Chapter 11. STAY THE FUCK AWAY
(Noah)
I was standing outside Aster Hall.
Sienna hadn’t replied to any of my texts all week, and I was beginning to feel anxious. Despite having only met a few times before spending the night at my apartment, I felt strangely comfortable around her. She was constantly on my mind, but I knew I needed to give her space. Perhaps she was feeling guilty about our hookup and was having second thoughts.
I’d been playing our night together over and over again. She felt amazing. My cock twitched inside my jeans just thinking about her smell, her mouth, her pussy, and her soft skin. I needed to see her again. I needed her in my bed again. Soon.
Zayn hadn’t brought her up in our conversations, but I knew we needed to discuss the fact that Sienna was the Tribeca girl at some point. I didn’t know how he felt about her now that he knew she was at Stanford, but I wanted to be very clear with him. Sienna was mine. It wasn’t like we hadn’t shared girls before, sometimes even at the same time, but with Sienna, it felt different. I only wanted her for myself and wasn’t open to sharing her with Zayn.
He better stay the fuck away.
I would talk to him, but I just needed to find a moment when Ander wasn’t in the room. He behaved like a complete asshole on my birthday, and I wasn’t willing to put up with his shit anymore. I’d been ignoring his calls all week. Ander was probably calling me to apologize, but he was never genuinely sorry when he fucked up, so his apologies were usually wrapped up around two tickets to the Los Angeles Lakers. He said he didn’t care if I fucked Sienna, but he did because no one who didn’t give a shit would react the way he did when he saw us together. I wondered what happened between them…I didn’t want to poke the bear, but I might ask Sienna.
Aster Hall’s main door opened, and Sienna walked out the door.
“Hello, princess. I feel a bit hurt. You’ve been ignoring me all week,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Hi, Noah. I’m sorry. I swear I haven’t been ignoring you. It’s just…”
“Try again. You’re a terrible liar.”
She sighed.
“Look. I know I owe you an explanation, but can we please not do this here?”
“Have dinner with me tonight.”
“Are you asking me on a date? I don’t know, Noah…”
“It wasn’t a question. What time do you want me to pick you up?”
Sienna paused for a moment before replying, “Okay. Pick me up at seven o’clock. But you better take me somewhere with amazing food, or you’ll regret it.”
“Anything for you,” I told her, kissing her cheek. I wanted to kiss her lips, but I didn’t know where she stood about me, about us. I’d find out tonight.
“I know the perfect place. Nothing fancy, so no need to dress up. I hope you like Mexican food.”
Her face lit up with a wide smile. “Yes, I do.”
* * *
Zayn and I were seated in the main cafeteria when Ander approached us carrying a tray filled with food. While discussing the imminent start date of the NHL season, we tactfully avoided addressing the elephant in the room. Apparently, not for too long.
“Why have you been avoiding my calls? I’ve been calling you nonstop,” Ander exclaimed as he sat in front of us.
“Take a guess.” If he was going to play the stupid card with me, he should have picked another day. I wasn’t willing to tolerate any more of his bullshit today.
“Look, I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”
Zayn sniggered.
“If you want to get something off your chest, go ahead and say it,” Ander said.
With a raised eyebrow, Zayn bit into his pizza and remarked, “I don’t think it’s Noah to whom you owe an apology.”
“You fuck the girl once, and now you are her knight in shining armor, or what?” Ander blurted.
I placed my sandwich back on the plate and stared at him.
“Why are you such an asshole? If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’re jealous…”
Ander grinned tightly, clenching his jaw.
“Did she do something to you?” Zayn asked.
Ander stayed silent, looking down at his tray and moving the food around with the fork.
“Alright, if you’re not up for sharing what happened, that’s on you. But she’s with me now, and Zayn, the same rule applies to you. Stay the fuck away,” I stated.
Zayn flashed me a sly smile.
I knew he always loved a challenge, and dread filled my stomach for some reason. I knew that he had become fixated on the girl he met in New York the moment he couldn’t stop talking about her. He went on and on for days. But he was my friend, right? He wouldn’t go after her, would he?
I stood, lifting my bag from the floor.
“I mean it, Zayn. Forget about her. She’s mine.”