Chapter 14
Fourteen
NOAH
Apparently, tampons come in different sizes.
In the grocery store, my cart is loaded with dark chocolate, fruit, yogurt, peppermint tea, ginger, and kombucha, all of which are supposed to help with periods, or at least make them suck less. And of course, Cheetos and peanut butter cups, her favorite snacks.
But tampons stumped me until a middle-aged woman with a kind smile asked if I needed some help, and now my cart is loaded with options.
Last night, while Summer was in the shower, I managed to sneak out of her apartment. Too bad I left the damn window open. Any psycho could’ve snuck through her window. In my hurry to escape without getting caught, I left her unprotected. Exactly the opposite of what I vowed to do for her.
I’ll never make a mistake like that again. I’d rather she catch me than ever put her in danger.
But she must not have been too upset with me because she set up the camera. After I got home, I watched as she slept, chest rising and falling gently, and it was like we were sleeping together.
Her invitation to keep going. To give her more.
Even when I keep fucking up, she keeps forgiving me. Gives me another chance.
I accidentally sent her the full, unedited video that included all of my blunders instead of the edited video that left only the hopefully-sexy parts. But she called my video cute, and I could picture her grin while she watched it. Could almost hear her little giggle.
Once I’m out of the grocery store, I head to her apartment building.
As I’m heading up to her door, bags in hand, Aries leaves his apartment.
He’s wearing slacks and a sweater vest, like he never quite learned how to dress himself after private school, even though he attended public school with me and Killian.
Vee once called his fashion sense geek chic.
“Sinclair! Care package? For me?” He presses a hand to his chest with a sardonic smile.
“For my girlfriend, actually.” The words fall off my tongue so easily, naturally. For a second, I forget that Summer isn’t actually my girlfriend. Lately, nothing about our relationship feels fake.
“Aww. Sweet.” He claps a hand on my shoulder. “You bringing her to family dinner tonight?”
That must be where he’s headed. Aries is practically part of the family, and our parents treat him like their third son. Often, their favorite son.
“Yup.” Actually, I completely forgot about family dinner tonight. Mom said it’s crucial that I’m there, so naturally, I’m terrified about what’s in store. “We’ll be there.”
Hopefully, Summer doesn’t have plans.
“You’re sweaty.” Aries scrutinizes my forehead. “You sure you want her seeing you like this?”
I swipe the sweat from my forehead. Didn’t think it was that noticeable. I was practically drenched in the tampon aisle after fifteen minutes spent trying to decide between sizes and brands. I haven’t poured sweat like that since my half-marathon. “I’m good.”
“Don’t scare her off.” Aries backs up toward his car. “I like her. She seems good for you. She’s my favorite of your girlfriends.”
I can’t help but grin. I like Summer. A lot. I’ve liked her since the moment I met her. Well, after she put the knife down. “I don’t plan on it. She’s my favorite too.”
Aries slips into his car, and I head up to Summer’s apartment.
I’m not sure if she feels the same or if she’s just good at playing her role, but I should probably confess the truth about my secret identity to her soon.
We’ve accomplished what we set out to do, and if she’s not interested in something real, then now is the time to stage our breakup before anyone gets too attached.
Mom. Before Mom gets too attached.
I rap my knuckles on the door, and just as I’m about to knock again, the door swings open.
Summer’s hair is tied up in a loose, messy bun, the clump lolling to the side and chaotic strands framing her face. Her sweats are baggy and stained with coffee, face void of makeup, hands smeared with charcoal, and eyes tinged with what might be mania. Artistic madness?
I’ve never seen her more adorable.
“Noah! Hey. Sorry, I was in the middle of sketching a commission.”
I brush past as she steps aside to let me through the door. “Really? Can I see it?”
Her apartment is mostly clean still, minus a few empty mugs on the coffee table and loose sheets of paper strewn across the couch with pencils and erasers.
“Um, I don’t think—”
But her objection comes too late. One of her drawings is already in my hand, the lines and curves of the couple in a car seared into my pupils. Her on top, him biting his lip with hands on her hips, her head tipped back and mouth dropped open in ecstasy.
Holy shit. Instant hard-on.
Summer snatches the paper from my hand, cheeks flushed. “That’s a commission for an author.”
“That was hot as hell. What do I have to pay to get a drawing like that?”
She giggles and scrambles to tuck the sketches away in a notebook, still blushing but smiling now too.
“What’s your process like?”
Summer lifts a brow, like out of all the questions I could’ve asked, that’s the one she least expected.
“Uh. Normally, I draw on my tablet. Then I send it to the client for approval, make any tweaks they request, and then I add color. But sometimes I need to sketch on paper. It feels less permanent and intimidating than a tablet or a computer. Plus, my tablet lags so much now.”
“You’re a great artist.” I nod to the notebook concealing her art from me. I can’t imagine why she’d be embarrassed to let me see her sketches. She’s incredibly talented. “This is what you should be doing. Full-time.”
Though she’s been the best fake girlfriend a guy could ask for, nothing compares to her art. By the look on her face when she opened the door, she feels the same way.
“Thank you. I’m . . . working on it.” She gives me a shy smile before nodding at my hand. “Anyway. What’s in the bags? And why are you sweating like that?”
Her head tilts like she’s just noticing my forehead for the first time.
Damn it. I swipe at my face again, and the corners of her mouth lift in amusement.
I drop the bags on her kitchen table and pull out the supplies.
“The tampon aisle is incredibly intimidating. You know how many toxic ingredients there are? And that’s before we even get to the size charts.
A mom helped me pick out some options like I was her teenage daughter.
But this is the selection. If none of them work, I can go back. ”
Summer studies the haul, and for a second, I’m worried she’s about to tell me I fucked it all up. But then her gaze locks on mine. “How do you know I’m on my period?”
Shit.
What the hell was I thinking? I should’ve left these gifts for her as her mysterious stalker, not as Noah.
Her stalker overheard her phone call with Hazel. Not me.
Shit, shit, shit—
“Uh.” I wrack my brain for a good excuse. “It’s a . . . monthly thing, isn’t it? I figured I’d bring you some supplies. For whenever you need them.”
She nods slowly, still not looking at me. I’m really fucking this up. She’s supposed to be happy with the consensual stalking, not whatever this reaction is.
Time to call it quits. Assuming she doesn’t label me a psychopath and scream at me to stay the hell away from her.
“And to thank you.” The word vomit spews from my mouth. I couldn’t stop my nervous chatter even if Aries waltzed through the door and slapped some sense into me. “For being such a great fake girlfriend. For being . . . you.”
Just put your foot in your mouth, Noah. That would be more productive.
At last, a bright smile morphs Summer’s face, and her gaze locks on mine again. A glint in those round, brown eyes. My heart stops.
Before either of us knows what’s happening, she throws her arms around my neck and kisses me.