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"Mmmh, I'm not sure yet. I may hang out with Noah for a little while." My mother rears back at that, trying to hide the surprise on her face.
"That'll be nice," she says. "The two of you don't spend that much time together.”
I nod, hoping I look nonchalant. She searches my face for a minute, and fear churns in my veins that maybe she'll see right through me.
But again, she doesn't look that close, and she just brushes another kiss across my forehead before walking upstairs to her bedroom.
Noah slides the plate next to him towards me. There's a perfectly buttered piece of toast there, with cinnamon sugar sprinkled on it. It's my favorite thing to eat in the morning. It shouldn't make the butterflies grow, him making me toast how I like it, but it speaks to the fact that maybe he's been watching me all these years, just as closely as I've been watching him.
Noah grins knowingly, like he can read the thoughts going through my head right then.
"Eat your breakfast, little stalker. And then we’ll get going."
I pick up the toast and bite into it, feeling like a lovestruck fool because I swear it tastes better just knowing he made it for me.
After I swallow, I set it down and ask, "Are you going to tell me yet what we’re doing today?"
"Nope, it's still a surprise."
We finish breakfast in companionable silence, and I go back to my room to get a quick shower and get dressed for today’s outing. Before I leave, I grab some sunscreen and my phone, because those are the only things he's told me to get.
Looking freshly showered himself, Noah has on a beat up hat backwards covering his head when I walk back in the living room. He’s lounging in a chair, playing some video game on his phone.
He glances up when I walk in. "Ready to go?" he asks.
I nod, feeling shy for some reason. I find myself wishing that he’d taken my hand. Instead of wallowing in that though, I just follow him outside where his most prized possession is propped in the driveway. I look around for his father’s truck, thinking we’ll be borrowing it, but the Noah surprises me by walking over to the bike instead. He grabs the helmets seated on top, two helmets where I've only ever seen him with one.
"Are we riding that?" I ask, a slight tremble in my voice.
“I would have thought my intention obvious.” He smirks.
I bite my lower lip, looking at the deathtrap he wants me to mount.
"Come on, Sky, live a little," he mocks.
"Remind me again why I gave you my virginity last night?" I gripe as I head towards the bike. “It’s obvious you want to kill me today.”
He pulls the helmet onto my head and leans forward, close enough that I’m looking to the side of me, sure that someone we know is going to pop out of the woodwork at any moment and catch us.
“No one is dying today,” he assures. "And you slept with me because you knew I’m a god in the sack, baby,” he teases playfully.
“Modest, too.” I scoff, but don't say the contrary.
Not that I have a lot of experience…but, I'm thinking as far as first times go, I'm a very lucky girl.
He hops onto the bike and pats his seat behind him. "Come on, little stalker. Don't get scared on me now."
Taking a deep breath, I slide onto the bike behind him. In my books, the heroines are always fearless and brave, but I'm pretty sure I write them that way because they're the exact opposite of me. Living vicariously through them is all the bravery I can muster.
My dad had a motorcycle while we were growing up. But he never let us ride on it with him. Not that we really ever wanted to. His bike came to symbolize something bad for my sister and me. It was what took him out to the bars whenever he and Mom would get in a fight. It was also what he drove back home in the morning, smelling of cheap perfume and whiskey.
I try to push some of the memories out of my head as I wrap my arms loosely around Noah's waist.
"You have to hold on tighter than that," he yells to me as he starts the bike, and I squeeze him tighter, pressing my body against his and feeling the vibration of the bike between my legs.
Hmmm… Maybe it won't be so hard to replace those bad memories after all.
Chapter 22
