by Judy Corry
"She did?" I asked.
He nodded. "Yeah, she left me a message since I couldn't answer it during class, but it turns out my dad did call her last night. She just didn't get his message until this morning. I snuck out of class early to listen to what she had to say, since I was worried something might have happened with her and Paul."
"Nothing happened, right?" I couldn't imagine always worrying the way Noah had to.
He shook his head. "No, she actually told me to come home. So, looks like I won't need to sleep in your closet again tonight."
While I was happy that he was able to go home and not live like a homeless teenager anymore, I couldn't help but feel disappointed over not having him to myself for a few more hours. Once we left this auditorium it would really be all over.
"I'm glad you get to go home."
There was a question in his eyes. "You don't sound happy."
I shrugged and looked at my hands. "No, I'm happy you can go home." I peeked up at him. "Really." I sighed. "I just— Would it be so bad if I admitted that I've kind of liked hanging out with you this week? Once we go back to the lunchroom, everything will go back to the way it was before. You'll go back to just being Easton's friend. And I'll go back to being Easton's little sister."
"And you don't like that idea?" He studied me carefully.
Just tell him you don't want to break up. Don't let him get away like you do with everything else in your life.
Tell him you want him for real.
I swallowed, trying to get up the nerve. But when I looked at him I knew it was pointless. He was Noah and I was Lexi. He was everything I wanted in a guy while I couldn't even hope to be on his radar. The only reason why he was talking to me right now was because I was his best friend's sister. If we hadn't had a mutual connection to Easton, there was no way he would’ve ever noticed me. He went for the gorgeous girls: the Ashlyns and Ravens of the world. He didn't go for the band geeks.
"It's probably for the best. I mean, it was already absurd tricking people into thinking we would actually work out for a whole week. I'm sure everyone will be relieved to see that the world has finally righted itself. Popular people hanging out with popular people. Nerds with nerds."
"Do you really think I'm that shallow?" he asked.
I shrugged. "Since when have you ever dated a girl like me before?"
He opened his mouth but nothing came out. And I knew it was because he couldn't think of one single time.
"It's okay, Noah. We all have our types." I always went for the unattainable guys. He always got the girl.
"Do you remember what I told you a couple of nights ago?" he finally asked.
I tried to remember a specific thing that stood out. "Can you give me a hint? We've had so many conversations this week that it's hard to know which one you're referring to."
"It was when you were accusing me of only liking mainstream girls. It seems to be a revolving theme when it comes to how you see me."
Because he'd never given me a reason to think otherwise. Yes, we'd had that moment in my bedroom last night. But now that I'd had more time to think about it, I realized that it was only because he'd been so overcome with emotion because of everything with his dad and the cold outside—he'd momentarily confused his feelings of gratefulness for actual desire for me.
We wouldn't even be having this conversation in the auditorium right now if he ever had actual feelings for me. He wouldn't have suggested we break up right after the almost-kiss. He must have realized that he was leading me on, so breaking up was the best way to put a stop to it.
I should probably be thanking him right now for saving me from my crazy notions of us actually working out in real life.
I decided to let the subject drop. This way, neither of us would be tempted to say something we'd regret later.
I sighed. "Well, do you think we should get back to the cafeteria?" Easton was ready to get his friend back.
"If you think that's best," he said.
If I thought that was best? What did he mean by that? This was our plan, wasn't it?
"Would it be so bad if I tell you that I'm having second thoughts about this whole thing?" he asked.
I looked into his eyes, not sure I'd heard him right. In them, I found a vulnerability I hadn't seen before.
"You are?" I asked, my voice coming out in a whisper.
He shook his head slightly and bit his lip. "I don't know, Lexi. This week..." He trailed off, not finishing his sentence.
I really wanted him to finish that sentence.
This week what? What was he going to say?
I waited. I would hear him out. I would make him say what he was going to say. I needed to know.
But Noah just stared at me. He reached over and pushed some hair behind my ear, his warm touch causing a rush of heat to flush on my face and neck. Then his hand ran along my shoulder again, just like it had last night. And I was instantly transported back to my room. The look in his eyes. The unfiltered desire. I’d been sure he was going to kiss me, until he turned around and suggested we break up today.
But could it have actually been real?
He swallowed, his Adam's apple shifting. He was nervous...
He sighed, looked down, and then looked back at me, his eyes seeming to search my soul. "There's this one last thing I want to do."
But before I could find out what that one last thing was, the door creaked open behind us and Easton poked his head inside.
Of course. My brother or my dad were always there to make sure I never even had a chance at romance.
"Hey, are you two done breaking up yet? I wanted to talk to you before Raven did."
Irritation flashed on Noah's face before he blinked it away and turned to my brother.
"Yeah, we were just finishing up," Noah called. Then he stood and offered his hand to help me up as well. It was probably the last time I'd ever be this close to Noah Taylor. "Are you ready to face everyone then?" Noah asked.
"You guys go ahead first. It’ll probably be more believable if we don't walk in together."
He rubbed his thumb across the back of my knuckles. "You're probably right." Then he let go and stuffed his fingers in his pockets. "Well, it's been a fun week. I'm sure we'll still see each other around."
Why did he have to make it sound like we were saying goodbye?
Probably because it really did feel like a goodbye. Goodbye to all my hopes and dreams ever coming true where we were concerned. After today, he'd probably forget all about this week.
"I'll see you around. Good luck with your Mom today. I really am happy you get to go home."
He nodded. "Thanks, Lexi. I couldn't have made it through this week without you."
Right as he was about to leave me, he hesitated and leaned closer, pulling me in for one last hug. And I couldn't help but melt against him. I really liked Noah. I knew he wasn't perfect. I knew he had his own faults. But for the past week, he had been mine, and he'd made me feel special. I'd never had a guy pay attention to me before, and I didn't know if I'd ever have something like that again.
He spoke in a low voice beside my ear. "I hope you find what you're looking for, Lexi. You're an amazing girl and any guy would be lucky to have you." Then he kissed me gently on the cheek. Before I could respond, he disappeared out the door to join Easton in the hall, and I just stood there frozen in shock with my fingers touching the place he'd kissed me.
24
Noah
I walked back to the lunchroom with Easton, cursing myself the whole time for being such a chicken. I should have told Lexi that I didn't want to break up. But of course, like every other good thing in my life, I was practically pushing her away.
I needed to stop sabotaging myself.
But what was done was done. And my week with Lexi was over. Now it was back to reality.
Along our way, Mercedes stopped Easton, so I went ahead to grab my lunch, and then I took a seat at my regular table, hating the fact that the chair nex
t to me was empty and would remain empty.
"Where's Lexi?" Raven asked after looking around for her.
I ripped a piece off my roll. "We broke up."
"You broke up?" Raven's jaw dropped, and she actually did look surprised. Maybe we really had been convincing to people.
"Yep." I stuffed a piece of roll in my mouth, so I wouldn't have to say anything more. I really didn't feel like talking about it right now. It was crazy that even though our entire relationship had been fake, I felt even worse than I had when Luke and Ashlyn had started dating.
It would seem that I'd finally found a way to move on.
Raven pushed her tray closer to mine, and then moved her chair closer as well. "Why did you break up? When she first walked in here today, I was watching you. I’ve never seen you look at a girl like that before. It was like you were in love or something."
She'd seen that in my face?
That couldn't be good. I couldn't be in love with Lexi. She was my best friend's sister. There wasn't a chance at a future with her.
"Was she the one to break up with you?" Raven pressed when I didn't say anything.
Just then, Lexi walked into the room with her tray. I watched her as she walked past my table, and my heart blipped in my chest at the sight of her. She was scanning the room for a place to sit, and I remembered that earlier this week, she’d said something about not having a regular lunch table ever since her friend went away.
Maybe I should leave, so she could at least sit with her brother?
But then she moved in the opposite direction, toward a table full of kids that I recognized from the band and they made room for her. I sighed, relieved she wouldn't have to eat alone.
"Earth to Noah." Raven's voice interrupted my thoughts.
I shook my head. "Sorry, what did you ask again?"
She rolled her eyes. "I asked who did the breaking? You or her?"
"It was mutual."
"Certainly doesn't look that way."
And boy was she right. I could barely keep my eyes off Lexi. My heart pounded in my ears when Lexi glanced at me over her shoulder. Was she telling everyone at her table then?
I blinked my eyes shut. Get yourself together, Noah. This is going just the way you planned it.
Except for the fact that I thought it was about the stupidest plan I'd ever come up with.
Easton, who had been talking to Mercedes, finally made it back to our table.
"What did I miss?" He scooted his chair up and opened a carton of milk.
"Noah and your sister broke up," Raven said.
Easton raised his eyebrows, playing his part of being surprised surprisingly well. "Oh, that's too bad."
I shook my head and laughed despite how sad I was feeling. "You know you're happy about that. You never were excited about me and your sister dating in the first place."
Easton smiled. "Yeah, it was weird. Just imagine how happy my dad will be when he finds out." He winked.
"Well, considering he already threatened to ground both of you from seeing me this week, I'd say he'll be happy to know that your sister won't be spending much time alone with me anymore." Yet another reason why it could never work out between Lexi and me. Mr. Stevens would probably lock her up if he had any idea of half the things I'd done with his daughter this week.
I stabbed a meatball with my fork. I needed to talk about something else. Anything that would keep my mind off the fact that I could never have a future with Lexi.
"So you wanted to talk to me about something?" I asked Easton.
He wiped his mouth with his arm after downing his whole carton of milk. "Yeah, I was hoping that since you won't be sitting with Lexi at the game tonight that you might want to sit with me. And then afterwards, I was thinking it might be fun to hang out in my hot tub and catch up. It seems like I've barely spent any time with you lately"
"Sure. That sounds fun."
"Great."
The rest of the school day, people bombarded me with questions about why Lexi and I broke up. I mumbled vague responses such as how we just weren't meant to be. Or how it was too weird with Easton. But I could tell people thought my answers were weird. I'd probably have been able to think of much better reasons for our "break-up" if there had actually been problems between us. As it was, all I could think of were all the reasons why we should still be together.
I drove home, to my actual home, after school. I parked out front and just sat in my car for a while, trying to figure out how I should act. My mom had let Paul kick me out—that wasn't something I could just forgive and forget about, was it?
But she also hadn't known about where I would be staying. So I grabbed my duffel bag before I could overthink things too much and went inside.
"Noah." My mom stood from where she'd been working on her computer when she saw me come in.
"Hi, Mom."
When she held her arms out to me, I gave her a quick hug.
"It's so good to see you." Her smile was more forced than usual, and I knew she was trying to make up for the past week.
I decided not to make things too hard for her, so instead of throwing in a snide remark like I would have a year ago, I said, "It's good to see you, too. Is Brielle home?"
I looked around, anxious for my little sister to be here—she could help bounce some of this awkwardness away.
"She doesn't get off the bus for another thirty minutes. But she'll be so excited to see you. She's been asking when you're coming home all week."
I had missed my sister. She was probably the main reason why I felt comfortable coming back here. If not for her, I'd probably find a job and get a place of my own.
"Did Paul hear back about his job yesterday?" I asked, watching my mom closely for any signs of distress.
Her expression fell. "Not yet. We thought he'd know by now, but his boss wanted another day to consider the candidates. We should know by five, though."
I nodded. "That's good. I hope for everyone's sake that it's good news."
I didn't miss the flash of anxiety in my mom's eyes. "I hope so, too."
Would she leave him if he acted out again? Was she worried that if he did get the job, it wouldn't be the magical fix his temper needed to keep from hurting her?
She went into the kitchen to fill a glass with water. "Anyway, we're planning to go out to dinner tonight once we find out the news. Would you like to join us?"
I set my duffel bag on a stool at the bar and grabbed a bottle of Coke from the cupboard. I twisted the cap off. "Easton and I are going to the game tonight and then hot tubbing. But you have fun without me."
I knew it was probably bad of me to turn down her offer, especially after the past week, but I really didn't want to sit down at a table across from Paul after he'd kicked me out. We didn't need a waitress picking up on the vibes I'd be sending. I wasn't nearly as good at hiding my frustration with my stepdad as my mom was.
"Well, we'll miss you. Brielle especially." My mom's shoulders slumped, and I felt a stab of guilt pass through me.
I turned the cap back on my soda after taking a long pull on it. "How about I take Brielle sledding tomorrow?"
Mom's face brightened. "She'd love that, Noah. That's a great idea!"
I lifted my bag back onto my shoulder, ready to head up to my room and get everything put away. But just before I turned the corner, my mom stopped me.
"And Noah," she said. I turned to her, my heart splitting at the look of pain on her face. "I really am sorry that you had to sleep in your car this week. I had no idea. If I'd known, I would have brought you back home myself."
I nodded, feeling a wave of emotion about to come over me. I cleared my throat, hoping my voice wouldn't come out sounding too wobbly. "It's okay, Mom. I survived."
"I know. I just feel bad that it happened in the first place."
I adjusted the shoulder strap on my bag. "It's okay. Just promise me there won't be a reason for it to happen again, okay?"
She looked down at her h
ands. "Okay."
25
Lexi
"Noah and I broke up today," I spoke into the computer screen as I video-called Juliette after school.
"Already? That was only, like, five days," she said.
The best five days of my life. But it was all over now. Whatever Noah and I had had together ended the moment Easton came to take him away from me. It was fate making the world balanced again—in a way. Easton had always been there. Always the one Noah had chosen.
"At least I got to kiss him once."
"You kissed Noah? How did I not know about this?" Juliette pretty much shouted at me through the screen.
I'd been so busy with Noah the past twenty-four hours that I hadn't even thought to tell my best friend about it. "Sorry, it all happened so fast."
She scowled, like she wasn't going to accept my apology, but then she grinned. "I guess I can forgive you, but only if you tell me every little detail."
"Every detail?" My cheeks heated further as memories of Noah pressing himself against me under the bleachers came to my mind.
"Yes, Lexi. It isn't fair that I'm the one who goes to Paris, and you're the one who gets this big adventure."
I rolled my eyes. "You are so overdramatic sometimes. I saw those photos you posted on Instagram this week. You can't tell me that you're not having fun when I can see the hot guy you've been hanging out with."
She laughed. "Um, don't believe everything you see on the Internet these days." When she saw my confused look, she continued, "That was just Evan. He was helping me make someone jealous."
"Who are you trying to make jealous?" I asked. Juliette was always up to something, it seemed.
She waved her hand. "No one important. Anyway, you still need to give me details of your epic kiss with Mr. Hottie McHot Hot, Noah Taylor."
I laughed at her use of our old nickname for Noah. "It was good."
"Good?" She shook her blondish-gray hair on the screen. "You cannot just tell me that you kissed Noah and say it was good. This was your first kiss. Were you nervous?"
