Page 16 of Saving Noah

Chapter 5

Zach checked his watch again. It’d only been about forty minutes, but he already felt nervous about leaving Noah for so long. His feelings didn’t make a bit of sense, but they were what they were. As soon as he’d noticed how infatuated he’d been with his neighbor, he’d erected walls to protect himself. Noah knocked those fuckers down when he’d reached for him at the hospital—when he’d looked up at him like he’d believed Zach could save his life.

NoahneededZach.

ZachwantedNoah.

If there was ever a wrong path to travel when trying to dip one’s toe in the dating game, he and Noah were taking that path. Everything was wrong with the groundwork laid between the two of them. They’d cleared up a few things, but so many lies and misunderstandings still existed between them…on both sides. Zach possessed some weird desire to fix the unfixable—it was one of the reasons he’d become a doctor.

Noah appeared to be pretty much alone in this world, addicted to prescription medication, suffering from at least one phobia, and didn’t have many other potential boyfriend/lover candidates because of his inability to leave his safe areas. Any of those issues could easily be the reason he’d shown interest in Zach. No doubt about it—they were reaching for each other for all the wrong reasons, but Zach couldn’t step away from Noah if his very life depended on it. Some unexplainable bond had formed at the hospital, and Zach had no interest in trying to sever it.

Just as he grabbed the basket of food he’d packed to carry to Noah’s apartment, his cell phone started to ring. Thinking it might be Dr. Nichols calling him back with psychiatrist recommendations, he set the basket down and answered, “Zachary Meadows.”

“Ha! Don’t you sound all professional,” Connor responded with a laugh. “Clearly you didn’t check to see who called.”

Zach rolled his eyes; he didn’t have time for Connor’s nonsense. He almost groaned when he remembered his clubbing date with Connor tonight. Yeah, that wasn’t happening. “Ha. Ha. Very funny. What do you need, Connor? I’m kind of busy right now.” He checked his watch again. Shit. He hadn’t meant to take this long. He frowned as he looked at the food basket and wondered if Noah had a grill on his outside balcony. Since there’d been one included with his apartment, he could only assume Noah had one too. He was also certain Noah’s had never been used. Double shit. He would need come back to grill the steaks.

“Okay, okay; I’ll make it fast, but there are some things I need to get off my chest…about what happened last night.”

Perfect. His future held a lecture. “Say it, but be quick about it,” he told Connor. “I want to go on the record before you start and let you know I know I acted like an asshole and I’m sorry about that. It won’t happen again. I’m over my dislike for my neighbor.”Yeah, understatement of the year.

Connor huffed into the phone. “Well, that wasn’t very fair. An apology takes the wind out of my sails.”

“Are we finished, then?” Zach asked hopefully. At this rate, the steaks would rot before he could get them on a grill.

“Okay, here goes. There’s room for only one asshole in our relationship, and I’ve kinda had the monopoly on that spot since I met you at the playground. To be honest, my title has gone uncontested, and it kinda sucks you’ve decided to give me a run for my money. Stop. It isn’t cool. Me the asshole; you the good guy. End of story.” Then in a much more serious tone, he said, “I know what you’re doing with your neighbor, Zach. It’s how you do things…how you keep everybody at arm’s length. Over the years, I’ve noticed you doing it over and over again. The very second you think someone might be capable of meaning more than a fun fuck, you jack up all these walls around your heart, shutting them out before they even have a chance to step a toe inside. I get it; I know why you do it. You’ve had a shit life. Everybody that should’ve loved you and protected youdidn’t. Other than me and my family, every other person has disappointed you. To avoid disappointment, you simply stopped letting anybody in.” He paused and then, in typical Connor fashion, he tried to add a bit of humor to themedicineand added, “Doing shit like that, Zach, kind of makes you a pussy. Don’t be afraid of giving your heart to somebody. I’m never going to get rid of you at this rate.”

Connor had him pegged perfectly. Zach shut people out, especially those who could be capable of worming their way into his heart, like Noah. He’d intentionally treated him like shit and tried to pick out every flaw he could find as a way to convince himself Noah wasn’t right for him. Zach hated being so transparent.

He hated admitting when he was wrong too; it always left a bad taste in his mouth. Twice in one phone call was unacceptable…but necessary. “You’re right, Connor. I’m not even sure I realized I did that until today. I can’t promise miracles, but I’m going to try to do better.”

“Uh-oh. That was too easy,” Connor murmured into the phone. “Was that some kind of code that you need help? You never admit you’re wrong without a four-hour battle and a PowerPoint presentation proving it to you. What gives?”

Now he sounded worried. Perfect.

“I was wrong about my neighbor, Connor. I acted like an ass, and I did it for all the wrong reasons. I see that now.”

Connor coughed into the phone. “Oh, yeah, about that,” he started slowly. “That’s the other reason I called. I know I just gave you the speech about opening your heart and not shutting people out as a way to protect yourself, but I want you to stay away from the hot neighbor boy. Keep doing what you’re doing with him. He smiles; you look the other way. Maybe even growl. Do whatever it takes to make him understand you aren’t interested.” After a few soft curse words, Connor added, “Hell, we may have to have your eyes removed until he moves out. He is a hot motherfucker.”

“What the hell, Connor? You were practically all over him last night, but then today, I need to steer clear of him? Stop shutting people out in one breath and then shut my neighbor out in the next? You need to make sense really fast or I’m hanging up.”

“I told you I thought he looked familiar last night,” Connor said. “Well, it kept driving me crazy after I got home. I knew I’d seen him somewhere and I spent all fucking night digging around to find out what it was about him causing the ding-ding to go off in my head. Around four this morning, I found what I was looking for. His name isn’t John; it’s Noah St. Claire. He’s trouble, Zach. I don’t want you involved with him.” Connor puffed out a frustrated breath. “Hell, Zach, I may even want you to move out of the apartment complex.”

What. The. Fuck.

Noah was trouble? Zach shook his head. How much trouble could he cause locked inside his apartment, a prisoner of his own mind?

He proceeded with caution. “Yeah, he told me his real name a little earlier. I assumed he was hiding from somebody,” Zach answered. “That’s it, isn’t it? I mean, what else could it be? He’s a nice guy.”

“Oh, he’s hiding from somebody, all right,” Connor barked into the phone. “More important, though, is why are you talking to him and why did he give you his real name? What’s going on, Zach? Please tell me you didn’t fuck him.”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but, no, we didn’t have sex.” Fucking didn’t even begin to describe what Zach wanted to do with Noah, and that scared him. “They brought him into the emergency room today, and I learned some things about him that made me see things differently.” Like when Noah reached for him, his heart melted. “Whatever it is you think you know about him, Connor, you’re wrong. Noah isn’t the bad guy.” Imagining Noah being anything but innocently beautiful was impossible.

“I didn’t say he was a bad guy. I said he was trouble and I want you to stay away from him—for your own protection, Zach. I dug through my old crime DVDs and found the clusterfuck I remembered him from. Listen to me. Noah helped bring down one of the biggest crime bosses in Las Vegas. As in, knee deep in kill-people-for-looking-at-you-wrong shit. His evidence and testimony put Donovan Moretti in jail.Donovan Moretti, Zach. Nobody messes with the Moretti family and lives to tell about it. Nobody.”

Chills of ice-cold fear raced through Zach, nearly bringing him to his knees. Crime bosses? Somebody wanted Noah dead? Connor could be guilty of being overly dramatic at times, and Zach wanted this to be one of those times.

“You still with me, Zach? Did you hear what I said? The Moretti family. I’ve changed my mind; I want you out of that apartment building. Moretti only got a slap on the wrist for the money laundering Noah nailed him on, so I’m sure he’s still calling shots from his prison cell. There’s no way in hell Daddy Moretti doesn’t have an entire team of private investigators looking for the boy who did him in, and when he finds him, he won’t care what friendly neighbor might try to get in his way. Noah will be dead and so will you if you’re anywhere near the explosion. Pack your shit; you’re moving out.”

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