Touch (Will not be completed on Wattpad)

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Leah

            The phone call from Lyle was a little unexpected.  That was all it took to pull me out of the moment with Noah and right back into my own personal hell.  Seems I might have accidently packed something of Lyles in my stuff.  I hate that he made it sound like I did it on purpose.  Our belongings were so mingled together before I moved that I could easily mix them together without realizing the importance of a single item.  He wants his father’s pocketknife and believes it might be in the small wooden box I used to keep at my bedside.

            It’s not that he was unkind, but if he had been this whole situation would be easier.  I think I am secretly hoping he becomes some mean monster that I will want to push out of my life instead of the same guy I fell in love with who one day fell out of love with me.  I promised him I would look for it when the workers are finished in my apartment and he agreed to make the drive here to get it. 

            Talking to Lyle isn’t any less painful, but just as Noah had predicted, there are more spaces in my life that aren’t filled with him like they were before I moved.  This afternoon I met up with a friend for some coffee, stopped by the bookstore to buy the latest title from my favorite author, and found myself excited to come back here to Noah.  Thoughts of Lyle have slipped into my mind here and there, but I have managed to almost put one more day behind me. 

            As I open the door to leave Noah’s room, I hear the soft sound of music playing from the kitchen.  I follow the melody and find Noah stirring something on the stovetop while drinking a glass of wine.  I notice the empty glass beside him next to the bottle and feel a bit relieved that I’m not alone right now.  Noah turns his head and smiles that killer smile at me as I move in next to him.  I lean back on the counter as he pours me a glass and hands it to me. 

            “You ok?” he asks and I know that he genuinely cares. 

            “For now,” I answer and take a long sip of the cool wine.  Noah nods his head and returns his attention to the butter and mushrooms he is sautéing in the pan in front of him. 

            “Need to talk about it?”

            I have never had a friend that was a therapist before and I’m not sure how it changes things.  I hesitate for a minute, trying to decide what I should discuss with him and what would be better kept to myself.  He has to be tired of hearing other peoples’ problems all day.  His eyes look into mine again and I see compassion and empathy.  “I’m a good listener.”

            I smile at him and take another sip.  “Would it be terrible if I didn’t want to talk about it?  I feel like I could analyze him all day and still not understand where he is coming from.” I watch as he thinks about what I’ve just said.  When his crooked smile returns it causes my stomach to do a little flip. 

            “Actually, I think that might be for the best.  I’m here to listen any time, but I hate that he gets so many of your daily thoughts.”  He turns the fire down to low and grabs the tongs so he can flip the chicken.  It smells wonderful. 

            “Where did you learn to cook?”  I put down my wine so I can hop up onto the counter.  I am really appreciating the show as he cooks with one hand and holds his wine in the other.   I have never had a man cook for me before.

            “My mother is an excellent cook.  She taught me a few dishes and the rest I have perfected on my own.”  He sounds confident and I begin to notice all the differences between Lyle and Noah.  Lyle is horribly insecure but tries to make up for it with put downs and big shows of how great he is.  Noah is confident in himself and can be at peace with not being commended for his work.  It’s funny that I never noticed how hard it was to help build confidence in someone all the time, but sitting here with Noah I can clearly feel that there is a weight off my shoulders and I can just relax and enjoy the conversation and wine.