Page 28 of It Was Always You

And of course, he noticed my blushing. To make it worse, he said, "I'll let you show me just how good you are later. Maybe we can heat things up in my car without even turning the heater on."

If it was possible to burst into flames at that moment, I would have.

I looked around to see if anyone was listening to our conversation. Of course, the saxophones in the row ahead were eyeing us and whispering to each other. I glanced at Harrison and noticed him staring ahead intently, his jaw flexing. Did he not like that Noah was talking about kissing me? Was this plan of ours actually working?

I leaned closer to Noah. "People are going to start thinking all we do together is make-out.” And if theythought that, they'd probably keep on thinking the stupid rumors I'd started were true, too.

He just grinned that wicked grin of his. "I'm okay with that. I mean, if the rumors are already there, why shouldn't we just make-out all the time?" He winked.

Ok, where was the fire extinguisher? My face was on fire.

Noah touched my forehead, his hand cool against my burning skin. "Are you feeling well, babe? You're looking overheated."

My skin sparked even more to life at his unexpected touch, and my mind couldn't get over the fact that Noah Taylor had just calledmebabe! But since I couldn't have him noticing my involuntary reaction to him, I removed his palm not so gently from my forehead. "Y-you know I'm healthy as a horse."

He grinned again. "Good, I would hate to get sick after tonight." He peeked at Harrison then whispered next to my ear. "Don't look now, but I'm pretty sure Harrison wants to punch me in the face."

"And that's a good thing?" I whispered back.

Noah shrugged. "He's definitely noticing you and feeling some strong emotions, so I'd say it's good."

I wanted to turn around to see for my own eyes what he was talking about, but that would only make it obvious that we were up to something. So I looked into Noah's dark brown eyes instead and spoke in as calm a voice as Icould. "I'll text Easton to tell him not to worry about giving me a ride home tonight."

"You ready to go?"Noah asked when the game ended. Ridgewater High won, 45-40.

After his initial over-the-top flirting, Noah had actually kept things in check the rest of the time. The only other time I blushed again was when he noticed Raven glaring at us from her spot with the cheerleaders on the floor and Noah decided to lean in real close and whisper nonsense in my ear just to make her jealous.

And it was totally working because she seemed to be having a really hard time looking upbeat during her cheer routine.

But as for Harrison, aside from that one moment where his jaw had been tense, he didn't seem bothered much at all. Which had me thinking that his flexed jaw had nothing to do with Noah talking about kissing me. It would seem that Noah's theory about guys wanting what they can't have was totally untrue, just like Easton had said. Because instead of paying attention to us, Harrison spent most of the rest of the game either texting his girlfriend or doing his homework.

I had planned to do my homework during the game like I usually did but found myself getting caught uptalking to Noah instead. He was super distracting when he wanted to be.

But the game was over, so now he could take me home and I could stay up late doing my homework, since we were most definitely not going to be making out like he wanted everyone around us to believe.

"I just have to put my trumpet and stand away, and then we can go." I grabbed the case from where I'd stashed it behind me and opened the latches.

Noah gripped the stand in his hand. "I can put this away for you."

"Really?" I asked, not expecting his help. Even when I shared a stand with someone, I was usually the one always putting it away.

He shrugged like it was no big deal. "What kind of a boyfriend would I be if I didn't offer?"

I watched him as he followed the other band kids to the storage area by the stairs. On his way back, Raven stopped him.

I tried to push away the jealousy bubbling inside when she leaned in, closer than a regular friend would, and said something into his ear.

I shouldn't be jealous. Noah wasn't my real boyfriend.

"What's going on with that?" Harrison startled me out of my envious stupor, gesturing to Noah and Raven with his hand.

I sighed and started latching my trumpet case. "They're friends. She's probably talking to him about a class or something."

Harrison raised an eyebrow like he didn't believe me. "Friends don't usually stand that close unless they want the friendship to change."

"What are you trying to say?" I asked, not liking what he was hinting at. "Are you trying to say that Noah is cheating on me?"

That would just be my luck, though: Noah pretending to date me only to actually be dating someone behind my back. Was that what this was? Was he just trying to create a new thrill for himself? Like the ultimate dating behind someone's back, without it technically being wrong?

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