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He quirks a brow at me and licks his lips, taking my question in entirely the wrong way.
“Get your head out of the gutter, Noah. Food.”
“If you want to be boring, I suppose we could eat.”
“So kind of you,” I joke back, enjoying this easier and more relaxed side of him.
As we settle down and wait for our food, a phone rings, and I recognize the ringtone as the one I had specially assigned to my brother, Tyler. I jolt upright on the couch and look at Noah.
“Is that my phone?” I ask, utterly confused about how it got here.
“Yeah, it's on the table by the door.”
“But, how come it's here? I thought it got stolen,” I say as I rush to the table to answer my brother before it stops ringing.
“I took it.” Noah shrugs. I want to facepalm. I answer the phone just as I say, “You have some explaining to do, Noah.”
“Hello?” Tyler says down the line.
“Hey, Tyler.” I can’t keep my glare of annoyance off Noah. He’s watching me back but with zero expression. Why did he take my phone?
“Did you say, Noah?” my brother asks and I cut off my focus on Noah.
“Uh, yeah. How did you know that?”
My brother laughs at me.
“Because you just answered the phone saying you have some explaining to do, Noah. Is that the friend I met when I was over?”
“Yes, we’re sort of dating?” Why do I tell him that? I’ve no idea what to name what me and Noah are doing.
“Sort of? You mean you’re just fucking?”
“Tyler! Please never say that again.” I groan, shutting my eyes, hoping it stops the flush of embarrassment that my brotheris asking that question. He cackles down the phone, which I can’t help but join in with. I’ve missed our brotherly banter.
“Okay, okay. I’ll stop. I was just calling to see how you’re doing after the break-in. Any more news?”
“Yes, they were caught. They had broken into the wrong house and panicked.” The way the lie so easily falls out of my mouth is like tearing another part of my old self away. It pains me to do this, but for Noah to remain in my life and interact with Tyler in the future, it needs to be on a clean slate. I can’t lose Tyler, and I can’t lose Noah. So, the lie has to be worth it.
“Why didn’t you call? I’ve been over here worrying.”
“I know. I’m sorry, it was only recent. Work has been busy, and I’ve been spending a lot of time with Noah, so time has gotten away from me. I was going to call and tell you.” Another lie. I was hoping he would forget about it, which now sounds ludicrous. Of course, he‘d remember the intruder. He’d gotten punched by him.
“As long as you’re safe, that's the main thing. Are you going to come out and visit soon? I think we are owed a re-do after that last fuck up. You can bring your boyfriend.”
Boyfriend. That doesn’t sound right. But I can hardly introduce him as my shadow. Fucking hell, I need to start living in the real world, not this screwed up delusional one Noah and I have made for ourselves. Would Noah be willing to visit my brother? I’ll have to come back to that.
“Sounds good, I’ll let you know our plans.”
“Cool, anyway gotta go as I have a hot date. Love you, Chase.”
“You too. Have fun.”
“I always do,” he laughs before hanging up.
Noah is still sitting on the couch, watching my every step as I move to sit down next to him.
“Why did you take my phone?”
