55. Noah
“You know I can’t resist when a beautiful woman begs.”
Dani reaches out her hands, wiping away any wetness lingering on my face from my tears.
My lips taste salty and they’re wet.
Her eyes are firmly planted on mine.
Why the hell would I ever say her dad is probably happier because he doesn’t have to deal with his daughter anymore? What the hell was wrong with me back then?
“Has anybody ever told you you’re absolutely incredible?”
She licks her top lip with the tip of her tongue, grinning ear to ear. She doesn’t tell me to shut up or stop with the compliments.
I’m surprised by what comes out of that beautiful mouth of hers next.
“What else am I?”
Grabbing her by the hand, I drag her back on top of me.
She wraps her arms around my neck, straddling my waist.
“You’re entering dangerous territory,” I say.
“Tell me what else I am to you,” she demands through a whisper into my ear.
Irregular breathing patterns take over me as I bite down on the insides of my cheeks.
My hands squeeze her waist. A faint moan leaves her mouth, sending me over the edge.
I run circular motions on her shoulder with the pad of my thumb followed by my lips making contact with it. Then, my lips move to her neck, clavicle, and chest. Every fucking inch of exposed skin.
Her skin is my drug.
I can’t get enough of it.
“You’re so fucking beautiful, Dani.”
She gulps so hard that I see a lump go down her throat. “N-Noah,” she stutters my name as she arches her back.
My hands make their way into her shorts, running along the outline of her underwear. “Yeah?”
She moans again, but it’s not as faint this time. “Don’t you dare stop.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
I’m so hard right now I couldn’t stop even if I wanted to.
My phone dings, lighting up with a text message from my sister.
I thought Mom would be the one to tell us that she was ready to be taken home.
Fuck, seriously? Why does my family have a radar when I’m about to have sex or right when I’m about to tell this gorgeous woman I’m in love with her?
LIZZIE
LIZZIE
Please come and rescue me. Mom is driving me fucking crazy
ME
Has she officially driven you to insanity?
LIZZIE
I’m getting very fucking close. Dr. Miller cleared me, so I can go home. Seriously, come and take me home. Now!
ME
Calm the hell down. You’re so fucking dramatic!
LIZZIE
Oh, I hate to do this over text, but Mom made funeral arrangements for Dad. She wanted to tell you, but she didn’t know how so I told her I would tell you. It’s in two weeks. I know she didn’t want to have it until I woke up from my prolonged slumber. Well, I’m awake now…
ME
I don’t even know what to say to that
LIZZIE
You don’t have to say anything. I’m still trying to absorb it. All of this
ME
Anyways, we’re on our way to rescue you Rapunzel
LIZZIE
You’re the best brother a sister could ever ask for
ME
Oh, cut the crap. We’re coming. I’ll text you when we get there. Okay?
LIZZIE
THANK YOU. LOVE YOU brO!
My brain is malfunctioning. I’m staring at the wall lined with Dani’s Polaroid posters, trying to digest the information my sister fed me.
How does Lizzie end off our conversation with a friendly ‘love you bro’ after she just told me about how Mom made funeral arrangements for Dad? Why did she tell me over text and not wait to tell me in person? Why did Mom have her tell me about this?
I knew this was going to happen. How could it not? Mom wants to give Dad a proper send-off and I respect that.
I just wish it didn’t have to happen at all.
“Was that your mom?” Dani asks.
“Lizzie, actually. We need to go before she murders my mom with her IV machine. And she told me Mom made funeral arrangements for Dad.”
“She’s annoying her that much?”
I nod.
“Noah, are you okay?”
“I don’t think I’ve been okay for the past month. This is fucking icing on top of the cake I don’t want to eat.” I inhale and exhale. “Go get dressed. I mean it this time.”
She kisses my cheek. “Yes, sir.”
We’re both dressed, scrambling to make sure we have everything we need.
My phone is in my back pocket.
Dani has her purse hanging diagonally across her body.
We’re standing in the middle of the foyer, between the living room and dining room.
“Do you have everything you need?”
“I think so,” she says.
“Double check, and make sure. I don’t know if we’ll have to come back to the house. I don’t know how long we’re going to be at the hospital. I?—”
She cuts me off before I can finish my train of thought. “Hey Noah.”
“What?”
She cups my face with both of her hands, staring at me with those big brown eyes of hers. “Breathe, baby.”
I’m her baby now. I could get used to that.
Inhaling and exhaling, I stare deep into her eyes which are melting my core down to nothing and mesmerizing the shit out of me.
The color brown is often associated with resilience, dependability, and security.
Dani’s one of the most resilient people I’ve ever met. I’ve been able to depend on her so much. She’s provided me with a sense of security I’ve always dreamed of having with someone. I feel so safe when I’m with her. It’s absolutely insane.
Her lips curve up to form a smile which naturally causes me to smile, too. She’s breathing in and out with me. “You good?”
I nod, running my tongue along the top row of my teeth. “I’m good. I do have one question, though.”
“What is it?”
“Where the hell is Archie?”
Her mouth drops open before her hand covers it. “Oh, shit. Maybe we scared him because we were being too loud last night so he went into hiding. I’ll go look real quick.”
“And by we, you mean you, right?”
“Hate to break it to you, but I wasn’t the only one who was loud last night.” She walks closer to me, invading my personal space and running her finger down to my stomach. “You talked about how badly you wanted me to scream your name so loud that the neighbors could hear me, right?”
“Uh-huh.”
Her hot breath is melting layers of my skin away.
“Congratulations, you did just that. But guess what, Lover Boy?”
I cross my arms in front of my chest. “What, Princess?”
She leans into my ear. “Next time around it’s going to be you screaming my name so goddamn loud the entire town is going to hear you.”
“Don’t say shit like that to me right now. For Chrissakes, we’re on our way to the hospital to pick up my sister who’s been unconscious for the last few weeks.”
“You should’ve known something like that was coming,” she says.
“Yeah, you have. Quite a few times actually.” I smirk, licking my lips.
She rolls her eyes, shaking her head.
Right on cue, Archie runs towards us and meows up a storm.
Dani picks him up. “Hey, buddy, I’m so sorry I forgot about you. You can blame Noah for that.”
I pet Archie’s soft, ginger fur. “You know she’s lying to you. It’s bullshit and she knows it too. That’s the sad part.”
She puts Archie down, punching me in the arm.
“What the hell? I told you to stop doing that.”
“Asshole.” She doesn’t break eye contact with me. In fact, her eyes are scanning me from head to toe.
“Stop doing that. We need to go.”
She rolls her eyes and says goodbye to Archie. He meows at her, rubbing the back of the sofa with his body.
We rush out of the house, but now I’m standing in the driveway. “We’re taking my car, which means I’m driving.”
“Okay,” she replies as she finishes locking the front door. “I could drive.”
I shake my head. “Dani.”
“Yeah?” Her nose scrunches.
My face softens. “Get in the car.”
She walks over to the passenger’s side.
Running over to her, I open the door. I have to treat her like the princess that she is.
She gets in, takes her purse off her body, and puts it on the floor in front of her. I close the door and rush over to the driver’s side.
I”m sitting down in the car. And I’m dizzy. Things are spinning. It’s not anxiety this time. I think I’m crashing. It’s been hours since we’ve eaten.
I’m surprised Dani hasn’t crashed yet. She ate less than I did.
A worried expression appears on Dani’s face. “What’s going on? You’re scaring me.”
“I think I’m crashing. We haven’t eaten anything since breakfast. That was hours ago.”
“Oh, shit. Um…switch with me. I’m driving.”
“What?”
“You heard me. You can’t drive like that. It’s too dangerous.” She walks around to the driver’s side, and opens the door. “Can you walk?”
“Yes, I can walk.”
I step out of the car, starting with one foot. I just about trip over the edge of the car with my other foot.
“Smart ass,” she mutters under her breath.
I make it to the passenger’s side, planting my ass down on the seat.
“Give me your phone.” She sits on the driver’s seat, pulling it closer to the steering wheel.
“Why do you need my phone?”
“Noah Matthew Kaplan, if you don’t give me your phone right now, this isn’t going to end well for you.”
Oh shit, she just said my full name. She means serious business.
I give her my phone.
She takes a moment to admire my lockscreen. “I’m your lockscreen?” Her lips turn into this adorable pout, making my insides transform into a tangled mess. “When did you take this?”
“This is going to make me sound like a creep, but I promise I’m not. I took it this morning before I left to go on my run. You looked so fucking beautiful and peaceful. I can change it if you think it’s too weird.”
“It’s not weird. It’s cute in a creepy kind of way.” She shakes her head, grinning. “I need your passcode.”
“060301.”
“Your birthday. Really? I didn’t think you would choose something that obvious.”
“I know your passcode is your birthday too.”
“How do you know that?”
“Everybody uses their birthday as their passcode for their phone. Okay, we’re getting off topic here. What the hell are you doing?”
“I’m calling reinforcements.”
“Dani, we don’t have time for this.”
“Guess what? We’re making time for this.”