Chapter 18
EIGHTEEN
GRACIE
“You’re joking, right?” I ask and Noah snorts before throwing popcorn up in the air and catching it with his mouth. He grins mischievously and shoots a wink my way.
Show off.
“Nope. She moved in,” he says with a laugh, like it’s the most absurd thing ever.
After my somewhat emotional breakdown where I basically tackled Noah into a bear hug, he made us food before we set up to watch movies all day. He figured I needed a break and to get out of my head and he was all too happy to take the day off and join me.
Now he’s updating me on my brothers’ latest escapades, which includes moving in with Lana.
Moving. In.
As in, she lives here.
I wouldn’t have believed it if it had come from anyone else, but I know what Noah says will be the truth. Still, it’s freaking insane.
“It was only last week that I made him realize he had feelings for her, and now he’s moved her in?” I ask, my shock evident.
He’d texted me last week, telling me there was an emergency and I needed to get my ass over to the cottage ASAP so obviously I high tailed it over here, expecting to find out that somebody had died, only for him to be wallowing in bed, blaming me for pointing out that he felt more than hatred towards the new girl.
I honestly didn’t think he would do anything about it since my brother can be a bit… not dense, per se, but he’s the type of guy to deny his feelings and hope they go away.
I never in a million years expected him to move her into the cottage.
What the hell is going on with my brother?
Noah tells me about the excuse Cole gave him, and I have to agree with the guys, it’s bullshit.
I always knew my brother was a little… intense, but I never thought he’d be the way he’s behaving with Lana. Then again, she seems to give as much as she gets, so it seems they’re perfect for each other.
And I honestly just want my brother to be happy.
So long as I don’t have to hear the details of how she makes him happy.
“What about you?” I ask to change the subject since I don’t want to know any more about Cole and Lana’s relationship. The more I know about it, the more likely he is to let slip something I really don’t want to know.
His brows crease as though he’s trying to figure out a really complicated math equation and he looks so adorably confused I can’t help but laugh.
“What about me what?”
Like I said, adorable.
And so incredibly clueless.
Noah is the definition of golden retriever. He’s so oblivious, it’d be cute if it wasn’t so funny.
“Are you seeing anyone?”
I’m pretty sure I would have heard if he was, since the rumor mill in this place is next level, but it wouldn’t surprise me if one of the guys decided to keep a relationship a secret to keep their privacy.
Growing up the way we did, we’re used to constantly having eyes on us, but sometimes we just need our privacy, and I know the four of them like to keep their business to themselves more than anyone.
It’s part of the reason they agreed to move into the cottage freshman year when our parents all came together and offered it, because they wouldn’t have had any peace if they were all living in the dorms.
He tilts his head from side to side, as though he’s trying to find the right words.
“Not really… it’s complicated, I guess,” he mutters, and the look on his face has me pausing.
“Complicated how?” I ask, my voice coming out harsher than intended.
He kind of looks… hurt? And it really pisses me off.
How could anyone hurt Noah? He’s like the nicest guy ever. He’s pure sunshine, just going around and brightening up everyone’s day. He is literally the most caring person I’ve ever met, so how the hell could someone hurt someone like that? It makes no sense.
Who is this girl?
Now that I think about it, I’ve never heard rumors of him even sleeping with someone, which just goes to show how much he likes keeping his business to himself if even his hookups remain a secret, unlike the other guys.
I honestly can’t say how many times I’ve been grossed out from hearing about my brother’s sex life.
Eww.
But I’ve never heard so much as a whisper about Noah, which makes me even more curious.
“It’s…” he pauses and sighs. “I was… seeing this girl and then she ghosted me. It’s nothing really, don’t worry about it.”
I frown.
“Did you do something to make her ghost you?” I ask, even though I can’t imagine him ever doing anything remotely bad. He’s just not the type to consciously hurt someone. Or even unconsciously hurt them. It’s not in his DNA.
Something flashes in his eyes, but it’s gone before I can decipher what it was, and he shakes his head.
“It’s nothing, little one. Seriously, don’t worry about it. Now, what do you wanna do for the rest of the day?”
I don’t push the subject like I’m itching to do since he clearly doesn’t want to talk about it and instead shoot him a reassuring smile, letting him know that it’s okay that he doesn’t want to talk about it anymore.
“I wanna eat junk food and just chill for today, how’s that sound?
” I ask, since it’s becoming very clear that he needs a distraction just as much as I do.
He grins, and it lights me up a little, knowing that he’s happy with just spending time with a friend instead of pining over whoever this bitch of a girl is.
“Like heaven.”
“I’m gonna have to change this one up a little because it’s far too intimate to be asking. So, would you rather… never have to eat again or never have to sleep again?” Noah asks and looks up from his phone.
We gave up trying to be original with what we asked five questions ago, since neither of us could come up with something. He’s been reading through the questions listed on the website he found for the last five minutes trying to find something to ask me.
I roll my eyes. “Never have to eat again, obviously.”
He narrows his eyes at me then looks over my body, as if my answer had something to do with me not wanting food.
“Why?” he grunts, and I stifle a laugh.
“Because I love sleep too much to want to give it up.”
He assesses my face for a moment before slowly nodding. Honestly, I wouldn’t do anything but sleep if given the option.
“What about you?”
“I’d give up sleep. There’s no way in hell I’d ever give up your mom’s lasagna. Nope, no way.” He shakes his head adamantly and I cackle at the expression on his face.
“Okay, my turn,” I say and wiggle my fingers in a gimme gesture. He hands over the phone and I scroll through some of the questions, scoffing at the boring ones and cringing at the more… out there ones.
“Hmm, would you rather… ugh they’re all weirdly sexual.
What the hell did you search?” I shake my head and keep scrolling until I find one that’s more appropriate.
One pops up that has me giggling and I can’t help but ask it.
“Okay. Would you rather sleep with your best friend or sleep with your best friend’s sibling? ”
To my delight, Noah was in the middle of taking a drink of water while I asked the question and as soon as it registers, he coughs and splutters, spitting the water all over himself.
I can’t help but laugh. I laugh so hard that there are tears in my eyes and my stomach cramps.
“Jesus, little one. Warn a guy next time,” he rasps and places the bottle on the coffee table.
“I’m sorry,” I say with a gasp, still trying to catch my breath. “I couldn’t help myself.”
Before he can pull himself together enough to answer, the door swings open, making me jump as Cole strolls in with Harley and Logan hot on his heels.
My brother pauses as he spots me but quickly recovers, sitting between Noah and me on the sofa while the other two sit on the armchairs to the left of us.
“What’s going on in here?” he asks, and I barely hold back my eye roll.
Jeez, can a guy and a girl not be friends without someone jumping to conclusions?
This is a thing I’ve been dealing with for years, only not from my brother.
Whenever someone sees me having lunch or coffee with one of the guys, they automatically think that there’s something going on between us, which is just wrong.
“We’re just hanging out, wanna watch with us?” I ask, nodding towards the TV where there’s a movie queued up to start playing, we just got sidetracked playing ‘Never Have I Ever’ before we started watching.
“Me, me, me,” Harley says, lifting his arm in the air as though he’s asking for permission.
We all pointedly ignore him.
Cole’s eyes narrow and his gaze flits between me and Noah.
“What, exactly, were you two doing watching movies together in the first place?” he asks, his tone full of suspicion that is very wrongly placed and very unlike him.
He never usually has an issue with my hanging with one of the guys, so I have no idea what’s gotten into him, it's not like we have anything to hide.
Well, kind of, I guess.
We are hiding something from him.
Just not what he thinks.
It’s Noah’s time to roll his eyes and he replies easily, “Dude, we were just watching a movie. Chill it, would you? Can you see anything even remotely inappropriate going on? I’ve been friends with your sister for as long as I’ve been friends with you.”
At his words, Cole immediately deflates, and I send a silent thank you to Noah before focusing my attention on my brother.
“Where’s Lana? Doesn’t she like… live here now?” I ask, laughter clear in my tone and he grunts at me, his expression twisting.
“You wouldn’t think so, considering how much time she spends out of the cottage whenever I’m here.”
I gasp dramatically. “Trouble in paradise, big brother?”
He throws his head back and closes his eyes, his jaw clenching with clear irritation.
“She drives me fucking crazy.”
Harley snorts. “You’re the reason she’s living with us, bro. This is all on you.”
My brother’s eyes pop open and he gives Harley a heated look that makes me cringe away from him. “I never said I didn’t like it.”
Oh yay, just what I want to be talking about.
Logan, who hasn’t said a word the entire time he’s been here glowers at Cole. “Why don’t you just talk to her? You’ve been moping around here for two days while she does everything that she can to avoid you. You guys are sleeping in the same bed, it’s not as though you never see her.”
Cole throws his hands in the air, claiming defeat. “Fine. Fine. I guess if I can’t get her to talk to me while she’s here, I’ll just have to track her down.”
I have zero idea what the hell is going on between them at this point, and I really don’t want to know the details, but it must be bad if Logan is the one trying to talk some sense into him.
He’s usually the one who sits back and watches, not getting involved.
I have no doubt Noah has talked himself hoarse trying to get Cole to open up about whatever it is that’s happening while Harley sits and laughs inappropriately at whatever the situation is.
“Are we gonna watch the movie, or what?” Logan asks, clearly bored of the conversation that’s happening around him.
I hit play.