Page 76 of One Last Time

“Who’s John Cusack?”

I laughed, nudging my lips back against his. Eventually he drew back, holding my face in one hand, the other brushing stray hairs back where they’d fallen out of my ponytail.

“I know the bucket list is important,” Noah told me. “I know this summer is important for you and Lee. I know it’s a big deal, you not going to Berkeley. I promise you, I know. It’s just…I miss you?”

“Are you asking me or telling me?” I couldn’t resist saying. He was too easy to tease sometimes—and teasing Noah was too familiar a habit to let go of, even during a more serious conversation like this one.

He groaned, leaning down and pressing his forehead to mine, his eyes shut. “I get it, I do, but it’s hard seeing you make so much time for Lee whenIwant to spend time with you. Iknowit sounds stupid, because I see you every day and we sleep in the same bed together, and it’s not like we’re never around each other, but it just feels like it’s been a while since it was just us two, you know? Without a whole crowd hanging around us, or without you needing to run around looking after your brother or doing stuff with Lee or working. And I’m not trying to say you shouldn’t do those things…but I miss you.”

“I miss you, too,” I told him. I knew exactly what he meant.

“And it’s hard for me to watch you running yourself into the ground, trying to make everyone happy.”

“I’m not…”

Okay, maybe I was. A little. Just a very little.

I smiled, nudging my hand against his chest again.

“I can’t wait for next year.” He sighed. “I know we’ll both be busy with classes and stuff, and you’ll have new friends to hang out with, and maybe work, but…it won’t be so crazy.”

“Yeah. No flash mobs or race days.”

“And like I said, we could…we could maybe see about living together. I know it hasn’t been, like, the easiest thing, but I don’t think we’ve donethatbad, right?”

“Even though I stole your side of the bed?”

Noah laughed. “Yeah.”

“Yeah. I don’t think we’ve done too bad.”

“I’ve missed you,” he breathed again, kissing my nose and drawing a giggle out of me. “I hate fighting with you like that.”

“Me too.”

“But I will fightforyou,” he told me.

I was touched, and the intensity of his gaze along with the sincerity behind his quiet words made my heart skip a beat—but I still snorted with laughter and buried my head in his chest. “And you thinkI’mthe cheesy romantic.”

“I thought you liked me being all romantic and shit.”

“I like you,” I told him, plain and simple. “So…how about we head back home and I show you justhowmuch?”

“Now that,” he said, kissing me once more, “sounds like something I can’t pass up.”

• • •

The next day, I wasn’t working until the dinner shift. Noah had promised Amanda he’d meet her for breakfast, but he lingered in bed a little longer than he should’ve to cuddle and make out with me. I’d fallen back to sleep after he left, the stress of the past few days catching up to me all of a sudden. Judging by the glaring sunlight that poured into the room even though the blinds were shut, it had to be almost lunchtime by the time I finally woke up again and dragged myself out of bed.

I didn’t even bother to wash my face or clean my teeth before stumbling out to the lounge. Lee was lying on the couch, playing a game.

“Look who decided to join the land of the living,” he said. “Nice hair.”

I patted it, feeling how tangled and messy it was, lifting a good couple of inches away from my scalp. Wow, I must’ve been agreatsight for Noah to wake up to this morning.

Ignoring Lee’s comment, I fixed myself a coffee and looked around. It felt as though I’d hardly been here the last few days—I wasn’t sure when the beach house had turned into such a junkyard. Pizza boxes were stacked up by the window. Empty mugs and cups were dotted around. Clothes I could only assume were dirty littered the floor.

It surprised me. Rachel was pretty uptight about us keeping things clean. Had she not been around much the last few days, too? Had she decided to give up?