Page 160 of After All This Time

“Why didn’t you tell me about how you felt about me when we were in high school?”

“I debated it. More times than I could count. I knew you’d accuse me of trying to distract you from studying, so I could get a better grade than you. Or maybe I’m trying to mess with you. There was one thing I almost did because I had a lot of opportunities to do it.”

“Oh, what’s that?”

“Grab you by the hand, take you into an empty classroom, push you up against a wall, and kiss the shit out of you.”

My body shifts, so I’m sitting in front of him, crisscrossing my legs.

God, I can’t even imagine how teenage Dani would’ve reacted to that. Actually, I can. She would’ve tried to push teenage Noah away, denying her feelings. But, she’d give in. Just like Adult Dani has, but it wouldn’t be such an easy feat.

Why am I speechless?

Noah licks his lips, making them glisten. “Are you okay over there?”

“Uh-huh. So…why didn’t you do that?”

“Why didn’t I do what?”

“The whole kissing the shit out of me thing.”

“It wasn’t just because of how I thought you’d react. It was also me. If there was a slight possibility of us starting something, I couldn’t risk losing you. So, I decided not to act on my feelings then. I’m really glad I didn’t.”

“You don’t regret waiting for me?” A cute frown grows on my face.

He shakes his head, pressing his lips together. “Never. I will always wait for you, Danielle Solomon. No matter how long it would take for us to make our way back to each other. We’re inevitable. You and me. Sound familiar?”

A small chuckle escapes my lips as I wave around my middle finger in front of his face.

He grabs my hand, yanking me on top of him.

Taken by surprise, I let out a gasp. My eyes close and a big smile grows on my face.

“It’s my turn to ask you a question now.”

“This isn't a game, Noah.”

“None of this is a game to me, Princess.” He stares me down, his blue eyes hypnotizing the crap out of me. “Tell me the truth. Did you really hate me?”

“You were irritating, annoying, and full of yourself. But, no, I didn’t hate your guts if that’s what you’re asking me. You just drove me crazy. Guess that explains why we stopped talking to each other.”

“No, that explains why you stopped talking to me.” His lips quiver, pupils dilating.

“Yeah…I just couldn’t take it anymore. The constant fighting and competing with you got old. That’s not the real reason why I stopped talking to you though…” I drift off, hoping that he doesn’t want to know the truth.

His eyes tell me something entirely different. “Tell me why you stopped talking to me.” He threads his fingers into mine, anticipating my response. “Please.”

“We kind of talked about this already, but I can talk about it in more depth.” I shrug my shoulders.

Noah nods, gesturing to me to continue anyway.

“Okay, it was our sophomore year of high school. It was the one-year anniversary of my dad’s passing. And I know your mom kept you out of the loop, but you’re whip-smart. I don’t understand how you didn’t figure any of it out. You know, what happened to him and how I missed most of my freshman year.” I take a quick minute to catch my breath. “Anyways, I debated on going to school that day because I knew I wouldn’t be able to focus on anything, but my mom insisted I go. So, I did. I distinctly remember you came up to me in the hallway by my locker. You said something to the effect of my dad being in a much better place because he didn’t have to suffer by being in my presence every day anymore.”

He closes his eyes, shaking his head. “Fuck…I’m so sorry. Do you know how much I pressed my mom to tell me what happened to your dad? I had to resort to asking Bella because she was the only person who was willing to tell me what the hell was going on. I was fourteen. I wasn’t a child. I hated that my mom treated me like I was. Like I wouldn’t have been able to handle it.” He pauses, looking around the room to collect the rest of his thoughts. “That’s why I sent you the box because I had to do something to make up for being a jackass to you, even if you didn’t know it was me at the time. God, I wish I could go back in time and go to your dad’s funeral. Be there for you like how you’ve been there for me. After everything I did to you, you came to my rescue all these years later. I don’t fucking deserve you.”

His eyes have a glassy sheen to them.

I cup his face, caressing the top of his cheekbone with my thumb.

---