Chapter 6 Noah
Noah
The steady swish of the windshield wipers wasn’t loud enough to chase away the uncomfortable silence in the truck.
Delylah had been quiet ever since Emily’s radio call. She hadn’t said much as she’d packed her things and limped to the truck—I’d offered to carry her, but she’d insisted on walking. The smile I’d been drowning in earlier had disappeared.
If I could rewind time, I’d turn off that damn walkie-talkie.
Maybe it was for the best. New York was a hell of a long way from Montana.
Except the idea of not seeing her for another three years made me sick to my stomach. The thought of her bringing a guy home from the city to meet her parents made me want to scream.
“How’s your ankle?” I asked, needing to break this awful quiet as we pulled into the parking lot.
“It’s fine.” She shrugged. “Nothing an ice pack and a night alone with room service won’t fix.”
Alone. My hands tightened on the wheel.
I should have kissed her earlier. I should have fucking kissed her.
That was my shot, and I’d let it slip through my fingers.
She’d wanted me to kiss her, right? Or was I misreading this entire thing? Delylah had been flirting with me in that tent. Hadn’t she?
A single afternoon together, and I was already twisted in a knot.
Emily was waiting on the front porch of the lodge as we pulled through the parking lot. She hurried down the stairs to meet us, yanking open Delylah’s door. “Finally. I’ve been so worried. You could have been eaten by a grizzly bear hiking by yourself.”
“You could have come hiking with me.” Delylah grabbed her backpack and climbed out without so much as a glance my direction. “Then we both could have been eaten by a grizzly bear.”
“Funny.” Emily rolled her eyes as Delylah headed for the stairs. “Wait, are you limping? What happened? Oh my god. Do you think you’ll be able to walk down the aisle tomorrow?”
“I just twisted my ankle. I’m fine.”
“Are you sure? Maybe we should go to the hospital.”
“I just need to rest, Em.” Delylah waved her off and, still not looking back, made her way up the stairs.
Damn. I really didn’t like the image of her walking away.
“Shut the door, Em.” The second it was closed, I drove away to find an empty parking spot. Except even after I turned off the engine, I couldn’t seem to get out of the truck.
Delylah’s scent lingered in the cab, sweet and warm, like vanilla and oranges. By tomorrow, it would be gone. I wasn’t ready for it to be gone, not yet.
“Fuck it.”
Delylah might want a night alone with room service, but she wasn’t going to get it.
Except my sister was still waiting outside the lodge, standing out of the rain on the porch. Her arms were crossed, her face set in a frown. “What happened?”
“She fell and twisted her ankle.”
“That’s not what I meant. You were going to stay at the campsite.” She arched an eyebrow. “What are you doing, Noah?”
“I like her, Em. I like her a lot.”
“No.” She shook her head. “You made me a promise.”
A promise from eight years ago.
After Delylah and I had watched The Shining, we’d stayed up most of the night, talking about everything and nothing. She’d left the next morning after breakfast. No sooner had the front door closed than Emily had begged me not to date her best friend.
This is our senior year. Don’t you want her to have fun? Not be pining for a guy who lives an hour away? It’s weird for me, Noah. After graduation, we’re moving to New York.
Emily had been right. Back then, the timing was off. So I’d made my sister a promise to stay away from Delylah.
I’d gone back to college, returned to my life, and forgotten about my sister’s best friend.
Except there was no forgetting Delylah.
“I’m going to break my promise,” I told Emily.
“No.” She moved in front of me, blocking me from the stairs. “You go through women like a fish through water. And she’s always had a crush on you. She thinks I don’t know, but she’s not that subtle. You’ll just break her heart, Noah.”
I smacked a hand to my chest. “Ouch.”
“Am I wrong? You’re the pickiest man in the world.
What was the reason you didn’t bring a date this weekend?
She wore too much lipstick. And the woman before that was ‘wimpy.’” She added the air quotes to make her point.
“Before that, it was an annoying laugh. A perfume you didn’t like.
One woman was too vain. Another hated reading.
And there were—what?—four in a row you dumped because there was no chemistry. ”
“All right. You’ve made your point.”
“Good. She’s had enough trouble with men this year.”
“You’re comparing me to the asshole who photographed her?”
“She told you about that?”
“Yes.”
A crease formed between her eyebrows. “You’re not like Peter. He’s scum. I’m just asking you to leave Delylah alone.”
I shook my head. “No. Not this time.”
Her face scrunched as she stomped her foot. “She doesn’t even live in Montana, Noah.”
“I’m aware.” The distance was a complication, but I wasn’t willing to let two thousand miles stand in my way.
“Think of Delylah. Is this really the best thing for her?”
“It sounds like you don’t think I’m good enough for her.”
She stayed quiet.
It was a punch in the gut.
My sister wanted Delylah with one of these rich snobs who’d abandon her in the mountains. Or a guy who’d take naked photos of her and post them on the internet. What the hell? Was this about money?
“That’s ruthless, Emily.”
Her shoulders slumped. “I’m not trying to hurt your feelings. She’s my best friend.”
“And I’m your brother.”
“Exactly. I’m looking out for two of the most important people in my life. What happens if you get together and it all falls apart?”
“Then we’ll deal with it.” But I wasn’t letting Delylah leave without at least telling her how I felt.
“You’re set on this?” Emily asked.
“Yes.”
She rubbed her hands up and down her forearms.
My gaze drifted to her scars, faint in the fading light, but I knew exactly where they were.
The glance was quick, nothing more than a blink. The guilt was instant.
I was yanked into the past, standing in an intersection, tears streaming down my face as I watched, helpless, as the paramedics and cops pulled Emily from the back of my truck.
Except Delylah was right. It was an accident. And it wasn’t my fault.
“I love you. But ever since the accident, I’ve let you have your way. Not this time. I’m not going to hurt her. Trust me.”
Doubt flashed in her eyes. It was quick, just a blink. But it cut deep.
“Wow.” I dragged a hand over my face. “You really don’t trust me?”
“It’s not that.”
“Then what is it?”
She heaved a sigh. “Can you at least wait until my wedding is over?”
“Worried that if I show up with Delylah on my arm, you won’t be the center of attention?”
She scowled, but we both knew I was right.
“I love you, Emily. But you aren’t getting your way with this one. Have a good night.” I stepped around her and climbed the stairs. Except before I could march to the door, she called my name.
“Noah.” She waited until I turned. “You don’t even know her. Not really.”
“You’re wrong. I know her. She has the kind of heart that makes me want to be a better person.
She’s funny. She’s brave. She’s smart. She’s tough.
She doesn’t like people to see her cry, so she sneaks away whenever she’s upset.
She can’t stand it when different foods touch on her plate.
Spiders freak her out. Driving on the interstate makes her nervous.
She’s happiest with a camera in her hands.
She always wanted a dog named Frank and a cat named Beans.
She gets shy when you give her a compliment.
I don’t know everything about her, but I know her. ”
And I wanted a chance to learn more. Delylah looked at me with those pretty brown eyes, and I wanted a chance to make her smile. I was done pretending there wasn’t a spark.
“Do you know why I broke it off with those other women?” I asked my sister. “It’s not because I’m picky. It’s because they weren’t—”
“Delylah.” Emily finished my sentence as realization dawned. Then she smacked a hand to her forehead. “They weren’t Delylah.”
I grinned. “Now she gets it.”