“Sara,” he murmured.
Him saying my name just made me even angrier. “I’m gone for five fucking minutes, and you’re fucking other girls, Noah?”
He blinked some more, looking stunned. Slowly, he sat up.
“Um, not exactly,” he said. “It hasn’t been five minutes, Sara. It’s been over two weeks since you last spoke to me. I tried calling, coming to your room, tried to find you around campus. You didn’t want to know what I had to say, so you shut me out. Remember?”
He said it all so calmly that my anger had nowhere to go. Because it was all the truth, I was the one that put the distance between us, so he had every right to do whatever he wanted. If it had been long enough, and I’d gotten over it, I would have felt a little sad and then ignored it, but that wasn’t the case. Still, I couldn’t help feeling hurt that he’d gotten over me that quickly.
Even if we weren’t formally dating, didn’t I mean anything to him at all?
“Hey, get out.”
I stiffened, thinking he meant me, but he was eyeing his roommate, who didn’t even move at the order. Noah frowned.
“Dude, I know you heard me. You can come back later; please get out for now.”
The roommate sighed, then got up with an aggrieved look at Noah. He closed the laptop and picked it up, before walking out of the room.
“I’ll be back tonight,” he warned, then closed the door behind him.
Noah and I were left alone in the room, and suddenly, I felt awkward. I kept my gaze on his chest because I was too afraid to see whatever expression he’d have on his face. I fidgeted a little, shifting on my feet, playing with my fingers. When he didn’t speak, I broke down first.
“I’m sorry,” I said quietly. “For pushing you away like that. I know it was the wrong thing to do, but I’ve been so confused, I didn’t know what to do. My mother showed up and told me she had a new husband when I didn’t even know she was seeing someone, and it just had to be your dad. They’re living together at my home now…”
“I was just as surprised as you,” he said. “I knew he met someone, but I didn’t think it went as far as marriage. I only met her a day before I realized she was your mom. Then you wouldn’t even talk to me, Sara. So why are you here?”
I winced. Did he want me to leave?
It was understandable that he was angry. I had been myself not too long ago, but now, I was just worried. I should have more faith in Noah, but it wasn’t like I could blame him if he actually did go back to being paid for sex.
“Did… did you…” I tried to ask, my voice lowering to a whisper. I couldn’t force the whole thing through the lump in my throat, but he understood me.
Noah sighed. “No, Sara, I’m not doing that again. I told you already, I retired. That hasn’t changed. People have just been talking about it since… well, if you haven’t heard of it, then that’s fine.”
My eyes rose to his face. He wasn’t looking at me. His hands were tucked into his pockets and wore an awkward expression. I wondered what had happened, before I decided it didn’t matter.
It had been two weeks since we had been alone with each other. My body moved on its own, took a few steps forward, but I didn’t stop. I moved in front of him and reached my hands up to cup his cheeks. He looked at me and moved as I tugged him a little lower, going to the tips of my toes to press my lips against his, giving him a short kiss.
“I missed you,” I admitted, pulling back to meet his conflicted eyes.Chapter Seventeen
Noah
It had been two weeks. Two long weeks where I didn’t even get to see Sara, so when she kissed me and I had her in my arms again, it was like a dream. I couldn’t hold back, as I wrapped my arms around her and brought her in for another kiss, this one longer, deeper. She whimpered against my lips, and my arms tightened reflexively around her.
“Sara,” I breathed her name against her lips. I wanted to kiss her again, but as she panted for breath her chest pushed against mine, and I groaned in need. I wanted to feel more of her. “Damn, Sara.”
She initiated the kiss again and kept her arms wrapped around my neck to hold me close as she took the lead. Sara nibbled on my lips, nudged them apart with her tongue, tasted me inside. I sucked lightly on her tongue and felt her weight settle even more against me.