Before I fully register what's happening, Pax is yanked out of the water and whirled around to confront Noah's wrath. I swiftly shift to the other side of the hot tub, face shielded, desperate to stay out of their fireline.
"You have three seconds," Noah says before grabbing Pax's arm, "to convince me you weren't just forcing yourself on my fucking girlfriend."
My heart pounds as I bounce my gaze between the two. It's hard to know what shocks me more: Noah calling me his girlfriend or him thinking Pax and I were up to something.
"He wasn't forcing himself on me," I say, about to stand up before realizing I'm essentially topless. I sink down again, straining my neck to look at them both. "He's just ridiculously drunk and wanted to nap." I turn to Pax for backup, but he's too busy scanning the side of the hot tub for his beer. This kid does not help himself.
Noah relaxes slightly, but his jaw remains a hard, solid line. "Are you sure you're alright?" he asks, looking me over.
I nod, the rest of my response cut off when Pax loses his balance, almost falling face-first into the water. Sighing, Noah reaches to steady him, and Pax, in what I can only assume is out of confusion, swings like he's being attacked. His fist catches Noah, who stumbles back and clutches the side of his jaw.
"Pax, stop," I say, moving to intervene, but it's too late, like stopping a car crash when both cars are hell-bent on accelerating.
With a sudden burst of anger, Noah lunges feet-first into the hot tub, twisting his body until he's grabbed hold of Pax, then lands a rapid strike to his jaw. Another blow follows, this time to Pax's chest.
"Noah, let him go," I plead, but there's no stopping things now, only dodging the impact. I scuttle to the side, my transparent bra making escape impossible. Water sloshes over the sides as their shouts of anger pull a crowd around us, trapping me exactly where I don't want to be: half-naked and stuck between two drunk, testosterone-filled Calbears.
In one swift move, Noah advances on Pax, one hand firmly around his throat while the other holds off his flailing arms. He glares at me from over his shoulder, urgent and sharp. "Blue, get out of the fucking hot tub."
The anger in his voice makes me physically recoil. I cower in the corner, covering my chest and waiting for somebody Jesse-sized to come along and stop this before I end up with a fist to the face.
Spotting the commotion first, Carter shoves through the crowd and tries to intervene by pulling Noah away from Pax. But his effort backfires, and he's flung into the tub with us, sending water everywhere. I cough, tasting chlorine, and quickly rub the water from my eyes.
"Anybody who's not a Calbear needs to get the fuck out!" Jesse roars from somewhere in the distance. "Before I call the fucking cops."
The crowd disperses as if Zeus himself has spoken. Most head to the elevator and stairs while Jesse and some teammates hurry the remaining few out. I turn to watch Noah, Carter, and Pax still fighting, jerking back as a leg narrowly misses me.
"Noah, let go of him," Carter growls, trying his hardest to bear-hug him. "We're supposed to be a fucking team."
He's right, and it has only occurred to me that this is the second time Noah has fought with a teammate, which is the biggest sin you can commit as a captain. The second Coach catches wind of this, that's it. Noah's time as captain is done. That's when it hits me: the thought of him losing what's most important feels just as terrifying as if I were losing it myself.
Turning to Noah, I watch as Carter successfully holds him back. He's calmed down a little; I can see it in his face, but his eyes still blaze with fury. I just hope, pray, that what happened with the Calbears tonight won't ruin their chances tomorrow.
Knowing it's not long before the rest of the Calbears join us, I use my hair to cover my chest and stand up. Good. I'm almost to safety, my leg already over the hot tub's edge, when I risk looking down. And freeze. It's not just my bra that's completely see-through but also the matching panties. In fact, I might as well not be wearing them.
"Holy shit," Riley calls from somewhere behind me. "I can see Ever's ass!"
Quick as a flash, I turn and sink back into the water to hide. The boys stop fighting, confused by Riley's retort, and slowly turn around. As their focus shifts to me, all motion stops. Noah's eyes dart to my chest, first widening, then darkening. Seconds ago, all I could hear was yelling. Now I'd hear a pin drop.
"Ever," Pax says, not the least bit bothered by his bleeding lip, "I don't know if you know this, but we can see your–"
Noah silences Pax with a deadly glare and walks across the hot tub toward me. Water drips from his hair and face, and his white t-shirt clings to his chiseled abs. He swiftly removes it, handing it to me. I slip it on, unsure if the thin material will do much good, but it's better than nothing. Then, as if I weigh next to nothing, Noah lifts me into his arms, bridal style, and walks me out of the hot tub.
He's moving so fast that I barely see in front of me. I risk a look up at him as he marches toward the elevator, trying to determine his mood. His jaw is clenched, wired so tight that I'm surprised it hasn't snapped, glaring at anyone who dares to look over. But whether he's angry at me or just Pax is hard to determine. Either way, his instantly jumping to my aid in the chaos invokes the fuzziest feeling in my chest.
Bundled in his arms, the elevator has never felt so far. As Carter turns his head, ready to say something as we pass, Noah's grip around me tightens. "Avert your gaze or suffer the fucking consequences, Carter."
A grinning Carter does as he's told, keeping his gaze on the floor. Noah carries me into the elevator, but he doesn't put me down even once we're safely inside. After using his elbow to press the button, he carefully steps back, angling his head to look at me. Mad, I think. Definitely still mad.
"Was this your attempt at distracting us?" he asks.
"No," I say, "but I'd probably have done it sooner if I'd known how effective it would be."
His gaze darkens, a sign that he's not the bit least amused, but he only cradles me tighter, allowing me to bury my face in his neck. Even now, as anger radiates off his bare chest in waves, he doesn't stop being sweet.
"It's hard to tell if you're mad at me or not," I say into his damp skin, beginning to shiver from the air conditioning. "Your face is saying one thing, but your arms are saying another."
"I'm mad at Pax." The doors open, and Noah enters the hallway before striding toward his apartment. "I could never be mad at you. Although flashing my friends is high on the list of things that will raise my blood pressure, so try not to do that again."
"Noted," I say as he opens his apartment door, setting me down only after we enter. My eyes immediately cut to the clock, which reads eleven p.m. Another hour to go, and curse night will be over, solving any hang-ups I had. The problem is, after experiencing Noah defending me like a vengeful Greek God, I'm not sure I can wait that long.
With the door closed behind us, he turns away from me, running a hand down his jaw. "I'll turn on the shower for you," he says without moving. "Once you're warmed up, I'll–"
"Why aren't you looking at me?"
"I can't look at you, Blue." The words come out in one frustrated breath. Finally, he turns, and when he does, he doesn't speak. Just stares at the outline of my body through his wet t-shirt, every inch of him stiffening. With a steady inhale, he runs his gaze down the length of my body, stopping just short of my underwear. "Every time I look at you, I want to kiss you, and that's half the reason we're in this mess, so just–" he exhales harshly, turning away from me again. "Let's run you a shower. You're shivering."
"I thought we were in this mess because Pax got drunk and hit you," I say, making no attempt to move. Something about the frustration in his gaze, the way he's trying so hard not to look, warms my skin.
"We're in this mess because I can't think straight when it comes to you," he replies, heading to the bathroom.
I trail after him and pause at the doorframe, watching him turn on the shower. He retrieves a towel from the cabinet, setting it on the heater so it's warm after my shower. When he turns around, he seems surprised by how close I am.
"Why can't you think straight around me?" I say, peering up at him, but I know why. I just want to hear him say it.
"Because I'm obsessed with you," he says simply, dragging me toward the shower. "If you don't get in now, I'm putting you there myself."
Smiling, I relent and let him guide me into the shower before pulling him in with me, even though I'm wearing his t-shirt and he's still in his drenched jeans. He stumbles slightly but steadies himself, then wickedly carries me back until I'm trapped under the showerhead. With inscrutable eyes, he pulls my wet hair back from my face, lowering his gaze and watching the water stick my t-shirt to my body like a second layer of skin.
"I think," he says, wetting his lips, "tonight is the wrong night to play this game with me, Blue."
"I know," I say, tracing the water's path down his toned torso. Every chiseled ab, sculpted from hours of dedication, gleams under the dim shower lights, begging me to run my hands along them. "But I have a confession."
His eyebrow raises, but he doesn't shift his gaze. I don't even think he's breathing. "Yeah?"
I nod eagerly. My heart is thudding in my chest like a jackhammer, threatening me to keep my mouth shut, but I don't want to anymore. Noah is never afraid to tell me his feelings, so why am I? "My confession," I say slowly, still biding time, "is that–" I raise my gaze to look at him, knowing he's hooked on every word, "–I am, too."
His gaze finds mine as he slowly draws me in, one hand cradling the back of my head. He holds my damp face with his other, his thumb brushing my cheek. In a voice so low, it resonates in my chest, he asks, "You're what, Blue?" He doesn't say anything else, but I can see every thought on his handsome, wet face, the sliver of excitement mixed with frustration. He's been waiting for this.
I take a deep breath. Then another. Confessing my feelings while squashed in Noah's shower after another Calbear brawl isn't how I pictured this, but nothing about this is how I thought it would be; somehow, it's always just right. "Obsessed with you."
His face somehow brightens and darkens at once. Lowering his head, his mouth gently finds its way to my jaw, grazing the skin. "You shouldn't have told me that," he whispers, and then, without another breath, he's kissing me, and I'm kissing him back, praying we'll last until midnight.
A/N
Comment a heart if you're ready for the next chapter! ❤️