Chapter 15 #2
I hated hanging up on my mom and quickly rubbed my eyes as tears started to surface. It was so hard being here without her, especially when we couldn’t always get each other on the phone. I really needed to make sure I didn’t let days pass between calls again.
“Are you okay?”
Shivers ran down my spine as I recognized the voice. Somehow Noah’s deep, slightly husky tone had become familiar to me. Like I’d been listening to him for years rather than just a few short encounters.
I slowly lifted my head to look up at him.
He was standing by the bench, his hands tucked into the pockets of his sweatshirt.
He wasn’t in school uniform anymore. Instead, he was wearing a pair of gray sweats and a hoodie.
It was irritating how easily he managed to make even the most relaxed outfit look good.
“You seem upset,” he continued.
“I’m fine.”
“Of course, you are.” A small smile lifted his lips as he lowered himself to sit on the bench by my side.
I really didn’t know what to make of Noah.
Just yesterday, he’d been accusing me of deliberately crashing into him in an attempt to get his attention.
Surely, if he believed that he’d be avoiding me like the plague.
And yet, he’d helped me back to school and sent the nurse to check on me.
He’d talked to me in class, and here he was coming to sit with me as though we were close friends.
Cress insisted there was more to Noah than what most people saw, and I was beginning to wonder if she was right.
“How’s your ankle?” he asked.
It was an innocent question. Something you’d expect any normal person to ask.
But, coming from Noah, it made me uncomfortable.
He wasn’t like most people. He didn’t seem to care about anyone other than Cress and his little trio of friends at Weybridge.
He also wasn’t afraid of bluntly telling people outside of that small circle exactly what he thought of them.
I got the impression Noah was never polite for the sake of it, so why was he bothering to check on my injury?
I followed his example and asked him outright. “Why do you care?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
His reply threw me for a second, and it took me a moment to figure out how to respond.
There were so many reasons why I didn’t expect Noah to care about my ankle.
He was known for steering clear of most girls at school, and he thought I was some sort of crazed fan girl who would do anything to get him to notice me.
But the biggest reason should have been obvious to him. I was a nobody, not worth a second thought, especially to someone like him. Apparently, he needed it spelled out …
“Because you’re Noah Hastings and I’m just …” I paused, unsure what to say. I couldn’t reveal the true differences between us—the vast chasm of wealth, power, and privilege.
“I’m just the new kid,” I finally continued. “You don’t know anything about me.”
He searched my eyes for several long seconds, almost as if he thought he could gain access to all my secrets with just one look. He must have failed because he leaned back on the bench, making himself comfortable. “Okay, so tell me about yourself?”
I tilted my head and frowned. What was his game now?
“Like, do you have any brothers or sisters?” he prompted.
A crease still crinkled my forehead, but Noah’s face was calm and relaxed, and his green eyes were staring at me expectantly, waiting for my answer.
“No, I’m an only child,” I finally responded.
“How about pets?”
“No, no pets. I always wanted a rabbit, but my mom would never let me get one.”
“You’re from a place called Rapid Bay, right?”
I swallowed and nodded, wondering how he knew that. He must have been chatting to Luther and Kaden, or maybe Cress had mentioned it to him.
“What’s it like there?”
“Uh, it’s just a small seaside town. People like to vacation there a lot. It’s crazy in the summer but peaceful in the winter.”
“So, you get to live in a place that people wish they were in all year-round?”
“Something like that.”
“How did you swing that?”
“Just lucky, I guess.”
He looked like he was going to continue firing off questions, but I didn’t like the way he was quizzing me on my hometown, so I quickly cut him off.
“What’s with you and your friends and asking questions?
Finding out a few facts about me doesn’t mean you know me.
For all you know, I could be a serial killer. ”
A small laugh left his lips, and I thought I could live for that sound. “Are you a serial killer?”
“Well, no.”
“Are you sure? You sounded quite certain …”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“Because with the way you’re glaring at me right now, I feel like you could have a little Dexter in you …”
“Oh my gosh, Noah, I’ve never even killed a spider.”
He grinned, and wow, it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
That boy should do nothing but smile. Ever.
Then again, perhaps that would be dangerous.
The girls at school were already falling over themselves to get to him—well, all the girls except for me.
I just liked to fall on him by accident.
“I like it when you say my name,” he said.
Again, I felt unnerved by his words. He had a way of shifting the ground under me and knocking me off balance without even trying. I tried to act unaffected. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”
“Only the stabby ones.”
“Great,” I muttered. “I’m never living that down.”
“No, probably not.” He was still smiling as he stood. “It was nice getting to know you a little better, Crash.” He turned and walked away before I could remind him not to call me that.
I sat there, staring after him.
I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to punch that boy or kiss him. But what surprised me most was that I hadn’t totally hated our conversation. One thing was for sure. I was doing a terrible job of staying away from him.