"Lanes, oh my god, what is wrong?" Finn asks as he reaches the bottom of my stairs, where I lay slumped on the ground, sobbing so hard my eyes hurt.
"Noah," I hiccup.
"Gonna need more than that," he replies, picking my head up and laying it in his lap. His fingers run through my hair reassuringly, but it does nothing to help the headache I can feel coming on.
"He took me to this abandoned building, because he thought I would like it. He said he wanted to bring me peace, and then," I pause to catch my breath and sniffle, "he tells me he wants me? What the fuck is that, Finn? Congratulations, your dick works! He wants me? Not I like you? Not let's see if we have something? I want you." I furiously wipe under my eyes, "he could have had me two weeks ago, why now?"
Finn opens his mouth to reply, but I have been holding in my feelings for Noah too long now and I'm not done unpacking my baggage.
"I could have had sex with him and moved on a few weeks ago, but not now. I'm in too deep, Finn," I sob, I haven't felt pain like this. I'm sure of it.
"Are you sure he meant it how you are taking it?" Finn asks tentatively.
"Of course, how else would he mean it? I could count the girls on two hands that have been here to hook up. He doesn't even let them stay the night, Finn!" I tell him, his fingers have almost lulled me into a calm I don't quite feel.
"I think you should talk to him," he says gently, "clear the air."
"I can't, Finn. I'm pretty sure he hates me now, you didn't see how angry he was yesterday. I don't think there's even a chance we could be friends now," I sigh, picking myself up out of Finn's lap. Saying everything out loud to Finn lifted a little of the weight on my chest.
"Maybe I could talk to him."
"Don't you dare!" I bellow, looking in his eyes, imploring him to hear me, "You can't tell him how much I care about him."
"Delaney-"
"No, Finn, I mean it," I look up at him and hold out my pinky. He stares at my extended finger, intending him to pinky promise he won't say anything.
"Lanes, I don't know-" I aggressively shake my pinky at him. He sighs, but hooks his finger with mine. "Okay, time to get up off the floor," he says, hooking me under my arms and pulling me up. He grabs the bottle of bourbon from the counter and pours a glass for each of us.
"This is exactly what I need," I tell him and clink my glass with his. I empty the glass in one long gulp and wipe the remaining tears off of my face. I shake the empty glass at him, and he wearily pours me another drink.
I slam the bourbon back while I push the feelings I have for Noah deep down, and hope they don't resurface. I wasn't a casual girl and Noah wasn't a commitment guy. We were never going to work, and it was stupid to think for a second that it might. I glance over at Finn, who dropped everything to be here. I didn't need anyone as long as I had Finn.
Although, in the couple of months that I had known him, Noah had gotten me out of my comfort zone. He was always challenging me, but he had taken those things from me too. I still hadn't been back inside the gym, and I missed it.
Noah had now taken away two men that had come into my life. Of course, he was looking out for me, but that was beside the point. He couldn't be good for me, he would only break my heart. He would use me and throw me away like he did with other girls.
I snatch the bottle from Finn's hand, "Let's go for a walk," I say to the question on his face. It was almost dark outside and I was drunk. Numb.
Finn led the way out, stepping out before taking a step back to block the door.
"Finn!" I scold and shove him through the door, he moves without much effort. He quickly turns, still blocking the door while I look at him bewildered.
"I forgot something, come with me," Finn says in a voice that is much too panicky, still trying to keep me hostage in my apartment.
"No, we aren't five," I scoff and move passed him.
When I finally make it outside and look up, I lock eyes with Leslie. The air in my lungs whoosh out and I turn to Noah waiting on the porch for her. Time stills as I watch her make her way to the steps leading up to his house.
"No," I whisper, my ears ring and I lose all feeling in my body. Is this what a stroke feels like? I feel like I can't get air into my lungs, I don't know why this is so much worse than when I thought he took her home last week. I didn't have to see it, but now I was. I hear glass shatter somewhere in the distance as I lock eyes with Noah.
His jaw is tight as he watches me, I can't be here, while he looks at me like that. I take a step back, fully intending to disappear back in the hole I crawled out of.
"Delaney! No!" Noah cries as sharp pain penetrates my foot, the sensation traveling up my leg. I guess I wasn't that numb after all. I hiss and pull my foot up. Noah had made his way over to me, lifting me and my bare feet off of the ground.
"Put me down!" I seethe, hitting his chest with my balled fists. I couldn't hold back the tears I hid from him earlier.
"You are hurt, psycho, quit hitting me," he says, sitting me down on a step to examine my foot.
"Good, you deserve to know how it feels!"
Noah's eyebrows scrunch in consternation as he pulls a large shard of glass from my foot. Seeing the blood leaking out of me made me feel woozy, and I have to fight passing out. Once he discarded the glass beside me on the step he looks up at me, I sniffle, "How what feels?" I shake my head, embarrassed that I had said anything at all.
"I think I need to take her to the emergency room," Noah says looking to Finn who has been very quiet this whole time.
"Uhm, what about me?" Leslie asks, speaking for the first time since Finn and I came outside.
"What's wrong, Leslie? Need to get that infection checked out? I'm sure Noah will let you ride with us," I look at Noah in his eyes, "I bet it's contagious."
I hear Finn let out a choked chuckle as Leslie squeals and lunges for me. Noah catches her around the waist before she can get close to me. I see red at the sight of his hands on her, I stand up, ignoring the sting in my foot, reaching for her.
However, Noah's reach is long enough to hold her back and keep me at arms length with a hand on my chest, he's careful not to touch me inappropriately.
"Leslie, I think you should go," Noah says calmly, his eyes on me. I smile triumphantly at her, even though I know it's childish.
"You're sending me home?" Leslie scoffs and folds her arms over her chest.
"I think she needs stitches, and they're both too drunk to drive," He says, "I'm sorry." His tone is too kind and I hate that he's being nice to her. Even though, I know I wouldn't want him to be mean to her.
Leslie sets her jaw, but doesn't say anything as she turns away and stalks to her car. She slams the door behind her and speeds off.
"I'm gonna go sleep this off," Finn announces and turns to slink back into my apartment.
"No! You can't leave me alone with him. You promised!" I pout.
"I didn't pinky promise that," he grins mischievously and shuts the door behind him.
Noah sweeps his harms behind my knees and back, carrying me to his car. He grabs the seatbelt, reaching across my body to secure the belt in place.
"I can do it," I protest.
"No, I don't think you can," he says, his hot breath fanning my face. I reach my hand up and cup his cheek, he leans into my touch for a moment before shaking his head and pulling away from me completely.
"This is stupid," I grumble as he pulls me from the car, "I'm fine."
"You won't think it's stupid when you don't have to get your foot cut off because you have gangrene."
"I hate you."
"I don't think you do," Noah grins at me as he sits me down in a chair and went to sign in, like the fucking angel he was.
Noah hands me the forms to fill out and sinks into the seat next to me, his long limbs splayed out while I write my name 16 times on four sheets of paper. I hand the clipboard back to Noah and he takes long strides to deliver it to the nurse who blushes at the sight of him. I cross my arms over my chest as I watch him walk back.
"Delaney!" a nurse calls out a half hour later. A half hour of neither Noah or I speaking to one another.
"I don't need that, I can walk," I say, limping over.
"Hospital policy, ma'am," the nurse says as Noah helps me into the wheelchair. "What a sweet boyfriend you have," she coos, gushing over Noah.
"He's not my boyfriend."
"Yes he is," Noah says at the same time and I glare at him, watching his smug face from the corner of my eye.
"He's not my boyfriend," I say again, to be extra clear.
"Sure," she says offhandedly, "the doctor will be in shortly."
"He's not my boyfriend," I repeat, quietly.
"She's gone, love," Noah says sitting in a chair beside the bed.
"Don't call me that," I snap at him, the alcohol was wearing off and my foot was starting to really hurt.
"You and I are going to have a long talk when we get out of here," Noah says, suddenly too serious in this small prison.
"I have nothing to say to you Noah," I say rubbing my hand over my face. "My foot hurts."
There's a knock on the door and a moment later a tall, dark skinned man entered the hospital room. "Hey, I'm Dr. Davis, what are we in for?" His eyes immediately glance at the gash on my foot that hasn't stopped bleeding because of all of the bourbon I've had today.
"I have a tiny cut on my foot and I was forced here against my will," I grumble.
"Better safe than sorry," he says, half smiling at me.
He examined my foot and determined it didn't need stitches and they would probably pull out anyway at the placement. He told us a nurse would be in to clean the cut and wrap it, but not before telling me to take it easy for a few days.
Noah helps me limp out to his car, I know I'm going to have to pay $500 for antibiotic cream and a bandage and I'm more irritated with Noah than I was earlier. Once I'm seated, Noah takes his spot in the drivers seat and locks the doors. He doesn't say anything, he just stares at the hospital in front of us.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"I think we should talk here," he turns to me, "so you can't run away."
Noah's face is more serious than I've ever seen it. I don't want to have the talk with him, I don't want to have any talks with him. He would only bring me pain.
"Say what you want to say," I reply, grinding my teeth together.
"I don't know why you said all of those things to me earlier when it's clearly not how you feel," he looks pointedly at me. I keep my mouth shut, avoiding his eyes. "You have feelings for me, Delaney, you wear your heart on your sleeve. Why won't you let me in?" I sit still, silent, staring out of the front window. "I can sit here all night," he says pointedly.
"I pushed you away because you are going to hurt me!" I suddenly burst, my mouth moving faster than my brain, but I wasn't done. "You want me as some conquest, and once you have me you will kick me out before the sweat on our body dries." I take a deep breath, trying to hold back tears, "I'm not that girl Noah, I can't sleep with you and have you toss me aside, my heart can't take it." The tears have slipped out now, and run down my cheeks. I don't dare look at him, I can't.
Noah is quiet beside me, I glance at him out of the corner of my eye and he seems to be mulling over what I said. "I can't believe you thought that's what I wanted when I laid my feelings out this morning. Delaney, I meant I want to be with you and take care of you. I'm not a relationship guy, but I want to try to be that. Because I want you, all of you, you crazy mess."
I scoff, "yeah sure. You care so much you were going to revenge bang my nemesis."
"You hurt me!" Noah says defensively, frustration coating his voice.
"I didn't mean to hurt you, Noah. And I'm sorry. But this was exactly why we will never work. What happens the next time you are upset? Will I always have to worry if I'm going to come home to find someone else here? I've already been cheated on once, and no fucking thank you."
"Of course I wouldn't do that!"
"You literally did that tonight," I turn to him, "How could I ever trust you?"
"I'm asking you to take a chance on me."
I feel my resolve weaken at his words, spoken softly and gravely, so unlike his usual tenor. I didn't know where we were going to end up, but I was willing to walk into the fire with Noah. I reach out for him, my hands gripping his face and crash my lips to his.
"Does that mean you will?"
I don't answer and press my lips to his again, I feel him smile against my lips as he snakes his tongue into my mouth. My hands cup his sharp jawline and his hands fit against my neck. He tastes like mint and trouble, but damnit I was going to let him burn me.
I pull away to look at him, "I want to go slow, like snail slow."
He nods at me, "whatever you need, love." He leans in again and kisses my lips quickly before pulling on his seatbelt. Noah pulls out of the hospital, but crosses over the console to weave his fingers with me. I have to turn away from him so he doesn't see the smile on my face.
Noah helps me down into my apartment, where we find Finn spread across my entire bed. I roll my eyes at Noah as I press a finger to my lips and push him back into the living room.
"I'll just sleep on the couch," I tell Noah, collapsing onto the cushions.
"Or," Noah grins, "you could come sleep in my bed."
I remember the confession we made to each other just last night. The thought of sleeping in Noah's arms makes me shiver, but there's no way I trust either of us to not cross the line.
"Noah, that is the opposite of taking things slow."
"Hey, I'm just taking one for the team and keeping my girl comfortable," Noah smirks at me.
"Let me change," I say before I can think better of it. I slip back into my bedroom and change into a tank top and shorts, and close the door behind me.
"Have I told you how breathtaking you are?" Noah whispers in my ear, his lips grazing my ear and sending shockwaves to my core.
"Nope, but you can say it again," I take a step away from him and look at him expectantly.
"Ravishing," he repeats and helps me hobble upstairs.
Noah hands me a bottle of water when we walk into his kitchen, I'm sure so I can fight the hangover I know I'm going to have tomorrow.
"Got any food in here?"
Noah barks out a laugh before gesturing to his fridge. I opened it and frowned before closing it and opening the freezer. I pull a burrito out and put it in the microwave.
Noah lifts me onto the counter to wait and I squeal, he rests his hands on my hips, eyes staring at my lips. He finally leans in, pressing a soft kiss to my lips.
"You are perfect, Delaney," he says to me before kissing my forehead as the microwave signals the food is ready. He pulls it out for me and puts it on a plate so I don't burn my hands.
"Do go on," I tell him as I take a bite of the scalding burrito.
"You are going to burn your mouth," he comments as I try to suck air in with my mouth full. "Told ya," he laughs at me going in for another bite. "Masochist."
I finish the food quickly and wrap my legs around Noah's torso, "take me to bed, peasant." Noah nuzzles his head into my neck as he carries me back to his room.
Noah tosses me into the bed and I bounce up to the head board. Noah disappears behind a door to brush his teeth and hands me an unopened toothbrush. "Does this mean my breath smells like burrito?"
"Yesh," Noah replies, white foam all around his mouth. I get up to join him in the bathroom. I lean against the counter as I watch him and begin brushing my own teeth. "This is kind of weird," Noah admits as he watches me finish brushing my teeth.
"I totally agree," I tell him walking to the bed. Noah is already sitting in bed, the covers are masking his bottom half but his chest is bare. In a bold move I straddle his lap and run my fingers over the ink covering his torso. The room has gone from playful to steamy
"Love, you are killing me," Noah groans as I move and I can feel his erection pressing against me through our clothes.
"I can feel that," I smirk as I peel myself off of him and lay beside him.
Noah rolls onto his side and pulls me to his chest. His arms grip me tightly as he whispers goodnight and we drift to sleep.