Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
Sweet talker
Ruby
Our house was pure chaos, just like it always was before any night out. The fact it was New Year’s Eve had amped up the craziness.
I was supposed to be in Miami right now, but Noah had surprised me yesterday morning and flown to Columbus instead.
I’d been speechless when I’d opened the door and found him standing on my doorstep with a huge bouquet of flowers.
It was a surprise – a good surprise – but it had thrown me.
Months ago we’d agreed to spend New Year’s Eve in Miami.
He’d even bought us tickets to a music festival to celebrate with his friends.
At the end of the day, it didn’t matter where we were, only that we were together. We’d stayed in last night and gorged on Indian take out while we caught each other up on anything and everything that had happened since Thanksgiving. It was just what we’d needed.
The girls had taken me staying in Columbus as a given that I’d ring in the new year with them.
I’d given Noah the choice – stay in just the two of us or head out – and he’d decided he wanted to party, which is why I found myself fully made up and in a short black dress despite the fact it was barely even twenty-four degrees outside.
From where he sat on a barstool at our island, he wrapped a hand around my waist and tugged me between his legs, all the while chatting to the guy Daisy had invited tonight.
In the years I’d known Daisy, every guy she’d introduced me to had been very different. She didn’t have a type, or even a gender preference – she was open to anyone.
Tonight’s lucky candidate had longer, dark blonde hair, which was knotted on top of his head. Both his arms were entirely covered in tattoos, and there was a nose ring through his left nostril.
Though despite appearing as though he was a poster boy for a motorcycle gang, he was polite and friendly. He’d even mentioned to Noah that his brother went to college in Miami, so they’d been bonding over that for the last thirty minutes.
It was lucky they had a mutual connection, because Noah wasn’t the best at getting along with people he had nothing in common with.
“I’ll definitely be borrowing that dress, Ruby,” Bri said. “You look hot tonight.”
Noah’s hold on me tightened. “Doesn’t she?”
The appreciation in his voice sent a shiver down my spine, not that anything could happen tonight. Stupid period. The timing could not have been worse. It had been way too long. Like, ready-to-rip-my-dress-off-and-climb-onto-Noah’s-lap-in-front-of-everyone long.
I’d been worried to tell him that I was out of action. If I was feeling this way, he had to be wound up too. But in Noah fashion, he’d taken the news in his stride, kissing my forehead before telling me he could order me in ice cream after dinner. Sugar did always help.
“Where are we going tonight?” he asked.
“The bar where I work,” Daisy answered. “They’re throwing a ticketed New Year’s Eve event. The place will be packed.”
Luckily Daisy had managed to score two last minute tickets. Even better, I hadn’t had to pay for them.
Whenever she was working, drinks were always on the house. Even when she wasn’t, the bartenders still gave us cheap deals. It was a great arrangement. When the price of a vodka soda was the same as just a soda, I had no complaints.
“Are you sure you still want to go out?” I checked with Noah for the umpteenth time.
I was more than happy to stay in. He was only here for two nights, and one was already over. Tonight’s party would be hectic. I doubt we’d be able to have a proper conversation over the music.
“It’d be a crime to stay home when you look this good, babe.”
Grinning, I placed a quick kiss on his lips. “Sweet talker.”
“The Ubers are here,” Bri said, checking her app.
Leaving the warmth of Noah’s arms, I walked to my purse and slipped my phone and lip gloss into it. “Don’t forget your phone is on charge, babe.”
Standing, Noah tapped the sides of his thighs. He was dressed in a fresh pair of chinos his mum had bought him for Christmas. They hugged his legs deliciously, the cream fabric carving around his muscles.
Though as much as I loved those legs, one of the few icks I had when it came to Noah was the fact that he shaved them. The entire water polo team did. Between them all, they had less body hair than a sphynx cat.
“Shit. These pants don’t have pockets. I’ll have nowhere to put it.”
“It’s fine,” I said. “You can keep it in my purse.”
He chewed his lip thoughtfully. “I’ll just leave it here.”
I frowned. “Why would you do that? There’s enough room in my bag.”
Jaz stared at him in disbelief. “I’d freak leaving the house without my phone.”
Noah merely shrugged before throwing his arm over my shoulder and guiding me towards the front door. “All I’ll be missing out on are drunken Snapchats from my teammates or frat brothers.” He kissed my forehead. “Besides, the only person I’m interested in speaking to tonight is already right here.”
*
Within twenty minutes of arriving, Jaz and Bri had caught the attention of two brothers, so now there were eight of us crammed into the one booth. We barely fit, so I was practically in Noah’s lap.
The bar was too loud to have a conversation with anyone other than the person right next to you. At least it gave me an excuse to avoid small talk with any of my friends’ dates. There was no point getting to know them. It was unlikely they’d be around come January second.
“I’m so glad to be here with you, babe,” Noah said, his lips pressed to my ear.
That made one of us. I’d discreetly been checking my phone for the last hour, counting down. There were now less than ten minutes until midnight. After that, I was calling it and getting Noah out of here.
“Four months,” he breathed. “Four months and we’ll be together again in Detroit.”
“What about if we didn’t go back to Detroit?”
“What do you mean?”
I tried twisting to face him, but it was impossible. We were packed in this booth so tightly, it was almost claustrophobic.
I understood why my friends had wanted to come out tonight – it would be fun if you were single. But I wasn’t, and I had nothing to prove by being here.
I loved an evening out with the girls and was always the first to put my hand up for a good time, but a jam-packed bar with overly loud techno tunes was not my idea of a fun date night.
“What if we lived somewhere else?” I said, raising my voice to be heard over the music.
Noah shifted beneath me. “What are you saying, Ruby?”
A chillness had crept into his voice, one I’d always known would accompany this conversation. Sober, I’d known not to broach it, but the alcohol coursing through my veins had my usual filter failing.
“I’ve enjoyed not living in Detroit,” I admitted. “It will always be home, but I’m not ready to go back.”
“I start a position at Dad’s practice in the summer,” Noah reminded me.
“Do you really want to work at your dad’s practice?”
Even tipsy, I instantly knew that was the wrong thing to say. Noah stiffened beneath me, and the hand he’d been resting over my thigh stilled.
“Ideally,” he drily sneered. “I am about to graduate with a dental degree.”
“That you can use anywhere,” I hurriedly clarified. “Does it have to be Detroit? At least not straight away. We can end up there.”
Noah snorted. “Gee, thanks, Ruby. Thanks for agreeing to move back to our hometown like we’d always planned on–”
“You don’t have to get stroppy,” I grumbled. “I was just suggesting–”
Noah wasn’t hearing it. He nudged the guy beside him, the one in a deep conversation with Jaz. It took a few attempts before Jaz and the guy understood and slipped from the booth.
I guess Noah wanted out.
I fell off his lap, landing on the sticky vinyl seat. Without looking back, he stalked off in the direction of the bar.
While part of me wanted to follow him and finish our conversation like adults, I’d been dating Noah long enough to know how to handle his moods.
He needed space and distance, I just hoped it didn’t exceed seven minutes.
Otherwise I’d be stuck sitting alone while everyone around me kissed their date at midnight.