The Kissing Booth: Unavoidable

Chapter 7 - Time to Talk

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When I woke up, my arms were empty, and Elle wasn't in the bed with me. No, she couldn't have gone. I checked all around the room but couldn't find a trace of her. Shit, shit, shit! God, I screwed that up. I had wanted to make things better between us, but now I was in the same situation where we started from. I wonder if Elle was lying to me about Aaron and they are dating, and she was upset about cheating on him. Or maybe she just doesn't still feel the same way about me as I do her. I thought we were on the same page last night but maybe it was the booze for her and she was more drunk than I realized. I try Elle's number, but I'm 95% sure my number is still blocked. I tried calling from my hotel phone, but no answer that way either. For all I knew, she could have changed her number by now. I thought about calling someone from her family or mine, but it was two hours earlier in LA and I didn't want to wake anyone or have them wonder why I was asking for her number this early in the morning. The only other people I knew in Chicago who knew Elle were Darren and Lexi and I feel bad admitting it crossed my mind to call them, but I knew I couldn't bug them so early the day after their wedding. I had her address, but I was worried about how she would feel about me showing up after last night. She wouldn't have left if she wanted to talk to me, maybe she needs some time. I felt defeated, I had run out of options. My flight back to LA was leaving this morning, so I could get some work done in the afternoon. With a sigh, I got out of bed and got ready to leave.

Elle's POV

So, all that alcohol at the reception was totally a BAD idea. I didn't know how else to deal with Noah. I was so shocked when I saw him, and I thought he would ignore me during the reception and try to find the prettiest single (or not) girl at the party to hook up with. That was his MO anyway. But he kept trying to talk to me and kept giving me those looks of his. So, when he suggested that we go up to his room to talk, practically begging me after I put him off several times, I thought I would give him a chance. I was thinking it was probably a good idea anyway. With Dad and Brad back in LA and Noah living there also, I would be seeing him more at various family events. We had to learn to be civil around each other and stop making things so awkward. I'm sure our families would appreciate it too.

But, the way he looked at me once we got into the room and the rush of words he said to me, ending with "I miss you so much" made my heart start feeling like it was going to pump right out of my chest. As soon as he kissed me, I was gone. I already was not thinking very clearly due to the alcohol and I completely lost control once his lips touched mine. The night with him was amazing, far better than all my memories of him that haunted my dreams. Waking up the next morning, though, I started to re-think everything. I hadn't heard from him in two years, what did he truly want from me? Surely, he had moved on by now. Once Lee and I started talking again, he had learned not to bring up Noah around me, so I had no idea what was going on in his life, other than the little I found out at the last family lunch and the bits and pieces Lexi had told me when she thought I was just a friend of his from high school.

I had always imagined that he went back to his player ways after we broke up. Or even worse, was in a serious relationship with a tall, blonde, beautiful woman – someone who was the opposite of me. I couldn't imagine Noah would still be thinking about our doomed relationship. Did he single me out at the reception because he thought I would be the easiest one to hook up with? Or he just wanted one last roll in the hay with me? He knew what he did to me and how I would never be able to say no to him. Everything that happened right before and during our break-up started running through my mind. He seemed to be telling the truth when he was talking to me, but could I trust him again? He had broken my heart. Lexi gave me a little insight into the break-up, but could I genuinely believe whatever he told his friends? Maybe he was just trying to come off not sounding like a jerk.

Plus, I felt like absolute crap – I hadn't been that drunk in years. With the issues my Dad had with alcohol, I hadn't been much of a drinker the past couple years. I needed to go home and get my head on straight. Once I was away from him, maybe I would be able to think again. My mind couldn't work with him laying naked next to me. I look him up and down again and watch him sleep for a few minutes – he still looks as amazing as he did the first time we were together at the Hollywood sign. It took all my resolve to quietly get out of bed and sneak out of the hotel. By the time I had driven home, I was again questioning what had happened between us. Should I have stayed and talked to Noah? He looked so sincere when he was talking to me. When I thought back to the Noah I knew when we were growing up and fell in love with, I could believe he meant every word, but when I thought about the Noah who broke my heart, I didn't know what to believe. I vowed that I would talk to Lexi when she gets back from her Honeymoon and find out what she knows, then maybe I could try to talk to Noah about it the next time I'm in LA. Thanksgiving was only weeks away, so I would need to figure out what I was doing soon. No more avoiding the holidays with our families, I knew I needed to stop being a coward and face Noah again.