Page 86 of Wanted You More

I cringe when she replies with an excited, “Oh, I know who you are.”

Before I can comment on that, I notice his red, puffy knuckles. I don’t think before grabbing his hand and getting a better look at his knuckles. “What happened?”

The pad of my thumb gently caresses the swollen skin, making me frown when he winces and moves his hand away. “It’s nothing you need to concern yourself with.”

I don’t like that response. “I forgot I wasn’t supposed to give a shit. Unlike some people, it takes me a while to stop caring.”

His lips twitch into a frown, but he chooses not to comment on that. Instead, he focuses on Kennedy. “You must be Austen’s roommate.”

It doesn’t surprise me that he knows who Kennedy is. I’ve posted pictures we’ve taken together online. He never interacts with them, but he sees them.

“I am,” Kennedy confirms. I’ll have to hug her later, because she says, “So what happened to your hand? That looks like it hurts.”

His eyes go to his knuckles. He flexes his fingers before he closes them again. “I got into a fight. Like I said, it’s no big deal.”

As if that’s going to stop me from asking him more about it. “Was it on call? I know you’ve had problems with certain people that were under the influence.” I turn to Kennedy. “I remember this one time Noah had a black eye from some cokehead who clocked him after they literally saved his life. What a douche, right?”

Noah clears his throat. “I told you not to talk about my work stories. Some of those people have legitimate problems. Addiction is no joke.”

I cross my arms and stand a little taller, irritated by his tone. “Do you see me laughing?”

Kennedy looks between the two of us. “I don’t totally understand what’s happening right now, but the sexual tension between you two is insane. Even I’m feeling a little overheated.”

Noah and I both glare at my roommate, who quickly lifts her palms in surrender.

I loop my arm around Kennedy’s and pull her into me. “Come on, Ken. We’ve got more holiday shopping to do. I’m sure Noah was in the middle of getting something for his girlfriend.”

Kennedy’s eyes go to the little white bag from the jewelry store he was just in. I have a sinking feeling about what might be in it. Not wanting to think of the potential finger bling he could have purchased, I force my gaze upward to see his distant expression.

“Tell your parents I said hello,” I say sweetly, smiling as I pull my friend around his stiff body.

Before I can fully walk away, he grabs my free arm to stop us. Kennedy bumps into me as we stumble backward.

Suddenly, I’m face-to-face with the boy who may be proposing to his girlfriend for Christmas.

“What?” I ask, feeling his hard gaze on my face.

His nostrils flare. “Don’t act like this.”

I rip my arm away from his hold. “I’m doing what you told me to, Noah. I’m acting like an eighteen-year-old girl. We’re petty and we don’t like to be fucked over. Especially by people we cared about.”

A tiny tic to his jaw has him stepping back a fraction. “Cared. Past tense?”

What else does he want from me? “I don’t know what you expect me to say. You’re so absorbed in your life that you can’t let anybody else care about you without making it into a problem. I’m making it easy for you.”

He doesn’t back down. “Did you ever think that it’smetrying to make it easier foryou? That doesn’t mean I wanted to. It doesn’t make me feel good hearing from Dad that he had to pick you up from the fucking police station again.”

Kennedy squeaks out, “Again?”

Is she that surprised? I turn to her and try getting myself out of it. “In my defense, I didn’t always deserve to be there. I have a tendency to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

That makes Noah scoff. “You were at parties that you shouldn’t have been at and drinking when you shouldn’t have been. I’d hardly say that’s the wrong place, wrong time.”

Choosing not to argue, I shrug. “I don’t know why your dad felt the need to tell you about that. It was a little misunderstanding.”

“So you weren’t so drunk you vomited in some stranger’s bedroom half-dressed?”

I throw my hands up. “I’m doing what you told me to! Why is that never enough for you? So what if my boobs were out? As far as I’m concerned, I was doing Hanger a favor. Who knows how long it’s been since he’s seen any.”

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