Page 16 of Echoes of Us

“Are you okay?” Colin asked.

I bowed slightly. The music was deafening too. How he got away with this with his neighbors was a mystery to me. They probably hated him if this was a regular occurrence.

“I’m fine,” I told him, though I didn’t feel that way.

So, this was Noah’s scene: drunk people talking and dancing while they smoked and drank. They were right. It felt heavier than regular college parties. Even the music made me uncomfortable. The parties we usually attended always had that Y100 vibe of the same top hits playing repeatedly. Here, it was just heavy electronic music. I didn’t even know what it was called.

“Do you want to go out on the terrace? It’s probably cooler there,” he asked, and I gave a nod. “I’ll fetch us a couple of beers.”

I started making my way over. It was tough to walk around in here, the crowd pressing in from all sides.

“Atty!” I heard a loud call and turned to see Noah waving at me.

He was sitting on the couch, his arm casually draped around a girl’s shoulder. My stomach twisted at the sight. He waved me over.

I pushed my way through the crowd, thankful for my height, which gave me a clear view over most people’s heads. The girl stood up as soon as I got there, and Noah grabbed my hand to get me to sit.

“Hey,” I said, trying to land gracefully.

“What are you doing here? I thought you weren’t going to make it.”

“Colin brought me,” I told him.

I ogled Noah. He had on a sleeveless shirt and sweats. Not typically what you would find attractive, but the shirt was wider under his arms, opening almost below his ribs,revealing smooth skin. His arms were tanned and toned, muscles defined, even though he seemed slightly underweight. I could see the tiniest glimpse of a gold chain peeking through the collar of his shirt. He looked effortlessly perfect.

“I’m glad you made it,” he said with a smile that lit up his face. “This is Holly. She’s my best mate,” he said, introducing me to the girl beside him.

I waved towards her. Her smile leaned more towards a smirk, her eyes flicking between Noah and me with curiosity.

“Hi, Atticus,” she said.

I blinked. Noah snorted, and I turned back to him, unable to hide my confusion.

“She didn’t believe me when I told her you were my friend,” he explained.

“Why?”

“You look like the next Captain America, but a mean version,” she said as an explanation.

I probably seemed even more confused, because they both erupted into laughter.

“Isn’t he the fucking cutest?” Noah asked her, and my heart skipped a beat at his words.

He jumped up on the couch, crouching, and swung his arm over my shoulders. She shrugged in response. I gazed sideways at his hand. He had beautiful hands; they were thin, long, and elegant. He wore a pinky ring that gleamed softly under the lights.

“Do you want something to drink? Smoke?” she asked.

“Atty’s not really into that,” Noah said before I could reply, and I looked up at him. He leaned his elbow on my shoulder as he lit up a joint, the smell of marijuana mingling with his scent.

“What are you into?” she asked.

“Volleyball,” I told her.

She tilted her head in understanding. “That’s how you know each other. He didn’t want to say,” she told me.

“Because we’re very different volleyball players. I’m a washed-out junkie jock, and Atty’s a fucking genius child player, who will probably play at the Olympics,” he explained.

I didn’t like how he spoke about himself. “You’re an excellent player,” I told him.

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