Page 113 of Chasing Infinity

“Noah,” he says to me while glaring at Mr. Parks. “I’ll see you at home later. Don’t stay out too late.”

I frown at him as he turns abruptly on his heel and stalks off. I catch Mr. Parks’ eyes in a quick glance, and he shakes his head, not saying a word. Once my parents are gone, I follow Addison and her family to their car, where we hop in and drive off to get our ice cream sundaes.

The evening is much better than anything I would have planned to celebrate. We stop at the Malt Shoppe in town and order ice cream and French fries. Mrs. Parks finds us an empty table to sit at, and we enjoy our dessert.

Though we’re with her family, I can hardly take my eyes off Addison. She’s practically glowing this evening, shrouded in the excitement of graduating and the anticipation of the summer break ahead of us. Her hazel eyes sparkle against the golden glow of the twinkle lights hung up around the Malt Shoppe patio. I think I fall even more in love with her when she tosses her head back, laughing at something her mother said.

It’s a night I never want to end.

“So, Noah,” her mother begins after taking a bite of her sundae with pecans. “What are you doing for school next year?”

I swallow my ice cream before looking at the Parks sheepishly. “I’m not sure yet. I think I’ll take a year off, maybe try and do some internships or something to see if I can find the right fit.”

Mr. Parks nods his head at me. “I think that’s a great idea. You’ll go far, Noah. You’ve got great potential.”

For the first time in my life, I experience what it’s like to have a male figure who is proud of me. Someone who thinks I’m more than just the name I was born with. As I sit there, I try to remember if there was ever a time when my father told me he was proud of me, and I come up blank. A ball of satisfaction centers in my chest, and I sit up straighter, looking at Mr. Parks square in the face.

“Thank you, Sir. That really means a lot to me,” I tell him. My voice sounds thick. I hope he can’t pick up on it, but by the understanding and pride that settles on his face, I know he has.

Addison reaches for my hand underneath the table and squeezes my fingers. Still smiling, I look over at her and squeeze her hand back. I decide right then and there that I like the feeling of having a family who supports you. It’s something I’ve missed out on my whole life.

We stay for a bit longer, finishing our ice cream, and then the Parks drop me off at my house. Addison’s eyes widen when they pull up the driveway, the large McCoy house looming over their small sedan. She’s never seen firsthand the wealth that comes with my last name, and I make a note to keep it that way. If ever I have to choose between having a mansion where I’ve never felt more alone versus a small two-bedroom house with a family in it that loves you, I’ll go with the latter option. Every time.

I wave at the Parks as they drive away from my front step and then turn to go inside. As I head to my room, my legs feel heavy with every step. As I make it to the second floor, I notice a light in my father’s study, leaking underneath the door and flooding the dark hallway. I contemplate for a moment going in there and asking him what his deal was at the ceremony, but I think better of it.

Nothing my father will say is of any interest to me. So instead, I tread quietly to my bedroom, closing the door with a softclick,and then head to bed, ready to call it a day.

The following afternoon, I find Addison in the library—nose deep in a book calledForensic Chemistry.When I walk up to her, she’s already got a notebook full of equations and practice problems that she’s been working out. When I approach her, she looks up at me as if embarrassed but then returns to what she’s doing.

I manage to sit quietly with her for half an hour. After that, the need to be closer to her takes over me. Somehow we end up sprawled out on one of the couches in the back part of the library, her underneath me, those hazel eyes staring straight up into my soul.

“You’re a bad influence,” she whispers right before I capture her lips in mine. Addison arches her back up, pressing her breasts against me as I kiss her deeply.

When I pull away, I smirk down at her. “Or maybeyou’rethe bad influence. I can’t seem to keep my hands off of you.”

“What if I don’t want you to keep your hands off me?” Addison asks, looking up at me from underneath her eyelashes.

A warm heat burns through my body under her gaze. Suddenly, the weight of the moment falls heavily on me, and it hits me that I’m here withher. Of all the people I could be with, I have her. Finally. “You make me so incredibly happy, you know that, Parks?”

Addison hums, a smile playing on her lips as I close the distance between us again, leaning down and pressing my weight against her into the couch’s cushions. Her fingers thread through my hair, gripping my head as close as she can.

Before we can get too hot and heavy, her phone rings, interrupting. The noise startles us, and we jolt away from each other. Parks groans as she reaches into the back pocket of her jean shorts and pulls her phone out, turning off the alarm. My hand trails up the length of her thigh, taking in the smooth spans of her leg.

“I’ve got to go,” she swats at my hand that is now snaking up around her waist. “I told my parents I would help this afternoon since they’re short-staffed.”

“Wouldn’t you much rather stay here, and we can make out some more?” I tease her, leaning forward and pressing my lips to hers. Addison opens for me, her lips parting with a sigh as I kiss her deeply. Her back arches as I wrap a hand around her waist, pulling her into me.

“That sounds much more fun than refilling coffee cups all afternoon,” she murmurs against my lips. “But I told them I’d be there.”

“Okay, okay,” I relent, letting her go and rolling off the couch. “We’ll reconvene later.”

Once standing, I offer her my hand to pull her up. Parks tugs on the hem of her shirt, trying to straighten out the wrinkles, and then she grabs the rest of her things.

Together we walk out of the library and onto Main Street. Once we hit the sidewalk, I reach for her hand, interlacing our fingers. Addison glances down at our hands and then quickly refocuses on the sidewalk in front of us, fighting off a smile. Her lips are pink and slightly swollen from our makeout session up in the library. Her eyes glitter, and her cheeks are flushed, tempting me to drag her somewhere private and ravish her some more.

I spot Jordan and Caleb hanging out on the bridge when we pass the park. I turn to Addison and tug on her hand. “I’ll let you go from here.”

“Okay,” she says, her eyes darting from my friends back to me and then nodding her head. “Will I see you later?”

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