Page 18 of Echoes of Us

That explained why they treated me like a kid.

“You know you’re barely a year older than me, Colin. I know I kid around with it, but you aren’t my parents. I already have two of those.”

A quiet sound of amusement slipped from him. “I know, Att. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I know he’s straight. I don’t have any expectations,” I replied.

He made another face.

“What?”

“I told you I wasn’t sure about that—Noah’s like a wild card. You never know what you’re getting with him. I never saw it. I only heard gossip about it. And he’s never said anything, but I think he’s hooked up with guys too,” he said, making my heart skip a beat.

“What?” My jaw went slack. I turned back to the house. That day out on the terrace, right now on the couch, he asked me to come to his house twice. Was there a chance he was flirting with me?

“I don’t want you to get your hopes up, Att. I didn’t tell you that so you’d get your hopes up,” he said quickly.

“What did you think would happen when you told me my crush might not be one-sided? That I’d go, ‘Oh! It’s time to give up now?’”

His mouth twitched with restrained laughter. “I didn’t say that. I never said it wasn’t one-sided.”

“Then?”

“I get what he sees in you now. You’re like a shiny Pokémon of a person,” he said.

I snorted a laugh. “What the fuck?”

“You stand out, not just because you’re tall. You’re attractive. You’re the most oblivious person on the planet, and you don’t realize how the girls swoon around you. Though I guess now I know that’s probably the gay thing.” He went on. “You’re smart, and you’re a genius player, but you’re like a vault too.”

“A vault,” I repeated.

“You’re unapproachable. I mean, you must be on the spectrum, because your socializing skills are shit. You look at everybody like they’ve personally offended you, and you’re a little rude when you finally do talk. Ezra and I have to stalk and force you to be friends with us.”

“Do you have a point?” I asked, slightly offended by this depiction of me.

“You’re not unapproachable with Noah. I’ve never seen you like that since I met you. You have your walls down, and he’s really smart. He picked that up very quickly, even though he didn’t know you. He knows he can get close to you and barely has to try. I bet he loves that,” he explained.

“I just…” I started and stopped. I just wanted him to like me too. It seemed like he did. I didn’t know what about me amused him, but I didn’t want him to grow bored.

“I know you just. Look, I know him, and there are two Noahs. The one you’ve met who’s incredibly charming and charismatic, and he is a blast to be around. But,” he said, emphasizing that last word, “there’s the shitty Noah too. Like I said, he’s terrible with the follow-through. He doesn’t look it, but he has a complicated temperament, and when he getslike that, he’s like a bomb that you’re not sure when it’s going to go off. You never know which one you’ll get.”

“I thought he was your friend.”

“He is, but I know how to manage my expectations of him.”

“And you don’t think I will.”

“I know you won’t. I’m hoping this will help. Ezra knows, right?” he asked.

“Yeah, he figured it out the day we met him.” I turned and looked back into the house. Noah was still sitting with Holly. The girl from earlier was back at his side, and her hand was on his lap.

“That’s why he didn’t want you to come?” Colin asked.

Noah stopped talking and whispered something in her ear that made her laugh and move closer to him. Her hand was slipping upwards.

“Yeah, he said I should pick an easier target.”

Noah pushed off the couch, pulling her behind him. He glanced our way, and our eyes met. He smiled and raised his hand, waving at me. I raised my hand, and he turned, walking away with her, out of view.

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