Pages of Amber

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

NOAH WAS SURE OF one thing.

There was only one word that described him when it came to Amber Coleman.

Goner. He was an absolute goner and that had never been more true now that he had kissed Amber and tortured himself with the memory of it all weekend as he counted down the hours, the minutes, the seconds before he could see her again.

The short time he had to collect himself after Dottie had showed him the study hadn’t nearly been enough. The following hour had him buzzing in his seat, itching to pull Amber back to him so he could sink his hands in her soft hair and drown in her flowery scent.

Flowers. He had always wondered why their alluring scent seemed to flourish around her. He didn’t have to wonder anymore.

Her garden had been beautiful and a large part of Noah felt honored that she had shown him that side of her. She’d listened to his troubles, had understood and accepted his struggles without belittling it. Better still, she had shared a sliver of her childhood, giving him another piece to fit into the puzzle of hers he was desperate to complete.

Mrs. Wilson pairing him and Amber had been a blessing in disguise. A second chance. A slate to rewrite his mistakes. There was no doubt that it had been his fault for starting out the conflict between him and Amber, when in truth, it had been the last thing he meant to do. His thoughtless actions had made a lasting impression and for years, he had been relegated to a villain. An enemy, an outsider looking in, yearning for the same warmth she bestowed on everyone else.

A bully , Sean’s words came to him.

He had been a jerk sure, but a bully? Never. That had never been his intention. Not when he was obsessed with everything about her. Amber had arrested him from the moment he laid eyes on her. She had lured him in with her smile, held him spell bound with her presence and she hadn’t even said a word to him. He could still remember the first time he had seen her like it was yesterday.

Noah walked into school hesitantly at the chaos that greeted him. It had only been a few weeks since he had begun freshman year. The hustle and bustle in the huge hallways would take some getting used to. His brother had said so. But that morning, something else caught his attention. The halls of Redmington were crowded with students starting their day but today, an audience gathered at one of the lockers. Noah had barely squeezed through to the other side of the commotion when Emmett appeared at his side.

They had bumped into each other at the orientation programme at the start of the year and after introductions, including meeting Evelyn, Emmett’s twin, they’d hung out for a bit and sat together at lunch every day since. Noah had adjusted to their company. He had always been a bit quiet and with his brother being a few years older, he had learned to keep to himself. Emmett and Evelyn were a loud, lively and quirky pair but Noah appreciated their friendship. The grin on Emmett’s face puzzled him though. Who was that happy on a Monday?

“You almost missed the show.” He nudged Noah.

“Show?”

“Yeah. A new girl started today. I was at my locker when she came in. You should have seen the way they swarmed her. I heard she won a competition sponsored by a huge ballet theatre and a lot of students were there.”

“So she’s famous?”

“I guess. She’s pretty, Noah. Like crazy pretty. I saw her smile and it was like sunshine flooded the halls.” At Noah’s dubious stare, Emmett turned pink and stuttered, “I’m not kidding, okay? It was some next level sh–”

“Hi, guys.” Evelyn cut off her brother with a squeal, her grip tight as she grabbed onto their jacket sleeves. “Have you seen the new girl yet? She’s so pretty. Her name is Amber Coleman and she has the cutest bow in hair, plus her boots are lace-up leather Jimmy Choo! I heard she won a competition at the Fleur Elysian. I enrolled last week. I might get to share a class with her. Doesn’t that sound amazing?”

Her voice had gotten higher with every word, yanking Noah and Emmett to her height.

“See. She agrees. Do you believe me now?” Emmett rose a cheeky brow.

“Nope. The both of you are basically one person.” A sharp gasp left the twins. “I think I’ll wait and see what all the fuss is about for myself.”

Evelyn scoffed, finally releasing them. “The only thing I share with this one is blood. I’m smarter, funnier, prettier…”

“Well, I’m handsomer. I beat you there.”

“ Handsomer isn’t a word, idiot. Point proven.”

“I’ll show you a point proven.”

Noah stifled a laugh at the chaos he had caused. He took a glance at the crowd at the lockers. Who was this girl? And as though in answer to his question, the crowd parted and he saw her.

Amber Coleman.

Hair like spun gold.

Eyes like the deepest sea, calling seamen to their doom.

She smiled and Noah knew Emmett had been right. A smile with the warmth of the sun. A smile that got him tongue tied. A smile that brought him to his knees.

He’d opened his big mouth and ruined any chance at friendship back then, but it was inevitable that he would be pulled into Amber. Every one of their arguments had made him more intrigued with her wit, every mention of her name made his chest thump. Over the past few weeks, they had gotten closer than he had ever dreamed possible. In all of those dreams, not once had he thought he would get to kiss Amber. Noah could barely believe it had happened and he had been there as she kissed him. Or he kissed her. He wasn’t sure who had done what. Honestly, he didn’t care. That impossible dream had come true by some miracle, but he feared that it would never happen again. That it had only been a one-time thing.

Alone in that study before Amber had joined him, Noah had wondered for a split second if this would crumble the fragile friendship they had built. Amber could decide to push him out. She could cut him out of her life without looking back. He wouldn’t be the same if she did. Not after the hope of a chance with her. He had endured years of standing on the opposing side. For all the banter and arguments, Noah had found himself looking forward to it and even purposely instigating a lot of them. If that was the only way he could have her, he would. He hadn’t minded that it came with being on the receiving end of her scowls, her sharp words, her claws.

On the contrary, it made him happy. Everyone saw the perfect, sunshine-y Amber. He saw the fierce and outspoken Amber. He had a part of her no one had seen before. A part no one else was privy to. Of course, he was helpless to do anything but fall for it.

He watched as Amber spread that warmth to the sophomores she was talking to. She laughed, tipping her head back and his feet dragged towards her so he could hear the enchanting sound.

“I can’t believe you made Noah do an interview with the press club. It totally changed the way everyone saw him! When I first came here, I thought he hated everyone and could kill with his glare if you even looked at him wrong.” It was still a hot topic that Amber had turned him from a scowling, scary monster.

“Yeah, I thought you two argued all the time.”

“Me too! It was definitely a surprise seeing you two on the interview but so sweet too.”

“I’m glad everything worked out.” Amber shrugged. “Turns out Noah wasn’t as much of a pain to work with as I thought.”

His lips quirked. “We make a good team, m’lady.”

She spun at his voice, her beautiful blonde locks catching the light. The tip of her nose scrunched as she looked up at him. She had never liked the nickname because she didn’t know why he used it. She had tried asking a few times but he had never said anything. The meaning sounded so corny in his own head, he was embarrassed he had even thought of it in the first place. The nickname had popped into his head when she had been talking at her lunch table. Everyone had seemed to lean in, hooked onto everything she was saying. He remembered thinking, there she was. The Queen of her court. Beautiful, admired, irresistible. The rest of them were nothing more than her subjects and him, the least worthy of her.

The nickname embodied her perfectly. It had fit from the day she started at Redmington and everyone had been immediately drawn to her. He’d had a front row seat to see her in action the past few weeks as she worked her magic to change the school’s view of him.

His mind flashed to Mrs. Wilson’s words from when he had dropped by her class earlier. “Principal Ellis is incredibly pleased with your performance. You’ve made enormous effort in connecting with the students and opening up for them to approach you. I knew you could it.”

And it had all been because of her.

The students waved them off and left. Amber waved back, her eyes glancing his way. The flicker of her lashes had him holding back a smile. That was another thing that happened because of her.

“Everything okay, m’lady?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

He could definitely take a guess. “You seem a little nervous, that’s all.”

She scoffed. “Nervous? Me? I’m not. There’s nothing to be nervous about.” Her face reddened though which completely negated her declaration. Noah was sure he resembled the cat who got the cream at the wide smile that stretched his face.

She was adorable. She was beautiful. And she was thinking about their kiss. There was nothing better than that. Except getting a repeat performance. Yes. He would like that very much.

“You want to talk about it?”

“Talk about what? I have no idea what you mean.”

Oh, so she wanted to play it like that. He couldn’t help teasing her further. He shrugged, tilting his head. “That’s fine. If you don’t want to talk about it, I’ll gladly remind you.”

“Noah!” she exclaimed, her hands clapping over her cheeks.

“I mean, since I seem to recall every detail so vividly, I can help you remember it too.” Laughter bubbled in his chest at her wide-eyed expression. She opened her mouth, probably to tell him off again when a voice called out to her.

Evelyn slid between them. “Oh hey, Noah.” She slung an arm through Amber’s. “I need to borrow Amber. Y’all can continue flirting later.”

Amber’s eyes bugged. Noah clutched his aching ribs from how hard he was laughing. She was three sentences short of exploding.

“W-we weren’t flirting!”

Evelyn’s shrug was entirely unapologetic. “I don’t know what you guys do. You’re shooting each other googly eyes and stuff. I don’t know what it means.”

“Oh god, we weren’t–”

Her protest faded as Evelyn dragged her away. Noah watched them until they got lost among the throng of students in the hall.

It was in these moments that he remembered their little deal had an end date which was fast approaching. Amber had done her part excellently to repair his broken reputation and they had concluded the last part of her assignment. In a few days she would be submitting it to Mrs. Wilson and then, there wouldn’t be a collaboration between them anymore. Would that be the end of the friendship between them? The end of this camaraderie and connection they had shared over the past few weeks?

Noah shook his head, his smile dissipating at the glum thoughts. The real question was, could he let her go? After stepping past her high walls, seeing a piece of the real her, he didn’t know if he could turn his back on that.

The bell on the door jangled a soft ding.

The building welcomed him with a warmth he had craved all week. Working with Amber was a highlight he hadn’t expected but it had pulled him away from here for too long.

“Is that you, boy? Where you been all these weeks?” The booming voice announced Noah’s presence to the store. Its owner lumbered around the counter to meet him. “I thought I’d done run ya off to ‘em big corporates or something.”

“Not happening, Arthur. Don’t you have a little faith?”

“Faith ain’t done nothing for the economy. What’ll it do with little ol’ me?”

The burly bookstore owner may be old but he was by no means ‘little.’ Arthur had served in the military a long time – obvious by the hanging portraits above the counter and the medals he proudly displayed – before a damaged leg had left him with metal plates and a limp for life. He had bought the bookstore from a friend of his a few years after retirement. Books had helped him fight off the depression, he’d confided in Noah, so it made sense to provide a safe haven for others who needed it too. He didn’t know how right he was. The Hidden Gems bookstore had been Noah’s lifeline for years. It didn’t hurt that the owner had grown on him either.

“You can have faith in me, Arthur. I’m your most loyal customer, after all.”

The glare he shot Noah had no doubt scared off enemies on the battlefield once, but Noah only smiled.

“Loyal, my foot,” he exclaimed. “The other youngling has been more loyal to me these past four weeks and you’ve been coming here for years.” His bellow jolted a man and his dog standing at one of the book tables. The dog barked in warning but the man was slow to catch the book that tumbled over. Noah winced as it hit the floor. The more frequent customers at Hidden Gems were unfazed. Arthur had no volume control or understanding of an inside voice. Noah had always wondered if he had a hearing impairment along with that limp.

“You always brag about this ‘youngling’ person. Are they real or are you trying to make me jealous?”

“What do I need to make you jealous for? I could pull ten women with a glance in my day.”

Noah’s nod was patronizing. “Sure you could.”

Arthur shot him a stink eye. Tugging on his belt buckle, he said, “Don’t believe me, boy? You’re in luck then. The youngling is in right now.”

He hobbled across the store, leaving Noah no choice but to follow. His curiosity won out and he also wanted to be sure this person wasn’t a figment of Arthur’s imagination either. Noah hadn’t met someone with a sounder mind than the old store owner living the aftermath of the gore of war. The man was a genius and Noah often silently mourned the loss of his brain in academia. Whenever he hit a tough spot in his schoolwork, Arthur had been his ad-hoc tutor.

“Okay, I’ll bite. Let’s see this mystery person of yours.”

Arthur snorted in derision. They moved further into the store, weaving between the aisles of stocked bookshelves. Noah breathed in the scent of books around him. His shoulders relaxed and he no longer bothered that Arthur might be leading him on a goose chase. They passed the third romance aisle before Arthur came to a sharp stop. Noah almost bumped into him before righting himself. The shopkeeper shot him a glance then nodded over his shoulder. A smug smile now rested on his elderly face, making Noah doubt his own previous doubts.

“What’d I tell you, huh? She’s right there.”

Right at the end of the aisle, a girl sat hunched over at the small circular writing table. Pieces of hair covered her features from view but Noah could see her hand furiously scratching at the notebook before her. She was deep in concentration, not noticing them. Noah turned to Arthur. “So you weren’t an old kook after all.”

He received a swat on the arm as penance. “Whatever, brat. Go browse the new selections. You better buy something before you leave.”

“Sir yes, sir.” He saluted the older man. Arthur hobbled away with an eye roll, leaving Noah alone with the girl sitting at the end of the aisle. She twisted in her seat, pulling forward one of the books on the table. She flipped through it for a minute, before shaking her head and focusing on her notebook again. Noah wondered what she was writing about that had her so intensely focused, but she was a stranger so he couldn’t exactly walk up and ask her. Putting his curiosity aside, he straightened to leave when a loud groan split the air and muttered words pulled him short.

He knew that voice. In fact, there was no denying he knew it almost as well as his own. How much of a coincidence was this? She had been stuck in his head all day so maybe this was simply him manifesting her. Right? But the nagging curiosity in him didn’t ease. He should have recognized it for what it was. The same feeling that had kept him turning to her over and over again. A deep, instinctual feeling to know her for all she was. He couldn’t deny himself the chance if it was really Amber sitting there. Noah peered over his shoulder just as the girl shifted. Her hand came up to flip her hair over her shoulder and suddenly, he was staring at her side profile. A disbelieving chuff left him. Could his day have gotten any better?

“Am I dreaming or are you haunting me, m’lady?”

She spun so fast that her chair let out a creak. Her blonde hair flew in a whirl around her and those breathtaking blues met his. Amber. She was here. Sitting in Hidden Gems. Staring at him with an unhinged jaw and wide eyes like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing either.

He tilted his head when she remained frozen. The urge to tease her came easily. “You can blink, Amber. I promise I’m real.”

She propelled out of her seat at his voice. Her hip bumped into the table with the sudden movement and the notebook and pen toppled over the edge.

“Noah,” she stuttered. “What are you doing here?”

“I should be asking you that. I come here often. According to the owner, so do you. I’m surprised we never bumped into each other.”

She blinked rapidly, not realizing her stuff had fallen. Noah bent over to retrieve the notebook. He flipped it open to tuck the pen in between the pages when Amber snapped out of it. She lunged at the book to close it but it was too late.

He jerked back, taking the note with him, eyes fixed to the prose on the page. His gaze hooked on the handwriting, the words, the sentences. His chest caught on a gust of air as another piece slotted in the puzzle that of the girl before him.

“You’re not supposed to see that. Give it.” Amber reached for the note.

“Not a chance, m’lady. This is some treasure I’ve stumbled on and I intend to hoard it.” He gave a lop-sided smile in an attempt to hide the speed at which his heart was beating in his chest. “You wrote this?”

Her shoulders nearly touched her ears. Those gorgeous blues of hers burned with the fire he loved to see within them. “What’s it to you?”

She was defensive. She didn’t need to be. Noah widened his smile, his eyes on hers as he let her see the truth of his next words.

He shook his head, still bathing in the revelation. “It makes sense. You’re able to view the world from a different perspective. I’ve always envied that.” His next words carried all the sincerity he felt. “I think it’s incredible. That you’re a writer. From what I saw, you’re pretty good at it too.”

The effect of his words were instantaneous. Her gaze softened. Her shoulders relaxed. “You mean that?”

“Absolutely.” There was no doubt in him. There hadn’t been for a long time whenever it came to Amber.

A breathy laugh left her. “You barely even read the page. The rest of the story could be horrible for all you know.”

“I did read the page and I would have continued if someone didn’t try to snatch the note from my hands. Can I read more? I want to, but only if you say yes.” He lowered his arm, the note still in his grip. “Besides, you wrote it. Why would I think it was horrible?”

She said nothing. Her stare fell from his face to the note still clutched in his hand. Noah looked down at it, then back at her. “Why don’t we sweeten the pot? I’ll read it and give you my best critic review.” Her eyes rose to his. “In exchange, you have to tell me about what you’re writing, when you got into it and how long you’ve been writing. Anything I want to know.”

“Why do I have to do that?”

“We’re striking a deal, m’lady. Its fifty-fifty.”

“More like seventy-thirty. I’m the one who’ll do all the talking.” She glared again.

“You’re forgetting that I’ll give you a review. Sure, it might be a little sixty-forty, but that’s still a win-win situation.”

Amber opened her mouth to argue when a loud gurgle reached his eyes. For a second, they froze. Then, a fierce blush rose from beneath her shirt collar and into her cheeks. She was hungry. And adorable. It wasn’t fair. She couldn’t be both at once. He already didn’t stand a chance.

“Got anything to check out? I feel like getting a snack to start off this conversation.”

“Sure you do,” she muttered. “Give me the note back first.”

He clutched the note in his hands. She wanted him to lose his only bargaining piece. “I think I’ll hold onto it for the mean time. How about the Scoop Parlor?”

Amber let out an aggravated sigh. When she saw he wouldn’t budge, her frown drooped even more. “Fine,” she conceded. “You only get three questions and you’re buying.”

“As you wish, m’lady.”

Arthur looked up as they neared the door. Noah raised a hand. “Gotta go, Arthur.”

His eyes darted to Amber, her face set in a glare aimed at Noah’s back. “You two know each other.” It wasn’t a question.

“Lucky guess,” Noah teased. “We go to the same school but I didn’t know Amber frequented here.”

The older man nodded thoughtfully. “Amber, is it? We never got to make acquaintance.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Arthur. I love your store. I probably should have said that earlier.” Amber smiled at him. Noah couldn’t help staring at that smile a minute longer.

“You’re welcome anytime, miss. ‘Long as you keep buying, of course.” Arthur chuckled at his joke. Brought back to attention, Noah reached out. His hand wrapped around Amber’s wrist, settling there almost as if it was second nature to touch her like that. Her head whipped to him, eyes wide, but Noah was focused on ignoring the feel of her skin on his so he could talk.

“You can extort her later, Arthur. I have a puzzle to solve and all the pieces are almost in place.”

Amber gave him a look over. She tugged her hand but he kept his grip, unfazed. “I didn’t agree to tell you everything,” she whispered in exasperation.

“Funny. I don’t recall that a single bit.” Noah flashed a wide smile in the face of her glare. He gently pulled on her arm to get her to follow. The door pushed open with another soft ding as he stepped a foot out.

“Wait!” Arthur hollered. “You didn’t buy nothing. Boy, you promised.”

Noah glanced back for a second. “We’ll be back, Arthur. Probably. Bye!”

“Tsk tsk. So easily replaced,” was the only response he heard before the door closed behind them.