Page 18 of Cross My Heart

“And you don’t like that I smell like him?” I question.

“Noah—”

“Why did you stay?” I snap. “Why did you watch?”

“I—”

“Did you like it, Ty?” I breathe, my lips over his. They brush lightly, driving me fucking crazy. “Watching me fuck around with someone else?”

His jaw clenches, and I can hear his molars grinding.

“Did you think it was hot?”

“Why are you doing this, Noah?” he whispers, licking his lips, brushing them against mine. A strike of lightning runs down my spine. “You called him baby.”

“And?” I raise an eyebrow, pulling away to look into his eyes.

“I didn’t—” he stutters. “I didn’t like it. I don’t.”

“You didn’t like me fucking around with him?” I whisper. “Or you didn’t like me calling him baby?”

Tyler shoves me hard, making me stumble back a few steps. He closes the distance between us though, getting in my face. “I didn’t like either of those things.”

“So what are you gonna do, Ty?” I grab his neck and pull him closer to me until we’re sharing breath again. “Are you gonna man up already? Or pussy out?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ty says through gritted teeth. “Fuck.”

Letting him go, I allow him to put some distance between us. And we just stand there for the longest minute of my life, staring at each other. “The way I see it—you’re jealous, Tyler.” I shrug, and his cheeks turn pink again. “Maybe you should ask yourself why. Oh, and also, why you stuck around to watch.”

He nods. “I’m sorry about that.”

“Don’t be.” I grin. “I’ve never come that hard before.”

Tyler swallows hard, and I hear his gulp. “Was it becauseIwas watching you? Or was it just having eyes on you?”

I smirk. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” Tyler’s eyes narrow on mine. “Maybe when you start being honest with yourself, I’ll start being honest with you.”

He nods. “I need to get out of here.”

I gesture to the door and nod as if giving him permission to leave. He takes it, leaving me behind and closing the door behind himself. But I’m not ready to leave this bathroom. Not when I know he’s jealous. I need a few more minutes to sit with that knowledge.

And then I need to get my shit together.

Chapter 10

TYLER

19 YEARS OLD

It’s Christmas Eve, and Scarlett, Noah, and I are at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. We come here every year to see the Christmas lights. It's our tradition at this point. They’ve been doing it since they were little, and ever since I joined the friend group I’ve been coming too.

The night sky is filled with rain clouds, and it’s cold as fuck. I really hope we don’t get rained on, but at this point, it’s almost a guarantee. Noah is hanging back, letting Scarlett and I take the lead. I think he’s upset about something, but he just won’t tell me. And I’m not fucking psychic. I can’t help him if he won’t talk to me.

Scarlett grabs my hand out of nowhere, and my eyes bug out of my head. I look down at our connection, then at her face. She’s smirking at me, and my stomach flutters. But when I look back at Noah, his eyes focused on our hands, my stomach sinks instead. I hate this so much.

Ever since that party, there’s been this unspoken tension between us, and it’s downright suffocating. I should’ve never walked away from him. I should’ve done what I wanted to do all along—kiss him. Demand he be mine instead of fucking around with nameless guys. But I didn’t do that, and now I have no ownership over him. From here though, it looks like he’s feeling possessive over me, if the look on his face is any indication.

Noah’s eyes are narrowed on us, his lips set in a thin line, his face red with what I assume is anger. He shakes his head at me in what seems to be disappointment, and he looks away. It feels like I’m on a rollercoaster ride, my stomach not knowing how to behave. One moment it’s fluttering and the next it’s flip-flopping, and it’s making me want to puke.

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