Page 14 of Echoes of Us

I turned towards his voice. He was sitting with his friends, his posture relaxed yet commanding. When our eyes met, he pushed off and walked towards us, a grin spreading across his face.

“Atty?” Ezra asked with a raised eyebrow.

I shrugged, biting back a smile when Noah reached us.

“Hey, what are you guys up to?” Noah asked.

“We just left training,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

“Oh, right.”

“Are you coming back?” Ezra asked.

Noah cocked his head. “Maybe next week,” he said noncommittally. He watched me, his tongue sliding to the corner of his mouth in a teasing gesture. “I’m having some people over today. Do you want to come?” he asked me, then glanced at Ezra. “I mean, both of you,” he added.

I was about to agree when Ezra placed his hand on my shoulder.

“We have a thing later, you know, but maybe,” he said.

I pursed my lips, disappointed.

“Oh, that’s alright. If you can. It’s fine if you can’t,” Noah said, looking back at me. “I’ll text you the address if you change your mind. See you.” He turned and walked back to his friends.

I glanced at Ezra, frustration bubbling up inside me. “What the hell?”

“You don’t want to look too eager,” he said.

I shook my head. But I was. Iwaseager.

“He said he’d text you,” Ezra added with a shrug andstarted walking. Glancing at Noah, Ezra tugged my arm to get me moving.

“But—”

“Look, Att, I’m not saying I’m not completely for your sexual awakening,” he started, and I scowled at him, “but you know, maybe start a little slower.”

“I don’t get it. Does it seem like I’m moving fast right now?”

He sighed and clicked his tongue. “No, I mean, maybe pick an easier target.”

I stopped walking again. He turned to look at me.

“What?” I asked.

“Noah’s a little too hardcore for you, Att,” he tried to explain.

“Hardcore? He’s not even gay. It’s not like I’m getting him anyway,” I told him.

“I know, but—” he glanced back to where we came from, “—Att, I went to the last thing at his house, and it was a little intense. Noah parties pretty hard, and you don’t even like to drink beer.”

“So if we don’t like the same things, we can’t be friends?” I started walking again, and he fell into step beside me.

“Yeah, you can, but you don’t want to be friends with Noah. I just don’t want to see you doing things that aren’t you so you can fit in with him.”

I thought about the last party.

“I like Noah too. He seems like a fun guy, but maybe hanging out with him in the party scene isn’t the best idea,” he insisted.

“Maybe,” I amended.

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