Bailey and Noah have this arrangement. They can sleep together as much as they want, but they never stay for the morning after. But what happens when Noah breaks that arrangement?
//this was the first book I wrote after coming back to Wattpad. I was...
"Canon ball!" Trish yells as she runs off the deep end of her pool. Her cousin scream, trying to clear a path for her. Instead, the waves she produces make some of their floaties flip over.
I chuckle, setting my drink down on the table next to me. The soft country music plays in the background of the chatter of Trish's family. Noah is surrounded by Trish's divorced and some still married aunts, who are only making his head bigger. I can see it front here.
I'm not sure who has it worse, him getting hit on by people old enough to have grandkids or me getting hit on by those grandkids. Either way, it makes for an uncomfortable situation for me. Though, Trish and Noah seem to find it not only funny, but hilarious. Noah did try to scare them off by being possessive. But these kids are like rubber balls, they bounce back and have no fear. And no sense of boundaries.
Or a filter.
"Your boobs are really big."
"Thanks." I murmur, through grutted teeth. Seems like all these kids are like Trish. Real charmers.
"It sucks that you can't get in the pool." Trish pulls herself onto the edge of the pool, frowning. "What did you even get tattooed anyway?"
"A sun." I tell her, sneaking at glance at Noah. He's in an exciting looking conversation, which includes him flexing his muscles and bragging about how much he benches.
A pang of jealousy shoots through my chest when I realize that some of Trisha's younger, teen cousins have made their way over to him. But then as if he can sense that my eyes are on him, he lifts his eyes to meet mine and gives me a breathtaking smile.
"I don't know why you get jealous, I have never seen a man more in love." Trish scoffs, rolling her eyes as she drops down in the seat next to mine.
"If anything, I should be the jealous one." She looks at me, with a suddenly serious look on her face. "You know, I've always been jealous of you. Just for having your life so put together, even when your world was falling apart. You just kept going, didn't let it cripple you."
"I mean-" I start, but she keeps talking, looking at anything other than me. "At least you know what you want to do with your life, Bailey. You're going to college, you'll have a life. Without me in it because I'm such a mess, that I can't decide what my purpose is. I've always tried to keep up with you, I just can't. And now you've got someone who loves you unconditionally. Anyone would be jealous."
I never knew Trisha felt this way. I mean sure, I did have dreams and I followed them full heartedly. Even when my life was a shitstorm. What I've been through would have crippled anyone. It almost crippled me, it did for a while. For the longest time because it kept me Noah. It kept me from making friends and having connections with people. I was just so convinced people were going to leave. And I was just so caught up in myself, I never even once stopped to think aboit Trisha.
"Trish, you're my best friend. And you can agree that I know you better than anyone." I pause for her to respond, when she agrees I keep going, "So believe me when I say that you are far from a mess. Not everyone comes out the womb knowing what they want to do, it's not like you just got the short end of the stick. You just need to take some time to focus on you."
"And even if you are a mess, you're my mess. We promosrd we'd always be there for each other. Me leaving for college isn't the end for us, I'm sure of that. It takes a lot of courage and dedication to be the person you want to be, so don't think it just happens over night."
She nods, taking in my words. We hug, but I don't say anymore because I can tell she's mulling over the words in her head. Maybe they'll stick with her, maybe they won't. But I know she has it in her to figure it out. Sometimes people just need to find themselves before they commit to getting their lives together. And if getting her life together consisted of partying and guys, then so be it. I had faith that she'd come to that moment of clarity.
For now, we sit, bathing in the golden light of the sun as it lays down to 'die' for the night. We sip on Mike's Hard Lemonade, wild cherry flavored and toast to the few days we have left.
"Another successful family gathering." Mom says, hugging a frowning Trish, who gets extremely embarrassed when her mom hugs her.
"Thank you for having me," Noah says, giving her an award winning smile. She smiles back, looking at him with motherly love in her eyes.
That's one of the things I love about Lydia, she's always been welcoming and willing to accept any one who needed it into her home and heart. When my grandparents died, and I had to stay with my aunt temporarily, she was there to make sure things went okay. She would have Trish sneak candy and sweets to me at school. She's just always been the mother I needed.
And it's really nice of her to do the same for Noah. Especially now that he doesn't have a mom. Not that she or Trish know that. I figured it wasn't my business to tell. And it really isn't. I'm pretty sure Noah hasn't told anyone and the only reason I know is because I went snooping.
Good thing I did though because Noah needed someone. He truly did, even if he didn't want me there at first. He had a hard time Just showing that he's was weak, that he was bothered. He told me he was raised to show no emotion, that a real man wasn't allowed to show that emotion. Hence why his dad wasn't breaking down the way he was.
I called bullshit on it all. Men shouldn't have to feel like they have to internalize everything. They're allowed emotions, the same as women. It puzzles me how society has it where the man is a stone while the woman is the emotional one. Sexism. At it's finest.
"What are you looking at?" Noah asks, forging defensiveness.
Raising a brow, I respond, "You, who else?"
"Don't be looking at me in that tone of voice," He replies with a devilish smile. Challenging me.
"You ain't gon do shit." I tell him.
"Oh really?" He asks, raising his brows. I nod, grabbing a bowl of salad from the table we're cleaning. He snatches a can of whip cream, shaking it in the process.
"Don't you-" The little whoosh of the cream coming out of the can cuts me off.
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I know I updated yesterday BUT I have another story called She The Devil now published, it's one I've been working on since I ended this one officially (bonus chapters) and PLEASE GO CHECK IT OUT I AM REALLY PROUD OF IT :))
