Page 89 of My Fault

30

Nick

I observed her reaction. Since I’d seen her turn white as a sheet when we were playing Truth or Dare and she was supposed to go into a dark closet, I couldn’t stop asking myself what the hell had happened to make her so scared. Even mentioning it just now had terrified her, as if the memory of something were tormenting her inside.

“Relax, Noah,” I said, hugging her. I’d dreamed of holding her like this, but now I’d screwed up everything by asking her that damn question.

“I just don’t want to talk about it,” she said, and I could feel her shivering. What the hell was going on?

“It’s fine. Everything’s fine,” I said, rubbing her back. Tonight I hadn’t been able to resist kissing her; it had been too long since the last time, I couldn’t keep my hands off her. Noah had put a spell on me, and I was starting to realize a new Nicholas existed, one that couldn’t stop thinking about her if he tried.

“I should probably go,” she said. I cursed myself for provoking that reaction. I didn’t like how she ran away from me every time things turned serious or we got closer to each other.

“No, stay,” I said, burying my face in her neck, smelling her magnificent, captivating aroma, sweet but also tremendously sexy.

“I’m tired. Today was a long day,” she said, standing up. I grabbed her hands to get her to stay.

“Sleep here with me,” I asked, realizing immediately what she’d think when she heard those words.

From her expression, I saw I was just making matters worse. I needed to tread lightly with Noah.

“I said sleep. I’m not implying anything else,” I begged her.

She looked like she was thinking it over.

“I’d rather sleep in my bed,” she said, breaking free of my hands. She seemed to want to tell me something else, even to regret not saying it, but I understood that I had shaken up bad memories and she didn’t want to be in this room anymore.

“It’s okay. I’ll walk you back,” I said, standing up.

She giggled, and my heart filled with happiness. That was the Noah I liked.

“Nicholas, my room is right across from yours. You don’t need to come with me,” she reminded me, going inside and gathering her things. It was hot to me, seeing her in one of my T-shirts. It hung just below her butt, and I had to struggle to keep myself from lifting it up to get a better view.

“I don’t care,” I said.

“Thanks.”

I grabbed her shoes and opened the door to let her through. I didn’t know why, but she made me want to act like a gentleman.

We crossed the hall to her room, and I watched her take out her key card and slide it into the slot. A green light glowed, and the door opened with a click.

She turned around. She looked nervous or frightened. I didn’t really understand what I’d done by asking her that question, but she felt so much further away than before. I grabbed her aroundthe waist and pulled her close before she could go inside, kissing her deeply, in a way that left me yearning for more. She kissed me back but broke off abruptly and grabbed her shoes out of my hand.

“Good night, Nick,” she said with a timid smile.

“Good night, Noah.”

I didn’t know what to expect the next morning, but when we all met in front of the elevator, Jenna and Lion were staring at us. I didn’t care. I walked straight over to Noah and kissed her on the lips. She wasn’t expecting it, but she didn’t try to stop me. She was wearing jean shorts, a T-shirt, and sneakers. Those informal clothes were completely different from her outfit the night before and from the way the girls I usually went out with dressed. On the outside, she was simple, but inside, she was like a thousand-piece puzzle, and I still didn’t know where I fit in.

“Get a room,” Jenna said, laughing.

“Shut up, Jenna,” I said. “You look good,” I told Noah. I thought I’d hurt her feelings the night before when I’d sent her that message, and I didn’t want to risk it again.

“You, too,” she said blithely.

We got into the elevator and went to breakfast, conversing about what had happened the night before. Jenna thought we were out of our minds. Noah barely uttered a word, so I was the one who had to defend us.

We were supposed to go around the city that day, visit the shops, and eat out. The next day, we had to go home, and I was scared that everything that had happened between us would mean nothing once we’d passed through the front door. We couldn’t deny that our personalities were constantly clashing. Most of the memories I had of Noah were either arguments or stolen kisses,and that worried me. I didn’t want to lose her; I wanted to go further with whatever was happening between us.