It was nice not having to lie about where I was going for the first time in a long time. I forgot how good telling the truth feels.
Howard dropped me off at Noah's house, and while I'm feeling butterflies as I make my way to the door, I can't wait to see the look on his face when I tell him what Liam did. Hopefully, he'll take it better than Cassie did, who didn't seem surprised at all. She claims that Liam always had it in him to pull something like that off.
I ring the doorbell and Maggie comes skipping down the staircase. As soon as she notices me standing there, her indifferent expression turns into a wide smile.
"Fee!" she exclaims, opening the screen door. "I've missed you so much." She immediately pulls me in for a hug and I can't help but smile.
"I've missed you too, Mags!" I say. "Is Noah home?"
"Yeah, he's out back barbecuing. Let me go get him." She turns back to walk inside. "Noahhhh," she screams. "You have a visitor."
I thought I was prepared to see Noah, but the moment his shadow appears in the hallway, my heart starts racing and my mind goes blank.
The closer he gets to me, the more I'm able to make out the gorgeous details of his face; his captivating ocean-blue eyes, his caramel-colored, short wavy hair, his 6-foot-2 frame, his athletic build. He's wearing grey sweatpants, a white hoodie, and his infamous backwards black hat, and still looks like a model.
"Fee?" he asks the moment our eyes lock. "Fee, you shouldn't be here."
"It's okay," I inform him, hoping that the massive smile on my face right now will give away the good news.
"What's okay?"
"This," I say as I go in for a kiss. I place my palms on his chest and softly touch his lips with mine. When I pull away, our eyes open at the same time, and seconds later, Noah initiates the next kiss. This time, it's deeper.
"Ew!" Maggie shouts from behind us, and Noah and I laugh.
He takes my hand and leads me into the living room, where I sit on the couch and explain everything to him.
"So, you're staying?" he asks excitedly. The sensation that I feel when he rests his hand on my knee assures me that I made the right decision in coming here. Not that I was really doubting it for any second.
"I'm staying," I smile. "Looks like you're stuck with me for the rest of the summer." I expect him to be happy, but his smile curves down, and I know something's up. "What's wrong?" I ask him.
"Summer ends in three weeks, Fee. Then what? You go back to your world and I'm here." He moves his body away from me but keeps his eyes on mine.
I gulp nervously because I wasn't expecting his mood to change. I inch my body back to his, shortening the space that he's now created between us.
"Hey," I reach for his hand. "We don't have to worry about that right now."
"We're going to have to worry about it eventually, Fee."
I look around the room, hoping that I can come up with something to say to put his worries at ease. "Why can't we just enjoy the next few weeks?"
"How? How can I enjoy them knowing that they'll be the last I ever get to spend with you?" He gets up from the couch and walks away so that his back's to me.
I get up and follow him, hooking my arms through his shoulders so that I'm holding onto his chest. "Why are you talking like that?" I whisper into his back.
Noah turns around to face me, and my arms fall down. "C'mon, Fee. I'm in Charleston, you're in Greenwich. We're worlds apart. Plus, you leave for GWU next month, and I'll be here, working for Clay."
A couple of weeks ago Noah told me that he'd be taking his first semester off to work full-time as a mechanic at his family friend's garage shop. He said that college was never on the top of his to-do list, and that he rather spend his time making an income to provide for Maggie.
"Who are we kidding? We didn't think this through," he says.
"Noah..."
"No," he puts his hand out and stops me. "I'm done being reckless. We can't be stupid this time."
"So, that's it then? You don't want me to stay?"
"Of course I want you stay. I just...want you to stay forever."
I take a deep breath in and look at him before responding. He's sad. This is not what I expected. This is not what I intended. I thought this night was going to be the answer to our problems, but Noah seems conflicted.
"Noah," I say, waiting for him to look at me before continuing. I refuse to say another word until I have his attention. A few seconds later, he brings his eyes to me. "I spent my whole life worrying about every move that I made to the point where it destroyed me inside. I know that I want to be with you. And if that means being with you for one night or three weeks, I'm going to take it. If and when I have to say goodbye to you, I'll worry about it when the time comes. But in this moment, I'm right here. With you." I reach for him, and the second my touch comes into contact with his skin, he crashes his lips onto mine. He moves us to the couch and then pushes his body onto mine so that it hits the padding.
"Wait, your sister's here," I stop him, laughing in between kisses.
"It's okay, she's in her room."
"Noah," I say, attempting to stop him again. But his passion pulls me in, and I can't hold back any longer.
That's as far as we go — for now — because we hear Maggie come down the stairs. We pull back from each other before her foot hits the floor, and I brush my hair back with my hand to compose myself.
"I'm hungry," Maggie nonchalantly walks into the living room and says. "When's dinner going to be ready?"
"Let me go check on the burgers," Noah says. As he passes Maggie, he rubs her shoulder in a cute, brotherly way.
"Jerk," she teases.
Maggie sits down next to me and Noah smiles at us before he walks out of the living room.
"Promise me you won't leave us again," she turns to me and says. Her usual vivaciousness is missing from her demeanor, and instead, she seems serious.
I tilt my head to the side, slightly confused because she's caught me off-guard. I'm scared to make a promise that I don't know I can keep.
Luckily, I don't have to because Noah shouts something from the other room. "Burgers are lookin' good! Mags, come in here and help me set up."
"Like I said...jerk." She playfully rolls her eyes before standing up and making her way to the kitchen.