Chapter Fifteen
Matt and Noah's quiet voices are the first thing I hear when I wake up. I'm firmly tucked in, with blankets pressed under my sides so I'm wrapped up like a burrito, and there are actual pillows under my head, from a bed.
I squint at the sunlight that seeps into the room from the open curtains.
"You should've seen her fucking tits, man-"
"Your sister is right there, you whore. Shut the fuck up."
"She's asleep," Matt says, followed by a thump and a small yelp. "I won't be called a whore by possibly the biggest prude on the planet, thanks."
He didn't seem very prudish when he was telling me he wanted to bend me over this couch, but whatever Matt wants to believe.
I do wonder how many people Noah has slept with though. I wonder if he went through a bit of a wild phase, like I did during university. I wonder who he lost his virginity to, and when his first kiss was. I bet he was young - boys that look like that always lose it young.
I open one eye to peek at them, backs to me at the counter in the kitchen. A spoon clatters against a bowl as they continue chatting casually.
Matt continues inelegantly talking about his conquest from last night so I try to tune out their words. Instead, I stare at the bunched muscles in Noah's back and think about how restrained he had been last night.
No self-control my ass. Last night was the most control I had ever seen in a human being.
If I close my eyes I can still see him staring back at me, looming above me, watching me get off with hooded eyes and a clenched jaw.
I should've run my hands through his hair - I've wanted to do it for ages.
It looks soft and bouncy, like my fingers would get tangled into the curls easily so I could pull his face down to mine.
"She even tried to...in the restaurant," Matt is saying. I roll my eyes.
"Man," Noah sighs. "I know you think I live vicariously through you but I really don't, so please stop talking."
They both laugh. I love Noah's laugh.
Fuck, I'm a bloody schoolgirl with an obsessional crush already. And I still want him to touch me right now, desperately so. Part of me even wants him to tell Matt to fuck off so he can jump on me, wake me up by diving between my legs-
"Yeah, but since I left you with my sister I thought I'd throw you a bone."
Excuse me?
"I don't mind being left with your sister," Noah replies. I watch him shrug, and then casually adds, as if testing the waters, "She's sweet."
"She's bloody annoying."
Oh ha-ha.
Matt thinks he's so hilarious.
Noah is cute, though. He thinks I'm sweet. He thinks I'm perfect. He very obviously wants to fuck me, and with the way that he talks to me when he's turned on, I assume he's very good at it too.
I want him. I want him to tower over me looking all intimidating, even though I know he's a sweetheart. I want him to hold me up against a wall like I weigh nothing and have his way with me. I want to hear how fucked he thinks he is again because he can't keep his hand to himself-
"Hey, you're up!"
I smile back at Matt, but my eyes flit to Noah as he turns around in his seat. We share a look before he turns away again, probably for the best.
"How was your night?" I ask. I highly doubt he'll give me the same detail he tried to give Noah, however.
"It was alright," he shrugs, but the smirk on his face that appears reveals more than he probably means to. "Do you have any plans today?"
"I'm going to ask Chelsea if she wants to start Christmas shopping with me," I shrug. "We might see a movie too, I don't know."
He stares at me, waiting. An old tactic from high school that I recognise immediately.
"You're welcome to join us," I tell him.
He claps, nodding, and smacks Noah on the back as he passes. I hope that means Noah is coming with us too. Even though being around Matt's best friend after last night does nothing but get me hot and heavy under my clothes.
He'd always stared whenever he wanted something in high school. If I'd made myself a cup of tea he'd stare at it until I got up and made him one as well.
He did it to mum as well. If she got me anything - even tampons - he wanted something too. To keep it equal, mum. He'd stare until she handed him a gift of equal value. It was both annoying and endearing.
Maybe I should stare at him until he shares Noah with me.
I leave them alone and shower to try and take my thoughts away.
To cool down my mind that is still burning with the same desire it was last night.
Before I step into the water I text Chelsea and ask if she wants to hang out for the day - she'd said she wasn't doing anything when we were at work yesterday, so I'm not surprised when I get out of the shower and see her reply stating that she'll be over in an hour.
Even though we'll be with Matt all day, I still want to look my best. My guilt of fancying his best mate has long been overshadowed by my throbbing pussy, and I choose to listen to what she wants instead.
So I dress cute; in tights, a summer dress, and an over-sized cardigan. Even if the cold bites at my legs, I can only hope that Noah will do the same. I also put on a touch of make-up and blow out my hair, taming the frizz with a bit of water just as a knock sounds at the front door.
"I'll get it!" I yell, taking the stairs two at a time and swinging open the front door to greet Chelsea. She's blocked Noah in with her car again, and stands in front of me with the biggest eyeliner wing I've ever seen her wearing.
She looks me up and down, and then breaks into a suspiciously large grin.
"You look nice," she sings, stepping past me to take off her winter coat.
"Matt's home," I warn quietly, knowing she'll start making jokes about Noah and I as soon as she see's even a smudge of opportunity for one. She holds up her hands in mock defense, and follows me into the kitchen.
Greeting both the boys, she makes herself at home and pours a glass of water for us both as I scrounge through my various bags for my boots. Noah and Matt must've got dressed whilst I was getting ready, because they both look more presentable now.
As Matt and Chelsea catch up with small talk, I drink in Noah's look for the day. Finally, when I reach his face, I notice he's dome the same to me.
I think about his hand around my throat as he visibly swallows.
"Mads?"
I hum, stepping towards the counter towards Chelsea's inquisitive stare.
"Water."
She holds out the glass over the counter. I take a stance next to Noah, leaning over the table to take the glass from her. As I take a small sip, I feel his hand on the back of my thigh, stroking ever so softly along my tights.
"Who do you need to buy presents for?" Matt asks us, drinking his own glass of water.
Noah continues stroking me softly, scrolling through his phone with his free hand on the counter. He's looking at car parts on some auto website, oblivious to the world around him.
"Mum and Paul," I start. "Chelsea and I usually pick out our own stuff and pay for each other. You. Secret Santa for work. Our grandparents." I start ticking them off my fingers. Chelsea nods along with me and then adds some people from her family.
Noah's fingers still graze over my legs, innocently, mindlessly, without a care of the other two seeing us.
I lean back, further into the side of his body, and eye Matt who is as clueless as ever. Chelsea, however, wiggles her eyebrows at me.
"Noah's driving," Matt tells us. "You can keep your car on the drive if you want."
Noah looks up and shrugs at Chelsea, hand sliding around to the front of my thigh, pulling me further towards him. He seems to realise what he's doing then, and quickly shoots a nervous look at Matt before dropping his touch all together.
Chelsea and Noah swap the cars around as Matt and I discuss what to get our family for Christmas - joint presents as usual, so we can split the cost. Also because Matt wouldn't have a fucking clue what to buy anyone, but I kindly let him pretend that fact isn't true.
Even though I love being a passenger seat Princess, I let Matt call shotgun when we meet the others outside. I lock the front door and wrap my cardigan around my arms as I walk over to the car, hazards already on since he's blocking the road.
I sit next to Chelsea in the back, behind Matt, and am immediately engulfed in the warm arm blowing from the dash.
We sing along to songs on the radio as we drive to the shopping center. Luckily I don't have time to think about Noah because Chelsea spends the entire drive complaining about how disgusting boys on tinder are.
"Maybe we should get you on tinder," she suggests. The glint in her eye tells me everything I need to know about her intentions. It works too, because Noah glances back at us both before turning back to the road. "It's been ages since she had a boyfriend."
With wide eyes, I hit her leg with the back of my hand.
Matt laughs. Thankfully the boys don't entertain the idea, so Chelsea lets it go too. She just continues complaining about tinder.
We drive around the car park for a while once we've reached the shopping center, before Noah finally finds a space that he pulls into. We walk as a group towards the building, and then enter into the bustling noise of other shoppers.
A manic looking woman with a pram steams towards us, no children in sight, so Noah pulls Chelsea and I closer to them both. Matt loops an arm through my own and pulls us towards a sports clothing store.
"We're here to shop for other people," I remind him.
"You need to get me a present though, so I think I should get to look."
I roll my eyes but follow him in.
Eventually Matt becomes annoying enough that Chelsea and I break away and do our own shopping bits. As soon as we tell the boys, and get out of earshot, she leans towards my ear. A crazed look dances around her iris'.
"So... Noah, huh?"
"Let it go, Chels."
"I'm not sure. He's being awfully quiet today - unusually so, even for him."
"He's always quiet," I blush.
"I have the eyes of a hawk, Mads. Remember that."
She pulls me into a jewelry store before I can begin to ask what that could possibly mean. As I pick out some cufflinks for Paul I wonder why I don't want to tell her about last night yet. She wouldn't tell Matt or anyone at the office, but it's still feels like betraying Noah's trust somehow.
It's nice to keep it to myself.
And technically, he didn't actually touch me. Nor did I touch him.
For now it'll be our little secret. A dirty secret - one that could get us both into a lot of trouble with my brother. My mum would definitely get involved too; Matt always loved convincing her to join his side of our arguments.
"What about these earrings for your mum?"
We continue shopping. She goes into further detail about her tinder trouble, and a one-night-stand she planned to have on Friday night but ghosted him last minute.
With a plethora of bags on our arms, we finally decide to go to the food court for lunch. I text both Matt and Noah to join us, sending my live location to each of them. One of them is bound to be bored of shopping by now, playing an old game they forgot about on their phone.
Noah responds immediately.
I solemnly swear that I will not overthink that. (This is a lie.)
Chelsea offers to buy our food, so I find a table big enough for the four of us that's clear of litter. It's next to a group of teenage girls that gossip out their school classes, but it'll do.
I scroll through social media while I wait for them, but after only a few minutes I feel eyes on me. Nervously, I tuck a piece of hair behind my ear, glancing in every direction to confirm my suspicion.
At first, there are too many people to notice anyone particular, but then I spot a table of three boys a few feet away. They look to be in their young twenties, and each one of them, instantaneously, looks away from me as soon as I spot the table.
I look back at my phone, experimentally looking back at them a few seconds later only for the exact same response as before.
They laugh and push each other around, and then one of them stands up.
"Fuck me," I sigh.
I burn a hole through my phone screen with my eyes, hoping they aren't coming over here. A chair scrapes away from the table, the boy sitting opposite me.
He's okay looking. Very boy-ish. It's strange that I can't look at anybody not covered in tattoos anymore and be attracted to them. Noah Laurier has become my type in men. Which is dangerous, because Noah looks like a Greek fucking God - those are very few and far between.
"Hi," he says, leaning back into the chair. My phone is still open to twitter in my hand. "Are you here on your own?" I open my mouth to reply, but he continues before I can. "You can sit with my friends and I if you want?"
"I'm okay," I respond, trying for a smile. "Thanks."
His mouth scrunches. He smiles like I'm playing a game with him.
"What's your name?"
"I'm just waiting for my friend," I say. I peer back behind me, to a food counter where she's stood in line. She's looking at me though, and holds up her hand in a phone gesture. I shake my head because I'm sure he's harmless enough.
"You can both join us," he shrugs. "Or I could just get your number?"
My eyebrows raise at his brashness. A nervous laugh falls from my mouth, and I look around for support once more.
The tension in my shoulders immediately releases as I see Noah walking towards the table. The teenage girls on the table over start giggling to each other as they notice him, tall and beautiful - a little intimidating.
"It's Kyle, by the way."
Oh God, not another Kyle.
Thankfully, before he can say anything else, Noah pulls out the flimsy chair next to me and sits down, stretching his legs out across the floor. Kyle looks between the two of us, avoiding Noah's disinterested eyes, and then back to his friends.
"Your friend?" He asks.
I don't know where to look. At him, at Noah, who's on his phone now; back to Chelsea to beg her to save me. I just nod lightly, shrugging. His smile is immediate, and disorientating. It's as if he doesn't even see Noah there anymore.
"Come meet my friends," he suggests.
"Fuck off," Noah grumbles, eyes not lifting from his phone. He reaches down to the chair I'm sat on, grabs one of the metal legs, pulling it towards his own chair. The same arm then snakes around my waist, and I'm pulled in one swift motion onto his lap.
Kyle very quickly runs away. He then makes his friends leave the food court all together, not to be seen again. Goodbye Kyle.
I slink back to my own chair when his arm loosens, shifting to readjust my dress.
"Did you get much shopping done?" He asks, as if nothing had even happened.
I ramble. I list everything we bought, where we bought it and for who. I explain in detail why I got the green wrapping paper instead of the red, and he listens intently as if it's at all interesting.
Chelsea sitting down opposite me is the only reason I stop talking.
Apparently being alone with Noah makes me a bit nervous now. The teenage girls at the table next to us still giggle with each other, glancing at him every so often, and I feel like giggling with them because that's how he makes me feel too.
Instead I pick at the mac and cheese in front of me. Matt joins us eventually, putting a tray of food between himself and Noah. I then have to re-hash what I've bought for everyone and who we still have to go out and buy for in the future, which I'm sure Matt will forget anyway.
We chatter casually, eventually abandoning the rest of our food to go back to the car. As soon as that sleek BMW comes into view, I spin around to face Matt and Noah.
"Shotgun."
"Oh, fuck off, Maddie!" Matt immediately begins his hissy fit.
Noah's reaction is much nicer. He winks at me, grinning, which makes my knees weak and my body hot. Chelsea laughs too and talks Matt out of physically fighting me for the front seat.
He can do nothing as Noah opens the passenger side door for me, hand brushing my arm as I drop into the empty seat.
He still signifies his protests with hand signals and dirty looks once he gets into the back seat behind me, but I ignore him to eye-fuck his best friend instead.
A few minutes into the drive, my phone buzzes with a message.