Page 32 of Two Weeks to Fall in Love

Two Weeks to Like the Hugs

It was just a hug. Technically, there was nothing worrisome about a simple hug. Only it wasn’t just a hug and it was anything but simple.

I didn’t mind that this hug was lasting a little too long for just a hug . In fact, I wouldn’t have minded if this just a hug moment lasted a lot longer still.

The way his clothes smelled freshly laundered mixed with a mild cologne made me want to bury myself into his neck and refuse to breathe air unless it smelled like him.

It was also the way that my heart was beating, not in discomfort or anxiety but in quiet excitement at feeling his body heat increasing mine.

It was also the way I couldn’t keep one very troublesome thought from coming into my head.

He fit so perfectly when he was wrapped around me.

“Um,” I muttered, trying to stop my heart from spiraling in directions it shouldn’t go in.

Noah pulled away as soon as I let out my mumble. His eyes scanned my face and a small apologetic smile appeared on his lips.

“Sorry. Probably should have asked before I did that,” he said, and I instantly shook my head.

“Don’t apologize. I like—” I started, but it was like my tongue got stuck on the word. “—hugs. There’s nothing quite like them, you know. Hugs, I mean. Yeah, I’m a hugger, that’s me. Just all about those hugs.”

Please, someone, save me from myself .

When I was done with my little hug monologue, I took a deep breath. Oh, crap . There was no way I could get myself out of this now. I focused my eyes on our shoes, afraid to look at the expression on his face.

This is fine . I am fine . The situation is totally fine . I repeated this in my head a few times, but the silence that stretched out didn’t help.

Of course he’s silent, you genius. What is he supposed to say when you just explained in great detail your nonexistent obsession with hugs?

Letting out a sigh, I decided to rip off the bandage, and peeked up at him through my lashes.

The reason for the silence became obvious when I saw his hand pressed against his mouth, his face stretched so tight it was clear he was barely holding in his laugh.

As soon as I looked at him he exploded in laughter. Shaking his head, he bent down to place himself on eye level with me. He moved close enough for me to see every shade and sparkle in those mischievous eyes of his.

“You’re really freaking cute, Skyler, you know that?”

I gulped. Audibly. His grin widened and his eyes dipped down to my lips for a fraction of a second. Enough for me to notice and become acutely aware of my lips. And then, with far too much attention on them, I panicked and licked my lips.

His eyes quickly focused back down. His throat bobbed. Something in his eyes changed. A heat radiated from them. His breath came out a little more ragged. Slowly, almost as if it was outside of his conscious control, he leaned closer, closer, closer . . .

And then suddenly he pulled back, taking a deep breath.

“And trouble. Definitely trouble,” he mumbled, finally turning away from me and running his fingers through his messy hair.

My face felt feverish and I took a few deep breaths before muttering back, “That’s my line.”

Noah turned back to me, face slightly redder than before and eyes wide. Then he let out a chuckle and tilted his head.

“Wish I would’ve known about the hugs earlier, could have been a lot more of them by now,” he said, that mischievous light back in his eyes. “Oh well, guess we’ll have to make up for lost time from now on.”

Oh no . I should have known my big mouth was going to get me into trouble. There was no way I could handle more of those hugs. Just one and my head already felt scrambled.

“I mean, there’s no sense dwelling on the past and all that,” I said, grimacing.

“Agreed. That’s why I’ll just focus on all the future hugs,” he deadpanned.

“Or maybe we should just focus on the present,” I countered, feeling like I was just digging my hole deeper and yet unable to stop.

“Oh, you want to focus on the present hug? The one from just now, or do you want a new one?” he replied, and opened his arms expectantly.

I took a step forward before my brain could stop me. I saw his eyes widen; clearly he had not expected me to take him up on his offer. At this point, there was no turning back.

I slowly took two steps toward him, extended my arms . . . and tousled his hair before moving a step back. Noah let out a mock gasp and laughed as he ran his hands through the mess I’d made.

“It’s good to see you in a better mood,” I said, and truly meant it. His laugh made me feel warmer.

“It’s hard to be anything but happy around you, Fox,” he said, and though his tone was playful, there was something serious in his eyes when he looked at me.

Something that made my heart speed up all over again, just when I’d finally managed to calm it down. I needed to change the subject, fast.

“So, do you wanna do a question or two before we head back?” I asked, trying my best to keep my voice casual even when casual was the last thing I was feeling.

“Sure, that’s a good idea. But I wanted to ask you something as well,” he said, rubbing his nape as he stared at his feet.

“Ask anything,” I said, hoping it wasn’t going to be another thing that would turn my world upside down. I’d had enough of those for one day.

“My sister’s back in town from school early, for the holidays and stuff.

She’s throwing a small get-together tomorrow, but knowing her it’s gonna end up being a party,” he said, and rolled his eyes before continuing.

“I just . . . Would you maybe want to come? Help me make sure she doesn’t trash the place? ”

Well, of all the things I could have imagined him asking this wouldn’t have ever made the list.

“Come to your sister’s party?”

“Yeah. I mean, it’s at our house, so I guess it’s kind of my party too.”

“On a Tuesday?”

“Yup.”

“Who throws a party on a Tuesday?” I probed.

He nodded before letting out one of those what can you do sighs and replying, “My sister rarely does things that make sense to other people.”

“Huh. That must run in the family,” I said instantly.

Noah’s eyes widened before he laughed. “Yeah, now that you mention it, I do recall being called a sphinx by someone .”

“Yeah, well, someone was pretty accurate.”

“Maybe,” he added, a grin still on his face. “So, will someone come to the party?”

I twirled a strand of hair around my finger, staring at it for a second while considering his question.

One of the things I had promised myself I’d do the last year of school was to actually go to the parties I was invited to.

And his sister, as far as I remembered, was only two years older than us.

Not a huge age difference. Then again, it would all be people I didn’t know. Complete strangers.

“Can Mel come?” I asked, knowing that if I roped her into this she would not let me chicken out at the last minute.

“Of course. She’s more than welcome,” he said. “Does that mean you’re in?”

A party on a Tuesday night. Rationally, I should have just said no instantly. But there was a voice inside of me screaming Just live a little .

“Yeah, I’m in,” I said, excitement bubbling in my voice. Noah’s expression lit up so brightly it felt like being hit by a ray of sun.

Yup. Trouble .

*

“If there was one thing you could change about how you were raised or your family, what would that be?” Noah asked as we settled inside his car.

I shuddered in enjoyment at the warmth of the car.

Thinking on it, most of my childhood was spent with my grandma.

It had been almost four years since she passed, and I still missed her deeply.

I missed her laugh, her hugs, her food. My grandma had done her best to give me a childhood full of happiness and love, but even still, there were days when I would feel lonely.

Now that loneliness remained, somewhere in the space where her love and her laugh had once resided. It felt cruel that it was hard to remember her voice or the cadence of her laughter, but I had no problem remembering that day in the hospital.

Are you always this selfish? You’re only thinking about yourself . Noah had said these words to me back then. It had been the worst day in every possible way. The fog had descended on the city with vengeance, and I’d suddenly felt the need to run away from an even more gloomy reality.

When I saw my grandma hooked up to those machines, a shell of the woman she’d been, I ran.

I ran away and straight into the cruel words Noah had wielded like a knife.

He didn’t seem to remember the interaction that I had hated him for.

It felt ridiculous now. No matter how I tried to look at it, his words had only been truthful.

And truth often felt like cruelty to those who refused to face it.

Clutching my hands together, I slowly relaxed into the seat and turned to face him. Time to focus on the actual question .

“Hm, I’ve never actually thought of that.

” I sighed, trying to come up with an answer.

“I guess I always wanted a sibling. Seeing Mel and Lily with their siblings always made me jealous. Even when they were screaming at each other. Other than that, it would be nice if my dad had a job where he could be home more.”

Noah reached out and took my hand in his, entwining our fingers. “I’m sorry,” he said, and I genuinely sensed the emotion in his tone.

I gently squeezed his hand. “It’s fine. Can’t have it all, right?”

“Yeah,” he said, letting out a low breath. “You can probably guess what I’d change.”

“Your dad?” I asked, even though it was more than obvious from everything I’d seen or heard from Noah.

“Yup. My dad.” Noah nodded, a flicker of something bittersweet crossing his face. “I wish Mom had divorced him the first time he cheated. Everything could have been different.”

Another gentle squeeze of his hand was all I could muster as a response.

“Can’t have it all,” he echoed my sentiment, and slowly rubbed his thumb against my skin.

“The thing with your dad, is that why you don’t really believe in love?”

Noah let out a sigh and leaned his head against the seat. He closed his eyes for a few seconds before he turned to face me.

“Yeah. Knowing he cheated and kept telling my mom she was the love of his life—I thought that love either wasn’t real or if it was, and it was that , I didn’t any part of it.” His voice sounded heavy, burdened with thoughts and worries that had probably lived inside him for years.

It was hard for me to blame him for not believing in love. If I’d had his experience, I might have ended up way more bitter and closed off than he had. Still, that didn’t explain why he was looking for love now, and so desperately at that. While I was mulling over how to ask that, he spoke again.

“Lately, though . . .” he started, and then went quiet.

“Lately?” I asked, trying to read his expression.

Noah looked at me, then down at our entwined hands. He pulled them closer to him, studying them as if they were some mysterious object full of wonder. Then he turned our hands so mine was facing his mouth and placed the softest kiss on it.

For the umpteenth time that day, my breathing became increasingly erratic. And then he pushed it over the edge when he looked deep into my eyes.

“Lately, I’ve found myself thinking I might believe in it after all.” His low voice reverberated in the enclosure of the car, sending ripples across my heart.

I stared at him, mouth open, lost for words. This could just mean he was finally convinced that love was real, not that he was close to feeling that emotion. I was starting to feel lightheaded.

“Skyler, breathe,” Noah said, amusement in his voice. “I’ll take you home, okay? This day was long.”

“Eternal,” I confirmed, exhaling. “I’m really happy you wanted to meet up. I didn’t like how we left things at all. And everything you shared, it means a lot,” I said. My thoughts were all over the place, but this one thing I knew for sure.

I squeezed his hand. He squeezed mine back.

No words were exchanged but somehow it felt like we understood each other.

“Hey, I guess you didn’t need a teacher after all,” I said quietly, as he started the car.

“Hm, I wouldn’t be so sure.”