Heartbeat

Chapter 6. (!)

— Aria's POV —

It's been two weeks - two weeks I've had Noah's number in my phone and every night as I laid in my bed after getting home from work, my body burned for him - and yet, I haven't text him once.

I want to text him so bad, I want to hang out and I want to spend time with him, but every time I've thought about it it's been embarrassingly late, and the last thing I want is him thinking I think of him at night.

Even though it's true, we don't know each other enough for him to know that.

I've never felt like this before about a one night stand, maybe it's because all my one night stands prior were shit, and this one was... well, amazing, but I can't get him out of my mind.

I should've text him, but now I fear it's too late. It's been two weeks, he's going to think I'm a freak if I just ring him now.

And just like that, I let my finger slip and I'm soon hitting the call button.

I didn't expect him to pick up a random strangers call, so I aren't surprised when I get his voicemail, but it doesn't mean I aren't just a tiny bit disappointed.

I don't have any plans tonight, I've got the whole weekend to myself, mom's at work, the little kids are at my grandparents and Lexi is staying at her friends, and maybe I thought, I could've had some fun of my own.

I needed some stress relief.

My heart leaps out of my chest when my phone starts to ring, Noah's contact coming straight back up, and just as the ringer is going to stop, I pick it up.

"Hello."

"Aria?" Noah questions through the phone, and I smile, hearing his voice. "Did you ring me?"

"Yeah, sorry. I- I was super busy with work and well, I just didn't get the chance to text you or ring you." I explain in a rush which is the truth. Until now, I've been working all week long, and this is finally my break that I've need. "Um, anyway. I was just wondering what you're doing right now, you finally wanna hang out?"

"Do you really expect me to be without plans on a Friday night?" He asks me, and I roll my eyes, I'm so stupid, of course, he's busy.

"Yeah, sorry, I should go." I excuse myself.

And just as I'm about to end the call, he speaks. "I'm free, what do you wanna do?"

"Do I really have to pick?" I whine, and I hear his laugh through the phone.

"Yeah, I like when you're awkward, it's cute." He says, and I have to bite my lip to stop me from screaming. "What about burgers? I know a place."

"Oh, yeah." I can't help but feel disappointed, I do love food, and burgers sound great, but I would've preferred him to come over here. "Perfect."

"You sound like you have different plans for us." He claims, and I look around my room as if he was in here now, looking down at me. How does he know?

"No, I just have an empty house that's all." I tell him.

"Do you really?" He checks as if I'd lie. I'd never lie about something so amazing. It's a very rare occurrence that I have the house to myself, so when I do, I scream it from the rooftops.

"Yes. All weekend." My mom's on shift for seventy-two hours, she's going to sleep at the hospital when she can, but I won't be seeing her home until Monday morning now.

"Okay, so new plan." He says and I can't help but laugh. "We get burgers, I think about the fact you have a free house the entire time we're there, and then after you get over your nerves, you ask me back to yours?"