Saturday, the 21st of October
There's a note on the counter and money for pizza since Dad's working this weekend. It makes sneaking out easy and I hate it that much more. I shoot him a message to say I'm going to Samantha's for the night and toss the note in the bin.
I slip into my jacket and grab my bag before walking out the front door. Cool air whips past as I lock the door and bound down the driveway. Noah pushes the passenger seat open and I jump into the warm car.
"Hi, Noah." I smile.
Noah takes my hands and rubs them with his warm ones.
"You're so cold."
"I'm fucking freezing."
Noah chuckles as he blows hot air on my fingers and kisses them.
"Let's get you back to mine where it's warmer." He chuckles.
He cranks up the heater which makes the car almost like a sauna. When we arrive at the apartment complex, Noah takes my bag and we hurry inside.
Once we're in the safety of the apartment, Noah drops the bags on the floor and pins me against the door. I wrap my arms around his neck and slide my fingers into his hair. He brushes his nose against mine, then captures my lips.
"I've missed you so much." I moan.
"We should put our things away."
I bite his lower lip and chuckle.
Noah takes our bags to his bedroom and I'm a little sad there's no blankets and stars in the living room. It doesn't matter because Noah is here and I can't wait to wrap myself in his arms and stay there for the remainder of the weekend.
He places my bag by the bed and I discard my shoes beside it. Noah takes a blanket and we wander into the lounge room. We pile onto the couch and snuggle under it.
Noah turns the television on and flicks through Netflix.
"What should we watch?"
"I never know what to watch. Sometimes I just close my eyes and scroll around until I find something random. It's always failed me but I still have so much hope it'll work out." I chuckle.
"I bet you find some interesting movies."
"Sometimes." I laugh.
"Do you like action movies?"
"Yes." I nod.
"I have something we can watch."
"Okay."
He selects a movie and then we adjust the blanket so it's fluffed around us. I rest my head against his chest and he kisses my temple. I enjoy every second of this moment because good things never last long.
* * * * *
Noah opens the door and I peek over his shoulder to investigate the fridge.
"I'm so hungry." I pout.
"We should order takeaway."
"Do those pickles have mould on them?" I frown.
Noah swiftly closes the door and I laugh.
"How do you survive with no food?"
"I order too much takeaway."
"Noah!" I smack his shoulder.
"I don't like cooking, plus there's some good takeaway around here."
His arms circle around my waist and he carries me to the bench. I wrap my legs around his torso to keep him locked in front of me. I grab his cheeks and kiss his nose.
"I love cooking."
"You should cook for me."
"How do you feel about soups?"
"It'll be perfect considering the weather."
"I'll give you a shopping list for next time." I smile. "So what takeaway do you order the most?"
"There's this small traditional Indian restaurant down the road which has amazing food. I'm one of the only people to receive a loyalty card which is sad because it means I go there too much."
"Let's order something from there."
"How spicy do you like our food?"
"How broken do you want your toilet?" I laugh.
"Preferable not broken." He chuckles. "There's a menu on the fridge or I can recommend something if you'd prefer?"
"Order whatever you like, I trust your judgment."
"Then you can pick another movie while I'm gone."
"Sure." I nod.
Noah kisses my head and grabs his wallet and keys from the bench.
"Don't die of starvation while I'm gone."
"Hm, I don't make any promises, but I'll try my best." I smile.
With a chuckle, Noah leaves and I wander into the lounge room and plonk on the couch. I flick through the options and settle on a romance film. I flick through some apps on my phone before jumping up and inspecting Noah's apartment.
There's some random paintings of shapes hanging in the hallway, along with a stunning picture of a lake surrounded by forest.
I stare at Noah's bedroom and tilt my head to the side. The front door opens and I swing around and smile at Noah. He smiles and holds the pizza box up.
"There's pizza if you decide you don't like what I've ordered."
"Thank you." I grin.
Noah lines the containers across the bench and I dish up a small portion of everything but the container stashed aside, which I assume is the spicy food. Once Noah serves himself a mighty helping, then we get comfortable on the couch.
He watches me from the corner of his eye, which makes me squirm. I slide a bit of something onto my spoon and shove it into my mouth. I cough and my eyes water. Noah leaps up and I poke my tongue out and pant.
"Noah!"
He returns with a glass of milk and I polish it off. I had him the glass and he places it on the coffee table.
"I'm sorry." He winces.
I stare at the ground and sigh. "I'm embarrassed I can't handle the spice."
"It doesn't matter." He chuckles.
"But you love spicy food."
"So?" He chuckles. "I'll grab the pizza."
I relax into the chair and Noah returns with the pizza box. He steals a slice as soon as I open the box and happily munches on it.
Once we've finished eating, Noah takes everything back to the kitchen while I dash into his bedroom. I strip out of my clothes and rummage through the bag for my pjs. I slip on an oversized t-shirt but as I dig through the bag, I come up empty.
"Oh no." I sigh.
The t-shirt just covers my butt if I don't lift my arms or bend over. I take a deep breath and force myself out of the bedroom. I wander down the hallway and clasp my hands together.
"Hey, Noah."
He looks up from drying the bowl and gasps. It slips through his fingers and smashes on the floor as his eyes travel over my bare thighs.
"Wow." He gasps.
I cross my legs and stare at the wall.
"I know, I forgot my pants."
"Um." He roughly gulps. "I still have your bag from last time."
"Oh right." I smile.
"It's under the bed."
"Thank you."
Noah picks up the broken pieces while I scurry to the bedroom. I find the bag tucked under the bed and open it. The clothes are neatly folded and smell like washing powder. How was this man single?
When I leave the bedroom, he's sprawled across the couch and huddled under the blankets. He lifts the blanket up and I lay on his chest and sigh at how warm he is. Noah wraps his arms around my waist and kisses my cheek.
"You're cold." He frowns.
"I'm not suited to this weather." I chuckle.
"It's a good thing I'm here then."
"Yes." I smile. "Thank you for having me over."
I snuggle into his chest and he adjust the blankets around me. Noah presses play on the movie and kisses my head. While the night is still young, I know it'll be over in the blink of an eye, so I take a deep breath and try to remember every second of this moment.