by Beth Reekles
Lee sighed in defeat but smiled at me when he threw up his hands in surrender. ‘Look, I know you’re mad at him, but don’t take it out on me. And I see what you’re saying. I’ll try and talk to him, how about that? Ask him to lay off a little?’
I don’t know why I’d overreacted so much to Noah like that. I think it was because I was so on edge that Lee might find out what I’d done after the party.
So I said, ‘I doubt it’d have any effect.’
‘I know it wouldn’t.’
‘But thanks for offering.’
‘No problem. So have you done the English homework, or not? Because I didn’t get a chance to do the conclusion and I’m stuck.’
I smiled. Lee always made me feel better. I loved my best friend, I really did. And his optimism was too infectious for me to stay mad about anything for very long.
The total opposite to his brother, of course. His stupid, sexy brother.
Call me a coward, but I hid out in the library over lunch. I couldn’t bear to face any more questions about why I’d been so mad at Flynn, how I could even speak to him like that . . . I was half considering going home and skipping school for the afternoon, I was so sick of everyone, but I couldn’t bring myself to actually walk out.
Lee kept me company of course, but eventually we had to leave.
I was half expecting to bump into Noah – or, worse, one of the girls – on my way to classes. I didn’t. My karma must have done a sudden one-eighty since that morning.
When the last bell finally rang – I’d been watching the snail-like second hand move around the clock in chemistry – I couldn’t have been happier. I just wanted to get out of there.
Lee had biology though, so I had to wait for him at the front of the school, lounging on his car.
‘Hey, Elle.’
I turned around, looking up from playing solitaire on my cell phone. I smiled, but it felt a little forced. ‘Patrick. Hey. How’s, um . . . How’s your rib?’
He gave a half-smile. ‘Well, it’s not as bad as everyone’s been saying. It’s just some bruising, but my mom made me go get it checked out because she got all paranoid I’d broken something, is all.’ He said it quite light-heartedly, and I felt a weight lift from my shoulders.
‘Oh, that’s great! Well, no, it’s not – but, I mean, everyone was saying it was broken so . . . I’m so sorry, Patrick, honestly. This is all my fault – I didn’t mean for you to get hurt or—’
‘No, it’s my fault,’ he said quickly. ‘I came over to apologize. I didn’t see you at lunch.’
‘You don’t need to apologize,’ I insisted.
‘No, I do, and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have tried anything like that with you, and all the beer was no excuse.’
‘Really, it’s okay,’ I told him fervently. ‘I’m so sorry Noah went all . . .’
‘Yeah, well, don’t worry. It was just Flynn being Flynn. It’s not your fault, Elle, so don’t worry about it.’ He smiled. I gave him a smile back.
A throat was cleared, and we both turned around to see a glowering Noah.
I ignored him and looked back at Patrick, who was trying his best to look like he didn’t want to flee to safety. ‘Well, I hope you get better soon.’
‘Thanks, Elle. And seriously, I’m so sorry.’
‘Don’t worry about it. See you.’
‘Bye,’ he said, already walking off.
I shot Noah a glare and went back to playing solitaire. I could still feel he was there, watching me.
‘What did he want?’ he said after a while.
‘To apologize.’
‘What, and that’s it? He just wanted to say sorry?’
I quit the game and shoved my cell phone in my pocket, whipping around to glare at Noah. ‘Yeah, even though it’s you who should be apologizing to him for hurting him! He had to go to hospital because of you!’ I figured I’d guilt-trip him a little, so I didn’t add that he’d only gone to hospital at his mom’s paranoid request.
‘Don’t start this again . . .’ He’d taken a couple of steps closer, and now he half turned away from me, tugging at his hair.
‘Start what, Noah?’ I snapped.
‘You’re really hot when you’re mad at me, you know,’ he commented in a husky voice.
My mind blanked momentarily and my breath caught in my throat. Why did he have this effect on me? ‘Shut up, Noah. Go away.’
Where was Lee anyway? He shouldn’t be taking this long . . .
I looked around. Most of the other students had left by now, and a few stragglers were looking curiously over at me and Noah. Finally I spotted Lee and Rachel standing by her car, talking and looking all cute and loved-up.
Damn it. I wished he’d hurry up already.
‘You can always get a ride home with me, you know,’ Noah said conversationally. I refused to answer. ‘Elle . . .?’
Eventually I had to look back at him, and when I did, he was smirking victoriously, thinking he’d won the argument.
‘Do you want the ride or not?’ he asked. ‘Lee’s going to be ages, we both know it. My offer stands for the next thirty seconds. Time is ticking.’
I really did just want to go home. By the time Lee turned up, I would probably have run down my cell and be dying of boredom . . .
‘Tick-tock,’ Noah teased.
‘Bike or car?’
‘Bike.’
‘No.’
He laughed. ‘You know you didn’t really hate it, Shelly. And it gives you an excuse to cling onto me.’
‘Um, no.’
He got this weird look on his face then – like he was confused; like he was annoyed by my reaction. I’d honestly hated my last experience on his bike and was in no rush to repeat it unless I absolutely had to. Like, if a horde of monkey-ninjas were chasing me, and Noah’s bike was my last hope of escape.
Then he let out a sigh and briefly touched my cheek, turning me to look at him. ‘Elle, come on. Don’t be mad at me.’
He wasn’t talking about Patrick anymore, I realized.
‘I’m not mad at you. Well. I am, about you punching Patrick. But other than that – I’m not, you know, mad about the whole, um . . . the other night.’
‘Oh, come on. You’ve been avoiding me all day and now you’re acting weird.’
‘I’m not acting weird.’
‘Yes you are. You aren’t arguing with me like you usually would, and you aren’t being your normal bubbly self either. You’re mad at me.’
I sighed. ‘I’m not mad – it’s just that . . .’
‘What?’
Oh, gosh, don’t say anything! Make something up! Anything but the truth!
And, as per usual, my mouth seemed to be working away regardless of my brain.
‘I’m worried because of Lee, and . . . I just don’t want you to forget all about me now we . . . you know. Did it.’
Oh, dear God. I said ‘did it’.
Way to go, Elle. You complete and utter fool.
Noah didn’t seem to notice anything, though; he simply replied, ‘Elle, I thought I put myself through this torture with you the other morning. I told you I was not just playing you for sex.’
I could see from his face that he was completely sincere. His wide eyes were pleading and honest, and there wasn’t a hint of a smirk.
So I nodded. ‘Alright.’
He let out a tiny sigh of relief. ‘So . . . ride home? I’ll even drop you straight to your place if you want.’
Now the smirk was back, because he was so sure I wouldn’t be able to resist the opportunity to make out with him again. And I was tempted . . . but then I remembered he had his bike.
‘Noah, there is no way in hell I am riding that bike.’
He held up his hands in surrender. ‘Okay, okay – your loss . . .’
Then I frowned. ‘I’m still mad at you for almost breaking Patrick’s rib. It’s a big deal because you lost your temper and you were stupid,’ I added before he could argue.
He sighed. ‘I
know.’
I looked him in the eye, and the only reply I could come up with was to nod. He gave me an apologetic half-smile that made him look absolutely adorable; but I kept my expression neutral.
‘I am sorry.’
I nodded again. ‘You should probably get going.’
‘Mm.’ He didn’t sound like he totally agreed with me.
‘Goodbye, Noah,’ I said, my voice level.
He lingered a moment before walking away, and I swear I heard him chuckling under his breath.
Well . . . that could’ve gone worse.
There was a little voice somewhere in the back of my mind that told me I wouldn’t be in this whole mess in the first place if we hadn’t done the damn kissing booth.
Chapter 15
AT LAST THE school week was over. I hadn’t seen much of Noah, unless you counted the times when we passed each other at lunch or in the corridors on the way to class, or when I saw him briefly when I went to Lee’s to hang out.
It was Friday night. The sun was just setting, staining the sky pink and red before it turned inky black and starry. It looked so picturesque and pretty.
The boys were dive-bombing into the pool, challenging each other to make the biggest splash, to do the wildest stunt, and all the other stupid things boys will do. I was lying back on one of the sun loungers with Rachel and Cam’s girlfriend, Lisa, from one of my classes. They were talking about going shopping, but I was perfectly happy just to lie there and close my eyes, completely relaxed, bopping one of my feet in time to the song that was coming from the speakers on the decking.
It was still mild enough for me to feel comfortable in my bikini. It wasn’t quite the weather for sunbathing, especially at nine in the evening, but it was nice to just lie there.
‘Hey, you girls coming in?’ I opened my eyes lazily to look at Oliver, who flicked his dripping hair off his face as he leaned on the edge of the pool.
‘Maybe in a minute,’ I said.
‘Um, maybe,’ Lisa said. ‘I don’t know . . .’
‘Yeah, I don’t really want to get my hair wet,’ Rachel admitted with a sheepish smile. Oliver rolled his eyes but I smiled.
‘Isn’t it really cold?’ Lisa asked dubiously.
‘See for yourself,’ Warren challenged, surfacing next to Oliver.
‘No thanks,’ Rachel laughed. ‘We’re good.’
Warren looked at me expectantly. ‘You coming in, Elle?’
‘Maybe . . .’ I replied lazily, letting my eyes droop shut again.
‘Elle, what’s going on with you and Flynn? I mean, really?’ Rachel asked quietly. I heard a chair creak as Lisa leaned toward me too.
I shrugged. ‘Nothing.’
‘But you act so . . . I don’t know. It’s strange. You’re so normal around him.’
‘Yeah, but that’s hardly surprising,’ I pointed out. ‘I grew up with Lee, and Noah was always around. That’s why I don’t call him Flynn. But also because I know it gets on his nerves when I call him Noah.’
I heard Lisa laughing a little and I smiled. Rachel said, ‘He’s just so protective of you I thought maybe there was something . . . you know . . .’
I shook my head slightly. ‘No. That’s just how he is. It’s not that big a deal.’ It wasn’t exactly a lie . . .
‘I guess,’ Rachel said.
‘I think you’d be quite cute together,’ Lisa commented. ‘You’re so opposite it’d be, like, a perfect match, don’t you think?’
I couldn’t help but snort dubiously. ‘We argue constantly. If we were ever like that – not that we would be: God, no – we’d end up killing each other.’
They both laughed, and then started talking about some new movie. I tuned out, too content and drowsy to be distracted for long.
After a few moments of peace, I felt something grab my ankle. Another something snatched up my other leg, and my arms were pinned at my sides. The sun lounger disappeared from under me too, all in the space of a second.
My eyes flashed open, and I saw Lee, Dixon, Warren and Joel all grinning and laughing down at my horrified expression.
I started thrashing around as they carried me off. ‘Let me go! Put me down!’
They just kept laughing. Lee said, ‘No can do, Shelly!’
‘Put me down! You’re going to drop me! Put me down!’
‘If you say so . . .’ Joel said mischievously. The boys swung me back and forth, once, twice . . .
I screamed out, laughing helplessly. ‘Don’t!’
Too late – they’d already launched me.
I landed with a huge splash in the middle of the pool, hearing everybody laughing as I smacked down through the surface. I felt more than heard it when the boys bombed in after me.
The water was freezing! I broke the surface gasping for air, my hair plastered to my face and neck. My teeth chattered slightly. ‘I hate you guys!’ I yelled, but I was laughing.
They laughed, and I looked at the girls, who were both giggling helplessly.
‘It won’t be so funny when they throw you in next,’ I told them, and they laughed even harder.
I made to swim for the ladder so I could get out again.
‘No! You just got in – you can’t get out already!’ Warren protested, and dived at me, trying to pull me away from the ladder. I laughed and scrambled to get out, but it was like trying to run through treacle: I felt Warren pulling me back again.
‘What’s all the screaming?’
I yanked myself up the ladder just as Warren made a grab at me. My bikini top came away in his hand, and everyone was silent as Noah looked at me with a disapproving frown.
I threw my arms around my bare chest, cheeks burning.
Oh, God.
How humiliating was this!
My cheeks were burning, even though the rest of my body trembled with cold.
Then I heard someone spluttering with laughter. Lee. I recognized that laugh all too well. And once he had broken the awkward and embarrassing silence, everyone else started laughing too.
‘Warren, I officially hate you!’ I said, turning to glare at him when I’d made sure I was completely covered.
He grinned sheepishly, then said, ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to grab it . . . I wasn’t intending to pull it off.’
‘You complete idiot,’ I giggled.
‘Do you want it back, or . . .? I mean, I’m not complaining if you don’t,’ he teased, and I laughed sarcastically.
‘I haven’t exactly got any hands free to get it back,’ I told him flatly.
‘Oh yeah.’ He laughed again and tossed my bikini top at me; with a wet slap, it landed on the ground. Oliver swam over and dunked the unsuspecting Warren, keeping him under for a few seconds before letting him back up for air.
I laughed along with everyone else. ‘Got him for ya!’ Oliver told me proudly with a thumbs-up.
‘Just wait till I get my hands on him, then he’ll be sorry,’ I threatened, but I was still laughing too much for anybody to take me seriously.
‘Wait till Flynn gets his hands on him, more like,’ I heard Dixon mutter, and when I turned around, I saw Noah looking at us with a frown on his face.
I sighed. Here we go . . .
‘Don’t,’ I hissed at him sharply, stalking past him and into the house. Luckily, Lee’s parents had gone out for dinner since Lee had invited us all over, and they still weren’t back. If they’d been here, it would’ve been just plain embarrassing to go in to find one of Lee’s T-shirts with my arms wrapped around me to cover my bare chest. I had clothes by the pool, of course, but I had no free hands to collect them.
I rummaged through Lee’s drawers, and found a T-shirt from a concert we’d been to a couple of years ago, then tugged it on awkwardly over my damp body. It was a little big for me, but not by too much.
I heard a throat being cleared behind me. The noise made me jump a mile; I hadn’t even heard anybody come up.
Noah was leaning against the doorframe with his arms c
rossed over his chest, and a look on his face that made my palms turn a little clammy. His expression was pretty neutral, but it was the shadow in his bright eyes that made me anxious.
‘What, did you nearly break Warren’s rib too?’ I snapped at him, covering my nervousness with irritation.
‘No,’ he said, his brow knitting together.
‘Oh, what then – his leg? An arm, maybe?’
He took a couple of steps toward me. ‘No. I think he got the message to back off just from the look I gave him,’ he said smugly. ‘I scared the shit out of him.’
‘But you . . . you didn’t actually say anything to Warren? Or do anything? Oh my God, I must have stepped into some parallel universe.’
He laughed sarcastically. ‘I didn’t have to do anything. He already got the message.’
I shook my head slightly to myself, still reeling from the shock.
‘Besides, even I could see it was an accident,’ he muttered grudgingly.
‘It’s not like anybody saw anything.’
‘Except me.’
‘Well, yeah, but . . . I mean, you’ve . . . You know what I mean.’
He smirked at my red cheeks and my confusion.
‘You’re the one who wears Superman boxers anyway.’ I could see the band peeking over the top of his jeans. I remembered how I’d actually made him blush when I saw him in them.
‘Whatever,’ he said dismissively – though he couldn’t meet my eye. I grinned triumphantly, knowing I’d managed to embarrass him.
As I strolled out of Lee’s room, brushing past Noah, I said casually, ‘Imagine what everybody would say if they found out that bad-ass Flynn wore Superman boxers—’
‘You wouldn’t.’
I looked over my shoulder with an innocent smile, biting my lip as if daring him to try me.
When he tried to grab me, I gasped and made a dash for the closest room, which just happened to be his.
I couldn’t decide whether to say thank you or curse my luck, but I was now stuck in Noah’s room and he closed the door behind him, grinning at me.
I backed up, but he took a step closer to match each one of mine.
When my back hit the wall and I had nowhere left to turn, Noah seized his advantage and was suddenly pressed right up against me, his hot breath tickling my face.
