Exit Wounds | Noah Sebastian

T W E N T Y T H R E E

But I do get in his car, because I can't pretend he doesn't have a girlfriend.  

I glance over at him while he drives, even under his hoodie I can tell he has filled out since the last time I saw him.  His once long, beautiful hair was now above his ears, but it still hung around his face like a shield.  His face is clear of the stubble that sometimes shadowed his face in inconsistent patches. He looks more mature, despite the fact that his face has not really changed that much.

"Are you staring at me?" Noah grins without looking at me.

"No," I huff and turn my attention back to the windshield.  

Noah gets off the highway, but I don't think were even close to my hotel.  I don't say anything as he finally parks in front of a waterfront seafood place with the same tacky decor as my dinner last night.

"What is this?" I ask, because we didn't discuss another stop.

"You gotta eat right?"

"Noah," I warn, but follow him inside.

We get a table overlooking the water, and I watch as the waves crash against the shore mesmerized.  I turn back to Noah to catch him watching me, and I blush despite myself.  Noah looks down at his phone, frowns, then tells me he will be back in a minute.

I wonder if the phone call he just got is his girlfriend.

A waiter comes by and I order a beer.  I shouldn't be mad that he took the call, but I was mad.  Rage filled, key his car, mad.  I order another beer when I finish my first and Noah still hasn't come back.  I wonder idly if I should go check on him.  Maybe someone murdered him and that's why he hasn't come back. 

He finally sits back down when I'm on my third beer.  I have to grind my teeth together to not ask who was on the call and what it was about.  It's not any of my business and I don't want to know.  I'm just glad he didn't take the call here and I didn't have to hear him tell her he loves her.  

Noah looks different than when he left, so it must have not been a good phone call.  Noah orders a beer vacantly.  The conversation is surface level and it's like he's not even here anymore.

"Tell me something, Laney," he finally says, his eyes meeting mine for the first time since he came back.

"What do you want to know?"

"Tell me something you wanted to call and tell me about, but didn't," he says and there's a sadness in his eyes.

"Finn and I hiked the Fiery Gizzard, camped out and everything.  I didn't even complain about sleeping on the ground," I say.

"Finn already told me about that, but you know that's not what I meant," he replies, his eyes almost black.

"Why don't you tell me about your girlfriend?"  It's a low blow, but he shouldn't be asking what he's asking.

"Touché," he huffs, "I can't believe you are here."

"Well, it's not because of you, so get that out of your head," I grin a half grin.

"I don't get a little credit?"

"Okay, fine, you get a little credit," I uncross my legs and my foot grazes his calf.  I feel his hand on my knee, he doesn't move it for a beat, but when he does he moves up to my bare thigh.  His fingers draw lazy circles there.  I jerk my leg away from his touch before I can get drunk on it and harden a glare at him.

"I know the girlfriend concept is foreign to you, but you still have one and this is inappropriate."

Noah huffs and rubs his hands over his face and pulls at his roots, "I know, Delaney, but seeing you has brought back a lot of old feelings."