RIDING AWAY

CHAPTER 42 - Cool friends...

I finally located Lincoln and Noah at the back of a small diner and as soon as they saw me they wordlessly stood up from their chair and walked to Noah's car.

Still disturbed by the old man's story, I thought their silence was for the best, so I got my mp3 player out and got lost listening to Ed Sheeran's ballads.

Back at Noah's, they both got out of the car without a word and went their own way. Unfazed and even relieved, since it meant I didn't have to face what had happened and the reason why it had happened, I decided to call it a day and to go to bed. It wasn't even six pm yet but I was both physically and emotionally exhausted.

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"Blake, Baby, wake up..." I had an impression of déjà-vu when I felt a hand graze my cheek.

"Hmm..." I rubbed my sleepy eyes and looked up to see Noah sitting next to me. His eyes looked glassy and his movements slower than usual, which told me he'd been drinking. "What's up?" I finally asked.

"I'd like to introduce you to my best friends..." He answered almost shyly.

"I...I thought you were mad..." I murmured referring to my going back surfing when he'd clearly told me it was too dangerous.

He sighed.

"I hate when you endanger yourself, Blake, but to be honest I'm kind of like you..." His voice trailed. "And... Link told me about your conversation..."

I crinkled my nose at that, which brought up one of those rare smiles of his that always made my heart go badaboom.

"So what do you say?" He asked a minute later.

"Uh?" I was confused.

He chuckled.

"About coming over to mine to meet my friends..." He reminded me.

"Oh..."

"Plus, you need to eat..." He added and offered me his hand. I took it and a jolt of electricity coursed through my hand. He must have felt it too because he sort of froze staring at me dreamily.

Duh! He's drunk, you dummy! I scolded myself.

I got up and took in my appearance. I was wearing tiny shorts and two superposed tank tops.

"Maybe I should change..." I muttered.

"You're perfect the way you are..." Goose bumps sprang all over my body. "But it's up to you..."

I looked at what he was wearing, swimming trunks and the Hoodie I'd got him to replace the one I nicked over a white tee-shirt. No need to dress up, I thought before putting on some sweats over my shorts and the first hoodie I stumbled on.

I quickly put my tangled hair in a messy bun and faced him to indicate I was ready to go.

He cupped my cheeks and I closed my eyes to savor the feeling of his hands on me.

"It's so good to have you back..." He murmured and pulled me against his hard chest in a crushing hug. "I've missed you so much, Blake..." I grabbed fistfuls of his hoodie to get even closer and closed my eyes as his vanilla-scent warmth enveloped me.

Somebody knocked on the door which was already open.

"Noah?" It was Lincoln. "Sorry to interrupt but somebody's on the phone for you and they say it's important.

"Let's go..." Noah murmured in my hair before guiding me out of the room with his hand at the small of my back.

The closer we got to the bay windows opening onto his huge open kitchen and living room the more nervous I got for some reason.