Page 89 of I Shouldn't Feel This Way

“Uh, no …”

Steph gasped again, her eyes nearly bulging out. “There is, isn’t there?” She was overdramatizing things as usual, with her highly animated facial expressions. “What’s his name? And when do we meet him? Details! Right now!”

A black Audi convertible suddenly pulled up to the curb, and I was relieved because I knew who it was.

“Sorry, girls—got to go, Noah’s waiting for me.”

I quickly slipped away from my friends and sprint-walked over to his car. There were puddles on the sidewalk, but the rain had died down, restoring the sunny sky.

“Hey.” Noah turned the stereo down and I got into the car.

“Hi.” I beamed at him, and left a quick peck on his cheek before strapping on my seat belt.

He made a three-point turn on the street and kept his eyes on the road while he drove.

“So, where would you like to go for lunch?” he asked.

“Surprise me.”

“Surprise you, huh?” He glanced at me, showing off that seductive signature smile. “I think I know just the place.”

“Flashing Lights”by Chase & Status blasted from the subwoofers when he turned up the volume on the stereo. I ran my fingers through my hair, enjoying the warm spring breeze. Noah adjusted the gearshift and sped up. I was afraid to look at him because I knew that if I did, all I would feel is this undeniable chemistry that made no sense at all. But it made sense to me.

****

He took me to a nice little restaurant called Ocean Avenue. Since it was sunny, we sat on the patio under an umbrella, sharing a basket of fries and sipping sweetened iced teas. The Smashing Pumpkins were playing from the mounted speakers around us, but after a while, the song ended and faded into Gwen Stefani’s voice. “Don’t Speak”—that song always hit me directly in the heart. I stole secret glances at Noah every now and then without him noticing.

Why does he always have to look so damn hot?He was wearing a navy blue pinstripe suit, and I was pretty sure he’d been wearing a silver tie before he’d left the house in the morning. Maybe he took it off because of the heat. I quietly studied him for a while as he wandered away in his own thoughts.

“You left for work early this morning,” I said, stirring my straw in my drink.

“Yeah, I had some errands to run before heading to the firm.” He didn’t meet my eyes. Instead, he kept tapping his fingers on the table like he had a tic.

“Is something bothering you?” I asked.

The tapping stopped and Noah finally looked at me. “Nope.” He sounded so cold and distant.

Something just wasn’t right. Was he closing himself up? His body language was a dead giveaway.

Please, Noah, don’t do this now … not after last night.

“So, how’s school going?” he finally asked.

“Good.” I kept it short, like him.

“Has anyone asked you out to the dance?”

I squinted, looking puzzled. I’d never mentioned the dance.

“I read it on the bulletin board outside, on campus.”

“Yeah, I got asked out by some guys, but I’m not going.”

“Why not?” he asked, grabbing another French fry.

I shrugged and sipped my drink. “Dances are dumb.”

“Now,thatis strange.”

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