Page 50 of Echoes of Us

“What is it?”

“Are you heading back to your dorm now?”

“Yeah, I was. I usually go to the gym at seven on Mondays.”

“Can I stay over tonight?” he asked, his tone hopeful, eyes searching mine.

“Did you sleep well last night? It was kind of tight.”

“I like that. But it’s your room. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. We could go back to mine if you like,” Noah suggested.

Was it just a given that we were going to keep sleeping together?

“If you don’t mind the bed, we could stay at mine tonight and go to yours tomorrow. The gym is about a block from my dorm,” I said.

His smile grew. “I don’t mind at all. I have to run and get some things, but I’ll meet you there later.”

“Aren’t you going to change?” I asked, glancing at his disheveled appearance.

“Nah, I’ll take a quick shower before I head out to yours.”

“King,” the coach called, signaling me.

“I’ll be right there.”

Colin and Ezra were watching us.

Noah grabbed the front of my shirt and turned my attention to him. “See you later, Atty.” He tugged on my shirt, leaned up, and kissed me.

I froze. He spun and pranced out of the gym. There was no way anybody missed that. The coach probably saw it.

I turned to look at them, and the whole team was staring at me wide-eyed.Shit. I cleared my throat, and most of them started talking and moving away. I ignored the looks Ezra and Colin gave me and spoke to the coach.

Then they came and asked if we were dating. There was no point in denying it anymore. I told them we had gotten together on Saturday, and I saw the disapproval in both their faces.

“I know I scowl and joke around with it a lot, but you’re my friends. I consider you my friends too. I’m happy,” I told them and regarded Ezra. “You know how much I like him. You know how much I liked him from the moment I saw him. I never thought he would like me back, and I know he’s going through something difficult, but I’m still happy. You’ll be there if this blows up in my face, right? But meanwhile, can you let me enjoy it?” I asked.

Ezra scowled at first but ended up nodding. Colin smiled at me.

“Of course, we’ll be there, Att. I’ll back off,” Ezra said.

“Just please promise me you’ll go slow, even if he doesn’t want to,” Colin added.

I smiled. “Promise.”

The rest of the week went the same way. Noah would make me late for class, text me during the day, go to training, and then return to his place or mine. When I saw him at night, he would climb on my lap and kiss me for hours. Each day that went by, he’d be more insistent and try to get me out of my clothes. His hands would trail over my skin, leaving my mind blank. Every fiber of my being told me to go with it and just feel him, but I held back, trying to remember I was supposed to keep this slow.

By Thursday, I was on a first-name basis with his doorman, and Noah was by my side when I left for classes. He told the doorman he could let me in whenever I wanted. He even gave me a key to his apartment.

I was walking to class when I heard Noah calling me. I turned to see him sitting with his friends. Noah was perched on a low wall next to a building while the rest of his friends leaned against it.

“Hey,” I told them, and they all waved.

“Atticus,” Holly said with a smile.

“Hey, Holly,” I replied.

Noah grabbed the front of my shirt, reeling me towards him. I tried to step back a little.

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