Chapter 32 Noah
Thirty-Two: Noah
Wildest Dreams - Taylor Swift
Iset the table for her, knowing that she'll be home any minute. I’m hoping she’ll enjoy rewriting history.
Her mom kept all the decorations from her seventeenth birthday so it looks like pink unicorns threw up in the house right now.
Her mom even sent me some of Audrey’s old posters so it feels like we’ve gone back in time.
I know she was sad when she left this morning, when all I left her with was a quick, “Happy birthday” and a forehead kiss. But I was a man on a mission.
Music plays from the speaker as I mix a salad for us.
The front door opens and closes and I hear her gasp. Flashing her a wide smile, I move towards her, picking her up into my arms before singing Happy Birthday. She’s crying and peppering kisses all over my face.
“I can’t believe you did all this for me! I’m sorry I’m home late, Poppy and Daisy had a gift for me.”
I look at the clock and laugh. “Audrey, you’re home an hour earlier than usual. You’re definitely not late. Now come on, dinner’s ready.”
She smiles up at me like I’ve hung the moon. “I’m so lucky to have you, Noah. This is all so sweet.” She motions around the room.
A bottle of wine sits on the table and she eyes it with a laugh. “This isn’t some cheap-ass rosé, Noah Benson.”
We both laugh as a memory dances in my head.
“Audrey, you can have one drink, that’s all,” Connor states with a firm voice, as if he’s doubting his decision.
Audrey looks between the two of us. “You won’t tell Mom?”
“We won’t.” I reach onto the counter behind her, grabbing a half empty bottle of wine. “I assume you’d prefer sweet over bitter?”
“Probably. I don’t know?”
“Jesus, Noah. That's not some bottle of cheap-ass rosé, that's my parents' expensive shit!” Connor huffs out.
“It’s her birthday, she deserves something good for her first taste of wine, especially if she’s not a fan of beer.”
“This is what I get for letting you two ‘babysit me’ on my birthday.” Audrey rolls her eyes, taking the bottle from me.
“Whatever, I’m grabbing a beer. I’ll be right back.”
Audrey pours some wine into a glass with shaky hands.
“What if I throw up? Or get a hangover.”
“Connor and I are here to take care of you Auddie, I’ll make sure you drink enough water,” I reassure her, fighting the urge to reach out and hold her hand.
She looks around the room before sniffing the glass. “Why do people like this stuff so much? It smells like rotten fruit.” Tipping it back, she takes a small sip, closing her eyes, as if savoring her first drop.
And I savor the fact that I get to be part of yet another milestone moment in her life.
Three hours later, Connor is passed out on the couch and Audrey and I sit on the front porch, closer than usual.
She’s giggly and I’m not sure if it’s the high of the evening, but she’s got her hand on my thigh as she shoves a jelly bean in her mouth.
I don’t blame her for being hungry because the cake Connor and I made her was severely undercooked.
“Why do you like jelly beans so much?” I ask her as fireflies dance around the front yard.
She pulls back from me, eyeing me with confusion. “You don’t remember?”
“Remember what?”
She shakes her head slightly, wrapping her arms around her torso and I expect her to not tell me, but she surprises me by meeting my eyes.
“You gave me jelly beans on my fifth birthday and then on my sixth birthday I begged to have a jelly bean theme. They became my comfort food, because they remind me of you.” Her eyes widen.
“I shouldn’t have said that. I’ve said way too many things to you tonight. I must be drunk.”
She’s not. I’m not either.
But that doesn’t stop me from running my hand across her cheek, or from tilting her face up towards mine and leaning forward.
Except when I feel her breath against my mouth, bright headlights shine in our direction and I pull back.
“What are you thinking about?” Audrey giggles with a knowing smile.
“I may shoot myself in the foot for saying this, but I think that night was one of my favorite teenage memories with you,” I tell her, before pouring us both a glass.
“Do you remember how you wiped a drop of wine from the corner of my mouth?” Audrey gives a bashful smile. “I went into the bathroom and did a happy dance.”
“I should’ve kissed you. I should have ignored your parents’ car pulling into the driveway.”
“Probably would’ve had my way with you that night,” she teases. Her eyes twinkle, the candles on the table illuminating her face.
“I love you, but I don’t think you would have. I would’ve never let our first time be so sudden. Or let it happen with Connor passed out on the couch.”
Audrey laughs, nodding in agreement. “You’re right, and I would’ve been too nervous and freaked out if you tried anything.”
We share a long smile before she looks around the table as if she’s deep in thought about something.
“I love you so much, Noah.” Gulping down more wine, she whispers, “This is the life I always dreamed of for myself: white picket fence, you, baseball, crafting up a storm. My seventeenth birthday was my last truly enjoyable birthday. Until now.”
I reach for her hand. “And the rest of them will be great too. I promise you that.”
We talk about various birthday memories over the years as we eat dinner and when I pull a cake mix out of the cupboard, Audrey keels over with laughter.
“Food poisoning?”
“I’m not dumb enough to forget to stir the cake mix this time. I’ll try not to be distracted by your beauty again.”
She crosses her arms with a smirk. “Oh, you will? Implying I’m uglier than last time, huh?”
“Not at all. I said try, baby. Doesn’t mean I’ll succeed,” I reply, slapping her ass.
And damn do I fail.