The Morning After: Starting from Zero Box Set

by Dallen, Maggie

  “Oh.” I dropped my gaze to his chest, disappointment flickering through me like fire. I would not get teary and emotional in the face of his blunt honesty. I would stay cool and calm. I’d just gotten to know the guy after ten years, it was impossible to be this invested in him. In us.

  “The truth is, I was hoping to make her see me because I’ve been in love with her since freshman year.”

  I nodded, hoping against hope that I looked the part of a supportive friend and not a heartbroken lunatic who’d decided over the course of one afternoon that she was crazy about a guy she hadn’t seen in a decade.

  I mean, that was crazy, right? Pretty sure that made me certifiable. I was so busy worrying about my mental health that Noah’s exasperated sigh took me by surprise.

  One of his fingers tilted my chin up so I was forced to meet his gaze. His dark eyes were filled with amusement and…something else. Something tender and sweet and fucking hot as hell.

  Shit. I wanted to sleep with him so badly it hurt.

  He leaned in slightly, his hand still holding my chin so I couldn’t look away. “I’m talking about you, Ali.”

  I stared. I blinked. I took a heartbeat to ensure that I’d really heard what I’d thought I’d heard, because a little part of me was still doubting my sanity in a big way.

  “You…” My voice sounded breathless and weird so I tried again. “You’re talking about me?”

  His soft laughter was answer enough but if there were any doubts they were banished by his kiss.

  Oh hell, that kiss. It was warm and soft and tender and sweet. But it was also fierce and passionate and filled with so much longing and desire that I didn’t doubt his words for one second more.

  I clung to his shoulders, my lips eagerly meeting his as joy spread through my veins, filling me so completely I didn’t know whether I wanted to laugh or cry or hop up and wrap my legs around his waist right here and now.

  I didn’t do the latter, thank God. That probably would have caused more of a scene than we’d already created. Only a handful of people were close enough to see us but I caught a glimpse of stares and heard the laughter once I pulled back from the kiss.

  He grinned down at me, and all the joy I felt was mirrored there. I bit my lip to stop a crazy laugh from escaping. I felt…gleeful. Giddy, even.

  When was the last time I felt giddy? I couldn’t even remember. Definitely pre-high school.

  He grabbed my hand in his and cast a questioning look toward the bar area where our former classmates lingered. “Do you want to hang around?”

  I shook my head quickly. “Let’s get out of here.”

  He was already half dragging me through the crowd and to the door, linking his fingers through mine as if afraid to let me go.

  He had nothing to fear. I wasn’t going anywhere.

  Chapter Four

  Noah

  As far as happy endings went, ours was almost too good to be true. I mean, this was my dream when I’d accepted the reunion invite. I’d fantasized for hours on end about how I’d sweep Alison Marks off her feet and make her love me the way that I loved her.

  But when it actually happened, well…even I had a moment where I worried if this was too perfect. Nothing had gone so right for me in my entire life. I guess I hadn’t been prepared for it to be so easy.

  A sheet-clad Alison laughed when I said that later that night. “Did you just call me easy?”

  I grinned, rolling over so I was partially on top of her, my leg nestled between her thighs as I nuzzled her neck. She moaned softly at the intimate contact. I would never ever grow tired of hearing that moan…or her whimpers, or her laugh, or her voice.

  I’d thought I’d loved Alison Marks back in high school, but that puppy-love-from-afar was nothing compared to this.

  I pulled back to smile down on her, this kind, quirky, loveable oddball who’d stolen my heart ten years ago and never given it back. “I said I hadn’t expected this to be so easy,” I clarified, gesturing between the two of us. “I was fully prepared to be your friend while you reveled in all the attention from the other guys in our class.”

  She laughed again. “How very noble of you.”

  I gave a half shrug, feigning a blasé tone. “I knew you’d come to your senses eventually.”

  Her smile grew until her eyes danced with happiness. “It only took me ten years.”

  I shifted so most of my weight was on my arms. “To be fair, I had to make some changes before I could be worthy of you.”

  She frowned. “What do you mean?”

  I knew she knew exactly what I meant but I loved her irritated look, like she was already about to fight me on this. “I mean, you deserved better than that loser geek,” I said.

  She pushed my chest and propped herself up on her elbows so she was facing me at eye level. “That’s ridiculous. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate this.” She waved her hand in my general direction. “But you were always good enough. I hope I never made you—”

  I cut her off with a kiss. We’d been through all this before. Between the groping and the kissing and the making out in the back of the cab, we’d hashed out our demons, about feeling unworthy thanks to puberty hell. How we’d both spent the past decade trying to become better, but also satisfied with what we had.

  “Thank you,” I said once I knew I’d kissed her into silence. “But I meant for my sake. I needed to become this man so I felt confident and worthy, not because you made me feel bad.”

  I felt her sigh against my cheek. “Okay then. I get that. I feel the same way, I guess.”

  I pushed her hair back with a smile. “You wanted to be worthy of me?” I teased.

  She rolled her eyes. “I needed to change for myself. I’d been such a scaredy cat back then, and so insecure. I know I did change, I grew up…” She pursed her lips, clearly lost in thought. “But I still have a ways to go.”

  I nodded. Coming here had shown me how far I still had to go too. I hadn’t outgrown that geeky nerd; he was still a part of me. And that part of me still held a grudge against the popular guys who’d had it so easy. Against the girls who’d mocked me.

  I met her gaze, which was still clouded with concern. “Maybe we both have a ways to go,” I said slowly, unable to resist dropping a kiss on that cute little nose of hers. “But maybe we can help each other the rest of the way.”

  She smiled. “That’s a great idea. How do we start?”

  “We start right now.” I scooped her up into my arms and rolled so I was once more on top, already unraveling the sheets for a better look at my dream girl, who was now my beautiful girlfriend.

  Chapter Five

  Alison

  Making love was only step one of Noah’s grand plan. Step two…well, step two was getting it on in the shower this morning. But that time I’d initiated matters. And we skipped the next step of the plan, which involved joining in on the daytime reunion fun because yet again I’d accosted Noah and we may have ended up in bed rather than at the barbecue.

  What can I say? I’d been celibate for far too long and I was insatiable.

  Noah didn’t seem to mind.

  My boyfriend didn’t seem to mind.

  Sorry, I was still getting used to that term. My boyfriend. Hi, have you met my boyfriend, Noah? This is Noah…you know, my boyfriend.

  Noah just laughed when I tried out these phrases as we rode the elevator to our reunion. The best thing about dating my friend? He didn’t think I was weird. No, that’s not quite right. He thought my weird was quirky and my oddities adorable. How cool was that?

  We’d only just begun on this new journey together but I could already tell that he was going to be good for me.

  Like right now as we entered the reunion together, having him by my side made my desire to hurl diminish to almost nothing.

  Almost.

  Man hadn’t built Rome in a day, okay? It might be some time before a situation like this one didn’t make me want to vomit. But progress was progress
and I’d take it.

  He squeezed my hand, smiling down at me. “You ready?”

  I nodded. “Let’s do it.” This was the next step in our journey to becoming grown ups together. I mean, we were already grown ups, I guess, but we were both hoping to put some of our deep-seated angst to rest by getting the kind of closure we came here for.

  Though now, as we faced a room full of people who had either ignored us or mocked us—I began to question the validity of this plan. “Hey Noah?”

  “Yes?”

  I leaned in slightly so no one could overhear us. “Why are we doing this again?”

  I felt his hesitation, and then he shrugged. “We agreed that it would be helpful to face our past before moving forward.”

  We stood there, staring at a crowd of people I barely recognized and definitely felt no connection to. “I’m starting to think this might have been a dumb plan.”

  I felt his intense stare before I looked up to meet his gaze. “Are you scared?” he asked bluntly.

  I bit my lip as I thought that over, trying to be just as straight with myself and him as he was with me. “No,” I said slowly. “Not scared. I mean, no more than I normally am at social events. I just…”

  “What?” he prompted.

  I looked around once more and realized the truth. “I don’t care. I honestly don’t care what these people think of me.”

  He laughed. “Yeah, me neither.”

  We stood there and laughed for a second as the absurdity of it all hit us. We were in a hotel with a bunch of strangers. I shook my head. “Maybe these people didn’t notice me in high school, but so what? I don’t know them anymore, and I guess I never did. Why would I care if they noticed me now?”

  “Right?” He shrugged. “And why would I care if they approve of me or think I’m cool? I am cool. I’m also successful and smart and have the most amazing girlfriend on the planet.”

  I went up on tiptoes to give him a kiss for that one.

  When I pulled away, we faced the crowd of strangers once more and slowly—very slowly—started to walk toward a group of people laughing and talking. He paused and I stopped beside him, thinking perhaps he had something important to say.

  He didn’t. His tone teasing, he said, “If you want to go ahead with your original plan and charm the pants off of every guy here, I’ll support you—”

  “Shut up,” I said with a laugh. We’d already agreed that I’d satiated that particular fantasy when Alex and the others had not only talked to me, but flirted. My dream come true had been more than a bit of a letdown. I’d informed Noah in no uncertain terms that it wasn’t nearly as satisfying as one might hope.

  He’d been pleased to hear it. He’d also assured me that he’d been watching me the whole time and not trying to get into anyone else’s pants but mine, thank you very much.

  I squeezed his hand. “You’re the only guy here whose pants I want to charm off.”

  His grin was so boyish and cute, it was like we’d stepped back in time. Like for a second we honestly were kids in high school again. The theme for the night was the prom we’d never had—ours had been ruined, apparently. I don’t remember how. I hadn’t cared then and I certainly didn’t care now. But here, now, with this guy smiling with boyish mischief that made my heart do somersaults like I was a teenager all over again—there was a little part of me that thought maybe we were being given the prom we never had.

  Or rather, that I had never had. “Noah, did you go to the prom?”

  He scoffed, his expression making it clear that my question had been deemed ludicrous bordering on insane. “Of course not.” Then he looked at me closer. “Did you?”

  I shook my head. “Of course not.”

  We both grinned as he held out his arm with mock formality.

  “Ali?”

  “Yes?”

  “Will you go to the prom with me?”

  I nodded quickly, ridiculously giddy even though I knew our cheese factor was through the roof. I took his arm and grinned. “I’d be honored.”

  He led me out on the dance floor where a few couples were swaying to the music. As he took me into his arms and looked down at me, there was no one else in the room. Hell, I don’t think anyone else existed on the planet.

  “I never thought I’d go to a prom,” I said.

  He laughed. “Better late than never?”

  I rested my head on his shoulder as he held me tight. “Oh yeah,” I said. “This was definitely worth the wait.”