The moment Noah slides next to me, he casually drapes an arm around my shoulder and kisses my cheek. No hesitation, no concern for onlookers, just an automatic response to seeing me. I hurriedly turn to face him, excited by the feel of his nose grazing mine.
"I missed you," he whispers, lips tracing from my jaw to my ear. "Tell me you missed me too, Blue."
Such a softie. "I would," I say, turning to focus on my marshmallow, "but you were late to meet me, so I don't think you deserve it."
His eyebrow raises, a mix of challenge and frustration in his eyes. "Do you want me to get on my knees and beg? 'Cause I will." He starts to move, and I grip his bicep, pulling him back. Grinning, his gaze flicks to my lips. "Is this you giving in?"
"You're deeply disturbed," I say, poking the fire, but the truth is, the same flames roasting my marshmallow are the same ones searing my thighs. "I missed you."
"Good." He wraps an arm around me, drawing me close. "I'll be so fucking glad when tomorrow's meet is over."
"Are you worried?"
He shakes his head. "Just tired, but I'll feel better after the holidays. I need some time to reset, you know?"
I rest my head on his shoulder, the warmth of his body countering the cool night air. I completely get the pressure he's under because once upon a time, I was under it, too, albeit on a lesser scale. It's hard living up to everyone's standards while barely staying afloat. Sometimes even downright impossible.
"It's gonna be impossible not seeing you every day," he says suddenly, talking about the holidays. "I don't care what you say; we're upping the text limit. Including Facetime, too."
For some reason, talk of the holidays and beyond worries me, as if the novelty of him liking me will wear off by then. "I don't really look good on camera."
"You look good anywhere," he says, "and I just want to see you." He wraps his other arm around me like a second blanket, allowing me to completely relax in his arms. I lean into him, tucking my head against his shoulder. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat against my ear melds with the soft crackling of the flames, and at this moment, it's just us, like the handful of other people around the fire might as well not exist.
"Don't take this the wrong way," Noah says, angling his head toward the firepit, "but what the hell are you doing to that marshmallow?"
I look down at my marshmallow, burnt to a crisp and on fire. "Oh, crap."
He grins, grabs the skewer, and discards the burnt marshmallow, replacing it with a fresh one. "Haven't you ever roasted marshmallows before?"
I turn to look up at him; every breath I take mingles with his scent. "No," I admit, "but it's not exactly rocket science."
He glances at the black blob that was once my marshmallow, now sticking to a piece of coal. "You're not trying to set it on fire," he says, turning the skewer. "You want to hold it half an inch above the pit and rotate it."
I watch him do it, usually resistant to people telling me how to do stuff. But with Noah, it's different. He explains everything enthusiastically, not because he wants to prove he knows more than me but because he genuinely want to help.
"That's it," he says after handing me the skewer, sounding genuinely proud, and I can't help but laugh at how excited he is over a marshmallow. "You'll be a marshmallow roasting pro by the end of the night. Have you ever been camping?"
I give him a pointed look. "I belong in the water, not the forest."
The corner of his lip tilts in typical Noah fashion. He takes hold of my hand, helping me turn the skewer to cover all sides. "I'm going to have to take you. I used to go all the time as a kid. You're missing out."
My heart leaps the way it always does when he makes future plans. "My dad tried to take me once, but I was scared of being eaten by a bear. Mom convinced him to take us to a spa retreat instead."
"Then I'll protect you," he says, "and not just from bears either. There are all sorts of creepy crawlies out there. I had a tarantula sneak into my tent once. Practically tore the whole thing down trying to get away from it."
"You're really selling it to me," I say, popping the marshmallow into my mouth. "I can't wait."
He thinks for a moment, gaze turning wicked. "Let me paint a better picture. Me, you, a cozy tent under the stars. Fire crackling. My hand sliding down your–"
"Noah!" I whisper.
He chuckles, brushing my hair aside to gaze into my eyes before glancing at my lips. With a smoldering look, he lightly touches my lip with his thumb. "If I didn't think you'd slap me for PDA, I'd kiss you right now, Blue."
My cheeks heat up, and I peek across the firepit at Pax, expecting a smirk, but he's gazing toward the gazebo, beer can in hand, distracted. Even Olivia, the beautiful girl trying to whisper in his ear, can't draw his attention.
Next to her, Riley and Carter are busy comparing muscles, oblivious to us. I seize the moment, giving Noah a quick kiss. It's brief – two seconds max – but the look in his gaze as I pull away suggests it's enough to ignite something dangerous in him.
"Fuck," he says, staring at my lips. His gaze drops lower, no doubt imagining my body under this hoody, darkening with frustration. "Leave with me, Blue. Right now."
"Later," I promise, watching a disheveled-looking Addy sneaking out of the gazebo. "I need to talk to Addy. I'll be back." Standing up, I feel his gaze as I walk away, longingly staring after me. It feels good to be wanted like this. I'm used to the kind of guys who don't know what they want, who leave you second-guessing about whether they like you, but not Noah. He couldn't hide his feelings if he tried.
I'm almost over to Addy when she spots me, fixing her curls before grabbing my arm and guiding me to the beers. "I almost told him about Pax," she blurts, handing me a cold, wet beer. "I was about to tell him everything, but then he said the only girl he wants is me."
"Seriously?" I peer into her face, seeing the excitement radiating from her pores. Regardless of whether Jesse is a good fit, all that matters is she's happy. "Okay, time for a toast," I declare, opening my drink. "To Jesse finally coming clean about his feelings." Our cans meet with a cheerful clink. As I sip my drink, all I can think is maybe it's time I do the same with Noah.
"Since we're announcing things," I say coyly, "I'm thinking of having sex with Noah tonight."
Addy practically spits out her beer before swiveling to face me. "Ever, no. You can't have sex for the first time on the night of some dumb curse."
"It's not for the curse," I insist, downing the rest of my beer. It burns on the way down, reminding me that I hate the taste of alcohol, but at least I'm not afraid of it anymore. "Me realizing I want to have sex just happened to fall on the same day. It's because I'm ready."
"Still," she says. "As much as I disagree with the whole, your first time should be some special fairytale moment, I think you should wait for a different night. And what if the Calbears lose the meet tomorrow? He'll think your pussy is cursed."
Now it's my turn to spit out my drink. "Addy."
"What?" She grins. "I'm just saying."
I roll my eyes, but she has a point. The question is, can I keep my hands off Noah – and his hands off me – before the end of the night? Probably – most definitely – not.
"Come on, let's go mingle," Addy says, and for the next half hour, we celebrate one of our last nights of freedom before exams. It feels strange to think how out of place I'd felt here a few months back. But tonight, I'm confident, sharing laughs with strangers and Calbears alike. And all the while, I feel Noah's gaze burning into the side of my face, watching me.
Wanting me.
Almost an hour has passed when Addy and I finally return to the firepit. Noah, whose mid-debate with Pax about how much a cow weighs, pulls me down next to him, locking me in place with his arms. "You're freezing," he says with concern in his voice, brushing his nose along my neck. "I'll get you an extra blanket."
"Noah, I'm–" but he's already roughly kissing my forehead and hunting for supplies.
"That boy," Pax says to no one in particular, his words coming out slurred, "is the definition of whipped."
I glare at him, which only earns me a grin as he gets to his feet, looking between Addy and me as if he's just thought up a genius plan. "Alright, I think I've got a way to warm us up." Swiftly, he strips off his Calbear hoodie, his t-shirt and shimmies out of his jeans, standing there in just his underwear. "Try not to look, Addy."
"Oh please," she says, looking away. "No one wants to see your bulge right now."
He grins and beelines for the hot tub, drunkenly stumbling on the way. With the finesse of a walrus, he sinks into the bubbling water, leans back, and drapes his arms over the sides before eagerly waving us over. I shake my head like he's crazy, about to turn to Addy when she gets to her feet and starts undressing.
"You can't be serious," I say, staring up at her. "You've spent like a month avoiding him."
"I'm freezing," she says, "and he's drunk enough that he shouldn't be alone in a hot tub. C'mon, Ev. Don't leave me alone in there with him."
She's using the puppy dog expression, and it's working. I hesitate for maybe a second before thinking screw it. After stripping to my underwear – pink, lacy, and brand-spanking-new – I follow her to the hot tub and sink into the bubbles, my skin practically on fire from going cold to hot.
I settle back, and for maybe ten seconds, the decision to get in the tub feels like the best one we've made all night. Then Pax strides across the hot tub to sit between us, draping his arms over our shoulders, and Addy goes rigid.
"You must have a death wish," she says without looking at him. "Remove your arm before I remove it for you."
With all the time in the world, Pax eases back and lifts his arm from her shoulders. "Exactly how long are you planning to hate me for?" he asks. His breath reeks of alcohol, making it clear he's not just drunk but flat-out wasted. "I'll need to pencil it into my calendar."
The fury that fills Addy's eyes makes me physically recoil. "You know, part of me keeps waiting for you to apologize or prove to me that you actually give a shit about my feelings, but obviously you don't. So, on that note, feel free to pencil in forever." She shoves him away, maneuvering out of the hot tub and ignoring his calls for her to wait. I turn to Pax as he sinks further into the bubbles, a crestfallen look on his face.
"Seriously," I say. "What are you doing?"
He doesn't say anything for a while, just tilts his head back and stares at the stars, practically slipping under the water. "I wanted to apologize," he mutters, "but she's ignored me for so long that I figured it'd be easier if we just pretended nothing happened." He glances over now, glazed eyes meeting mine. "Whatever, I'm over it. Over her." With that, he leans into me, resting his head on my shoulder, eyes shut. I shift a little, trying to inch away from his grip, but I'm the only thing holding him up. The second I move, he'll go under. "You know," he says, his eyes still closed, "the more I think about it, the more I think love is a clam."
"You mean a sham?"
Ignoring me, he says, "I'm never admitting to liking a girl again."
Trapped by his head on my shoulder, I mentally curse Addy for leaving for me. "Look, lying about Addy aside, you're a good guy, Pax, and one day, you'll find someone who cares about you like you care about them. But for now, I think you should go home and sleep this off before you say or do something you'll regret."
With that, I get up, ready to help him out, but a glance down at my bra stops me. I panic and plunge back into the water, sinking into the bubbles until they're up to my neck. My wet bra is way more sheer than I realized, my areolas and nipples on full, blinking display.
I'm practically naked.
Now what? I frantically look around for something to cover myself, but the nearest towel is across the rooftop. Before I can search for Noah, Pax's head flops from my neck to my chest like my breasts are his personal pillow.
"If you don't mind," he says, snuggling further, "I'm just going to nap for a second."
"Pax, you're either going to end up drowning or suffocating," I say, trying to lift his head, but it flops down again. "Come on, get up." Ignoring his drunken protests, I grab his waist, but just as I'm about to help him up, a pair of bronzed, muscular arms swiftly pull him out of the hot tub, and all hell breaks loose.
A/N
Comment a heart if you're ready for the next chapter! ❤️