and eyes. Heather is the darker of the two, but they are both gorgeous in their own right.
I have been semi hard this whole time, because of those long brown legs of Rebecca’s. I haven’t had sex in a month and I want nothing more than to get between those long brown limbs and bury my face into her sweet little pussy. I bet I could have her screaming my name within seconds.
Damn, pull it together, Noah. Its thoughts like that that had me opening my mouth to get Bean to come along with me, when Wyatt asked us to all get lost. I haven’t spoken to her in a month. It has been hell, but I meant what I said. I will not be ignored for that bitch ass boyfriend she is still seeing.
Just being in my truck next to her is driving me crazy. Bean wears this fruity shit that makes my mouth water for her. It’s like watermelon and strawberries or something. Every time she shifts in her seat it wafts my way and makes my balls tighten.
Hell, I almost swallowed my tongue when I opened the door and helped her into the truck. Bean’s tight little ass has even gotten a little fuller lately. I really should beat the shit out of her boyfriend and finally take what’s mine.
But does she even want you? I have been warring in my head with my brother’s words for the last month. Sure, her last two boyfriends resembled me in some ways, but what does that really mean? I don’t want to make a total ass out of myself by assuming Bean would want me.
I peek out the corner of my eye as she shifts in her seat again. I almost groan
when I see the print her pussy is making in those tiny shorts. I know my eyes fill with lust. I bite my lip and turn back to the road. This was a dumb fucking idea.
“I thought we were going to get something to eat,” Bean says as she looks out the passenger window, breaking the awkward silence that has filled the truck.
“We are,” I shrug. “I just thought it better if we eat at my place. We need to talk.”
Rebecca sighs, but I’m not sure if it is with relief or frustration. I know I’m totally frustrated with the tension between us. Things have never been this way and I can’t stand it. Even if Rebecca doesn’t return my feelings, she is one of my best friends. I am always myself around her. Well, with the exception of letting her know that I have a thing for her.
I pull into my driveway and round the Hummer to let Bean out. Out of habit she reaches for my shoulder and I take her other hand to help her out. It is the most natural moment we have had all day, but it turns awkward again the moment she lands on her feet and her tits bounce in her t-shirt.
I back away like I have been burned and close the truck door. I have no idea when I became a pervert. I’ve been in love with Bean for years, but I have been able to control myself. I don’t know if it’s because I haven’t had sex in weeks or if it’s because I know I’m single.
I clear my throat and walk beside Bean to my front door. “I have that beer you like. I can grill us some steaks and shrimp or whatever you want. I just went shopping yesterday,” I offer.
“You don’t have to cook for me. I can do it. I owe you lunch remember,” Bean says with a nervous laugh as we push our way into my house.
I close the door behind me and lean on it. I close my eyes and release a heavy sigh. When I open my eyes, I look into big brown worried ones. “Look, Rebecca, I can’t do this. This isn’t us. We never have this…. this awkward shit between us.”
Bean’s shoulders sag. “Oh God, I thought it was just me. Noah, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel like I didn’t want to be friends,” Bean starts and bites her lip.
