Sophia's POV:
As I neared Noah and the rest of his family I felt my stomach turn inside out, I was so nervous what am I going to say to him. Do I just come right out and say something like 'Noah I really like you and I want to be with you' the same thought circled through my mind again, what if he doesn't feel the same. I know he said he liked me but that could just be as a employee or a friend.
When we walked back in all 4 of their heads turned to face us, and by us I mean me. I walked over to where Noah was and sat next to him where I had been sitting before. Noah leaned over to my ear whispering "are you okay?" I said yes but he didn't let it go. "Are you sure, you just started crying"
"I don't want to talk about it" I replied sipping my lemonade. I sat there listening to Noah discussing business with his parents and twiddling with my fingers occasionally glancing around the room. I caught sight of Kelly who was doing these weird head movements trying to be discrete but it failed when Mrs McKenzie caught on, well kind of "Kelly are you having those neck spasms again, would you like me to massage it?"
"No mother I am fine" Kelly said angrily through her teeth at Mrs McKenzie
"Don't speak to me like that or I will send you to your room" She threatened and Kelly's face dropped
"You can't do that I'm practically an adult!" She protested crossing her arms now shouting
"An adult who still lives under my roof so you will do as-" Mrs McKenzie shouted back but was then cut off by Noah "I'm going to show Sophia the garden and the boat house"
"Okay, be careful the forecast said it was going to rain today and a possibility of a thunderstorm" Mr McKenzie informed as we walked out of the door.
"We'll be fine" Noah said grabbing an umbrella from the stand just in case we do get stranded in the rain. Noah slid his arm around my waist and guided me along the winding pathway which led to the lake at the bottom of the garden. At either sides of the pathway there were beautiful plants and flowers of all different colours and varieties.
"So this is where I grew up after the age of 8 I think" Noah said gesturing to the grounds. This must have been an amazing house to grow up in. Imagine all of the hiding spaces when playing hide and seek, and the garden is huge its like the size of 2 football fields.
"So now you know where I grew up, how about you tell me about your childhood?" Noah said as we walked towards the large building I'm guessing was the boathouse.
"Well there's not really much to know, I had a mother, father and brother and we grew up in a decent sized house. Of course it was nothing like this house but it was home, you know?" I said closing my eyes for a couple of seconds remembering my family and all of the memories we shared.
"Why are you talking about them in the past tense?" Noah asked staring ahead of him
"My mother, well she passed away when I was young and ummm... then my Brother he-" I started but was cut of by Noah "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to"
I stayed quiet as we continued to walk to the boathouse. I could tell by Noah's expression that he was curious but I didn't have the courage to tell him what happened to them right now, and I'm grateful that he hasn't pressed me to tell him, he really is a good guy.
"After you" Noah said holding the door open to the boat house, I entered through the small wooden door and gasped at the beautiful sight, the whole inside was wooden- the walls and ceilings were panelled with wood and there were 2 large openings where water crashed against the flooring where 2 jet skies were housed in one and the other was a small motor boat.
Noah entered in after me, "This is where I would come if I needed some alone time" He said pointing to the small spiral stairs at the back of the room. "Wanna see?"
I nodded and followed Noah up to the room above. We got to the top and I realised the room was not a room at all it was more of a balcony which overlooked the whole floor below. I walked over to the banister and got an amazing view of the lake from the windows directly in front.
"It's a calming sound" Noah said laying back on the bed I hadn't realised was there before since I was so amazed by the view.
"It is" I said closing my eyes once again remembering the day "So are we going to go on the boat or are you just going to lay there for the rest of the day?" I said impatiently, I have never been on a boat and this might be my only chance so I want to make the most of it, even if it is going to rain.
I remember when I was around 6 years old Ethan and I would go to the park and race our motor boats on the pond. The boats were second hand because that's all my parents could afford but they kept us occupied, well until a boy around my brothers age took my remote control and smashed it with a rock.
The kid was so stuck up, he had a brand new upgraded model of the boats Ethan and I had and all he did was show off to us about it; come to think of it that kid moved away a year after that and I was relieved he had bullied me for 2 years and when he finally left was when I became friends with Jasmine. She said that she felt sorry for me and we should be best friends and we have been ever since.
"Now who is the one doing nothing" Noah said knocking me out of my daydream. I laughed and followed Noah down the stairs. I watched Noah step into the boat and he extended his hand out to me, I accepted his help and also climbed into the boat. We then untied the rope which was holding the boat on either side and it drifted into the lake.
Noah started up the engine and we whizzed off further into the lake, once we were in the middle he shut off the motor and handed me a paddle. I looked at it with confusion; he was expecting me to paddle, I think not!
I handed it back to him and he laughed "I guess you don't want to paddle then"
"I don't have the arm strength" I lied but he seemed to believe it and took the paddle and paddled himself. I could see the struggle in his eyes and I felt sorry for him, but there was not way I was going to go back on my word now.
We- I mean he paddled around the lake and we talked about anything and everything that came to mind. It feels like we have known each other forever.
Drip
I lifted my hand up to touch my cheek
Drip drip
I felt more water hit my face, I looked over at Noah who had panic on his face now. "It's starting to rain"
"No shit Sherlock" I said sarcastically "It's only a little bit of rain, it will clear up in a few seconds" But boy I was wrong, as if on cue the rain got heavier and heavier by the second.
"I need you to now paddle with me" Noah said handing me the paddle "We need to get in as quick as possible"
"Why is poor Noahy scared of a little rain" I mocked in a child's voice.
"These shoes cost me $2000 dollars, I don't really want them to get wet" Noah said
"Rich person problems" I muttered but agreed to help him and we rode back to the boathouse as fast as we could. Finally after 10 minutes we were back at the boathouse, I didn't realise how far we were out until we got back, clothes soaked and we were both shivering.
Noah tied the boat back up and stepped out of his shoes placing them in front of the fire which I didn't realise was on before. I did the same and went to sit on the couch "No, don't sit down" Noah shouted running over to me. "You are going to drip water everywhere and the couch is going to get ruined, here" He said passing me a towel. I thanked him and attempted to dry my hair and clothes.
"I guess we are going to be stuck in here until the storm passes" He said removing his shirt and pants so he was left in his boxers. I watched him as undressed and placed his clothing on a rack near the fire. "You should do the same" Noah said as he caught me staring at him. I was not going to undress in front of him, especially a because of these new found feelings it would be awkward, and who knows it might lead to something else which I am not ready for yet.
When it happens I want to be in a real relationship with someone I love who also loves me back, and I want it to be spontaneous but full of love and passion, not just something to pass the time as we are stuck in a boat house because of a storm.
"No thank you" I said crossing my arms across my body in an attempt to warm myself up because I was still freezing from the wet clothes. Maybe this wasn't the best idea I thought to myself.
"You are going to catch a cold" Noah said stubbornly "I'll get you a blanket so you are not undressed, although I have already seen you in your underwear" Noah muttered the last part to himself causing my cheeks to go bright red in embarrassment.
"Thank you" I said which felt like I had said those 2 words a thousand times since I met him.
He passed me a red and back patterned blanked and went up the stairs while I changed. I began to strip off my clothes and place them by the fire, and without realising he was watching I heard a wolf-whistle from Noah who was looking down from the balcony.
"Noahhh!" I screamed covering myself up with the blanket, "you are such a pervert" I said shouting at him. Although it didn't really bother me, I was not ashamed of my body. Yes I have a few curves but I know I have a decent body- I guess its from not eating those days I just couldn't afford it- but I felt like I had to act this way so I didn't seem like a slut. You have never had sex so how can you be a slut My subconscious reminded me, but Noah didn't know that I told myself and climbed the stairs to him.
"You can't just go around watching girls changing" I said poking him in the chest playfully
"I don't need to watch, because they all do it willingly anyway" Noah said and I felt another pain in my chest. He must have realised that it affected me and straight away he apologised and wound't stop until I said he was forgiven.
"Come on let's watch some tv to pass the time" He suggested putting a DVD into the machine and then laid back on one end of the couch and I did the same up the other end. We must have both fallen asleep after exhausting rowing because the last thing I heard was the sound of static after the DVD had finished.
*
"Noah...Sophia" I heard Kelly say and then footsteps on the metal stairs. "Oh..My..God" Kelly screeched startling me and I opened my eyes.
"Kelly what the hell" Noah said rubbing his eyes. "I knew you two would get together!" She said excitedly, what the hell is she talking about. I glanced over at Noah who's face had now gone bright red. It took me a couple of seconds to realise why but finally when I did I was redder than him. Both Noah and I were practically Naked laying on the couch covered with just a blanket each of course it would look like we had done something.
"Kelly it's not like that" I say trying to cover myself "Our clothes were wet from the rain so we took them off and they are drying by the fire and we just watched the tv to pass the time" I said trying to explain but ended up blabbering on and on so instead I pointed to where the fire would be on the floor below gesturing that our clothes were there and not scattered across the room as if we spontaneously had sex.
"Then why didn't you just change into the clothes in this closet, we all keep spared here" She explained and I stared at Noah with a expression of rage on my face.
"I forgot they were there?" Noah attempted to state but it sounded more like a question.
"Oh shut up Noah, we both know you just wanted to check out her fit bod" Kelly smirked making Noah turn even redder. I guess he won the contest of who could look more like a tomato. I wrapped the blanket around myself and walked down the stairs to put my clothes back on hoping they were dry now since I don't know how long we were asleep for.
"Kelly stop being a brat" I hear Noah say to Kelly through his gritted teeth from the stairs as I'm climbing them now fully dressed. It's nice to hear siblings arguing- I know you shouldn't want to fight with your siblings but that's what I miss most about Ethan his whit and our petty arguments that never meant anything because we always knew that we still loved each other if not more after we had made up.
"Come on inside when you are ready, Mom has made lunch and make sure you put clothes on Noah" She said skipping back to the house.
"Sorry if she made you feel uncomfortable" Noah said rubbing the back of his neck.
"Don't worry about it, I guess you will just have to find a way to make it up to me" I smiled at him and walking back down the stairs, food was being prepared back at the house and it had my name written all over it.