Cupid's Daughter

Chapter 22~ A Rare Disease Called Idiot

I don't know how long we stood on the football field; it could have been minutes or hours and I wouldn't have noticed.

Eventually though, Noah untangled himself from me and slid his hand into my own, pulling me over to the bleachers where we sat down side by side.

"You came." Noah mumbled to me, and I smiled softly.

"Of course I did. JC told me about what happened..." I trailed off, unsure as to whether he would want to talk or not. Noah sighed and leaned back so that he was laying across the benches, and I did the same a second later, our fingers still intertwined.

"Do you remember when I told you that my dad and Nate had a fight and stopped talking to each other?" Noah asked.

I nodded once, thinking back to the time at my place when I had spilt to Noah that my mom and I don't speak anymore and he had told me about his family issues too.

"There was a short period during the end of Junior year where I broke up with Sabrina to focus on football. What I didn't know was that my dad was seeing Sabrina and dating me was a cover up. Dad tried to convince her to date Nathaniel instead so that no one would suspect anything. Nate caught on to what Sabrina was doing and confronted my dad, who got really angry and threatened not to pay for Nate's college fees if he told anyone. So my brother, who's life dream was to go to college," he shot me a knowing smile, "didn't tell anyone about the affair. Sabrina and Charles knew that getting Nate to cooperate had been a bust so she moved back to me instead." His voice was less than a whisper as he strained to get out the last sentence, and I couldn't help but turn my face to watch him, rubbing my thumb soothingly over his knuckles. "They were both just using me, the entire time."

"Will your dad be charged for... you know... his relationship with Sabrina?" I asked quietly once I knew that he had regained some of his composure.

Noah's whole body tensed as he stared at the stars which were sparkling brightly against the familiar Connecticut sky. "That's the thing," He spoke bitterly through gritted teeth, "Sabrina is a year older than us. She was eighteen when... when they had the affair; legal. The bastard won't even get what he deserves. I'm going to make him fess up to Amara himself though; she deserves better than that."

I didn't know what to say to ease the pain that he was so clearly in. It leaked from his eyes and radiated from him like nuclear toxins.

"So you think he took advantage of her?" I wondered aloud.

Noah scowled at the sky, the muscle in his jaw popping out as he clenched his teeth. "Knowing my father? Definitely. But knowing Sabrina I'd say she was taking advantage of him too."

I nodded once and turned back to look at the beautiful sky. I squeezed Noah's hand, feeling his anger and sadness as he released his emotions with every exhalation. A yearning ran through my body; a yearning to tell him how I felt and what I wanted, but I couldn't bring myself to. It didn't feel right to be selfish when he was so clearly hurting... and so clearly not over Sabrina.

"So what happens now?" I asked quietly, watching as he brushed away the wet streaks on his nose and cheeks.

Noah licked his lips. "I wish I knew Little Cupid, I wish I knew. Hey," he turned to me with a frown, "where have you been this past week? You just went AWOL suddenly."

And there it was; the question that I had been dreading because it was going to unravel me like a ball of freaking yarn.

I took a deep, steadying breath and closed my eyes, focusing on the cool air against my face and the feel of Noah's hand around mine.

"Actually I moved in with my mom in New York."

Noah's eyes widened and I sensed him staring at me, but I kept my gaze ahead.

"What?"

"Yeah. I guess my dad picked up on that things weren't great for me at school and told my mom. She offered to let me stay with her until I start Princet-- I mean, college."

"Why?"

Because I was mad that you were with Sabrina.

"I thought it would be easier." I said instead.

Noah gives me an unreadable look. "Why?"

I coughed awkwardly and pretended to yawn, sitting up as a feeling of panic rose in my chest. "You know, it's late and my it was a long ride here with JC so I'm just gonna..." I pulled my hand away from Noah's with a small smile and stood to leave, but Noah mimicked my actions and grabbed my wrist before I could escape.

"Why did you think it would be easier?" Noah asked again as I struggled to pull my arm back to no avail.

My cheeks turned scarlet as I gulped. Oh god, confrontation was not my thing.

"Oh, you know... I'm terrible at goodbyes and me crying is just really ugly and I didn't want to cause a scene and then there's the whole thing with Sam and I didn't even know what to say to Tommy and Avery and even JC as weird as that sounds..." I trailed off and turned even pinker as I mentally face palmed myself for babbling like an idiot.

Apparently, lying was not my thing either.

Noah shook his head and latched onto me with his piercing dark eyes. "Shut up Cupid. Now, tell me why you didn't tell me you were leaving."

"But you told me to shut up!" I protested.

"Tell me."

"No."

"Tell me."

"No!"

"Tell me."

"NO!"

"Why not?"

"Because then I'd have to tell you that I like you!" I admitted without thinking, slapping my hand over my mouth the second I said it.

"I... Uh... I have to go." I muttered, pulling my arm from Noah and breaking out into a run, not even bothering to look at Noah's reaction.

I sprinted across the football field and through town to my dad's house, using the key under the mat to pull the door open. My dad was at work as I suspected he would be, so I headed upstairs and let myself into my room, falling down onto the bed.

What was wrong with me?

I was an idiot, that's what was wrong.

With a sigh I pulled open my laptop and went on YouTube to try and distract myself.

It didn't work.