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“Good things, I hope.”
He shrugged. “Maybe.”
Stop beating around the damn bush. “Hey, um … I hope you’re okay with …” I threw a hand toward the hallway. “You know … your mom and me. I just”—I took that hand and gripped the back of my neck with it—“I like her a lot. And we … I don’t know if you know this, but wekindago way back, and—”
Noah shut me up by abruptly lifting his head and meeting my gaze. “Why wouldn’t I be okay with you dating my mom?”
“I … well, um … I don’t really know. I just thought—”
“You should’ve told me,” hespat out, shining light on the depth of his betrayal. “It wouldn’t have made me mad. Idunnowhy you didn’t justtellme.”
I imagined the situation from his point of view. Walking in on your friend, shirtless andslowdancing with your mother. It wasn’t that he didn’t give us his blessing. It was that he hated being left in the dark.
“I’m sorry, buddy.”
“Whatever,” he grumbled, dropping his glare back to the table. “You probably never wanted to be my friend anyway. You just wanted Mom.”
“Hey.” I pushed off the counter and hurried to drop into the chair beside where he stood. I looked ahead at him and his downcast gaze. “Look at me for a second.”
He could only flick his eyes in my direction before looking away again. Maybe I should’ve put on a shirt before deciding to talk to him.
“Even if your mom wasn’t in the picture, I would still be your friend. You understand me?”
“Yeah, right.”
“I’m serious right now, Noah. You were the first person in this town to really see me for who I am, and I will never forget that.”
He shrugged and rolled his eyes away.
“Man, you’re the coolest kid I’ve ever known, and you’re my best pal. Nothing’s changing that, okay?”
Seconds ticked by, and Noah remained stone-faced. Ray and her mom finally emerged from her room, announcing happily that they were ready to eat. But instead of doing the gentlemanly thing and making Ray’s mother a plate, I continued to watch Noah, waiting for his response.
Had I really fucked this up so bad, simply by being with his mom? I wouldn’t take back a second of last night, not for anything. But was it so impossible to have both his friendship and Ray’s affection? Was I too greedy to expect that I could?
He eyed me warily, studying my every move. Defensive and aware. His eyes flicked toward his mother, already beginning to casually eat, like nothing out of the ordinary was going on. He swallowed, and I realized he was shaking. His hands trembled in fists at his sides, and another revelation hit me. One I knew well.
He’s scared. He’s afraid he can’t protect her.
Noah had never known his mother to be with a man who didn’t hurt her. He had witnessed it probably more times than I could even imagine. God, I couldn’t even pretend to know what that kid must’ve seen—but I had seen my own share of shit regarding my own mother. I had felt helpless more times than I could count, I had felt desperate and hopeless, constantly trying to find ways to make it better, and the last thing in the world I wanted to do was make him feel the same way.
“Are you guysgonnaeat?” Ray asked, digging into her scrambled eggs before volleying her eyes between Noah and me. Then, she scowled. “What’s going on? Noah, what’s wrong?”
Noah shook his head. “Nothing.” Then, he hurried toward the couch and dropped onto it like a sack of potatoes. Crossing his arms and scowling toward the blank TV screen.
Ray stared at her son,stunnedand taken aback. “What the heck? Noah, what’s—”
“I got this,” I interrupted gently, holding up a finger to ask for a second alone as I followed Noah into the adjacent living room.
He didn’t even look at me as I approached and crouched in front of him.
“I’m notgonnahurt her,” I said quietly, hoping Ray or her mother couldn’t hear in that little house without adequate soundproofing. This was between us. “And I’m notgonnahurt you either.”
He lifted his worried gaze to mine. “You swear?”
I laid a hand over my heart. “Buddy,youand your mom are the best things to happen to my life in a very, very long time—hell, maybe ever. And I swear I would rather die than hurt either of you.”
He tightened his arms to his chest and loosened the scowl on his face, making way for the panic and worry. “Good,‘causeI-I don’t think I could actually beat you up, but I’d try.”
