I ignore his insult and just wait for the next. True to Noah, he doesn't waste any tim

"Just to let you know, I won't be picking you back up." he adds and I nod. I don't want to arrive to Noah's father's dinner in a sour mood.

"Did you hear me?"

"Yes, heard you. I hadn't expected you to." I sigh and lean my head against the window. I know me not fighting with him is making him more annoyed but I don't care

"Why aren't you talking?" His voice sounds too loud in the small space of his car

"Because you're in a bad mood for a reason unknown to me and I don't feel like fighting with you."

"For a reason unknown to you? Really?" he growls.

"How much longer until we are there?" I completely ignore his question

"Damn it Dixie! Why are you so difficult all the time?"

"You are the one that is difficult, you are just trying to pick a fight with me and I am not feeding into it. I am over this back and forth shit with you. Now either you are going to be nicer to me or I will not talk to you." I tell him and mean it.

"That's not what I am doing."

"Yes, it is. You have no reason to be upset with me and here you are insulting me and making fun of me. All I'm doing is trying to look decent to go to dinner with your family when you refuse to." I breath.

"I wasn't making fun of the way you look, I.. I don't know.. but I'm annoyed as fuck that you're going." he admits and I want so badly to reach across and touch him, even just a gentle caress of his arm. If Noah was a normal guy, I would be able to.

"Then why did you offer to drive me? You came all the way to my room and offered, why?"

"I don't know Dixie, maybe so I could see you," his voice is low, a simple confession but the words rattle me.

"Don't play games with me Noah." I warn.

"I'm not. Can we talk? I mean really talk?"

"Now? Can't we do this after dinner? I don't want to be late." I tell him. It's not that I care too much about being late, but I'm not ready for a talk with Noah. I don't know what he wants to talk about and I don't know if I want to know.

Well I do but I know that I shouldn't. of course I want to know I just don't think it will end well.

"I will be busy after dinner."

"Well Noah, obviously your party is more important than talking to me so forget it. I don't want to know what you have to say anyway." I hate that I have feelings for Noah and he doesn't even care to make time to have this "talk" with me.

"It's not that it's more important.. it's just that I want to talk now." I recognize the street and the massive houses, we are close.

"Well, I have dinner plans that you refuse to attend with me." I roll my eyes. I am getting more vocal with Noah every day and I am glad. He doesn't intimidate me as much as he used to.

"Those plans happen to be with my father who I don't speak to, who's house I vandalized just last week." he reminds me and the car stops. The house is even more beautiful during the day.

"Well, I would stay and chat but I have a date." I smile and his jaw clenches.

I climb out of the car and walk up the steps on the sidewalk. In the evening light I can see the old vines creeping up the sides and front of the house and the small white flowers joining the vines. I hear Noah's car door close, followed by the footsteps of his heavy boots on the sidewalk. I turn around to see him a few steps behind me.

"What are you doing?" I ask him

"I'm coming with you, obviously." he rolls his eyes and takes one long stride to join me at the top of the steps.

"Really?"

"Yes." He's clearly irriated. "Now let's go inside and have the worst night of our lives." his face twists into the fakest yet appealing smile, something only Noah Beck can pull off. I elbow him and ring the doorbell.

"I don't ring doorbells." He tells me, reaching past my body to turn the knob. I'm unconfportable with his lack of manners but it is his father's house so perhaps it may not be so awkward.

We walk inside and through the foyer before his father appears. The surprise is evident on his face, he had not expected Noah to show up. He smiles his charming smile and tries to hug Noab but Noah dodges his gesture and walks right past him. The embarrassment flashes on his handsome features but I look away before he realizes that I saw his gesture.

"Thank you so much for coming Dixie, Markell has told me some about you. He seems very fond of you." He smiles and I follow him into the living room.

Markell is sitting on the couch with his Literature book on his lap as I enter. His face lights up and he smiles at me and closes the book.

I walk over and sit down next to him, I'm unsure where Noah went but I am sure he will appear sooner or later.

"So you two are giving your friendship another try?" He asks with a frown. I want to explain what is going on with Noah and I but I honestly have no idea myself.

"It's complicated." I try to smile but I feel it falter

"You're still with Nick right? Because Tim seems to think you and Noah are dating." He laughs. I hope my laugh doesn't sound as fake as it feels. "I didn't have the heart to tell him otherwise but I am sure Noah will" he says. I shift uncomfortably, unsure what to say.

"Yeah. I'm still with Nick, it's just.."

"You must be Dixie!" A woman's voice rings through the room. Markell's mother walks towards me and I stand up to shake her hand. Her eyes are bright and her smile is lovely. She is wearing a turquoise dress, similar to my maroon one, with an apron covered in small strawberries and bananas over top of it.

"It's so nice to meet you, thank you for having me. Your home is beautiful." I tell her. Her smile covers her face and she squeezes my hand. She's much more beautiful than I imagined. tim is a handsome man but Karen is stunning. Classy and beautiful, she looks much younger and less plastic than I had visioned her.

"You are so welcome dear, it's my pleasure," she beams. A timer goes off from the kitchen and she turns her head, showing off large diamond earrings.

"Well, I'm going to finish up in the kitchen and I will see you in the dining room in a few minutes." Karen politely dismisses herself.

"What are you working on?" I ask Markell and he pulls out a folder.

"Next weeks assignments, that essay on Tolstoy is going to kill me," he smiles. I laugh and nod, remembering how many hours I spent writing that same essay

"It really was a killer. I just finished it a few days ago." I tell him.

"Well, if you two nerds are done comparing notes I would love to eat dinner sometime in the next year," Noah says. I glare at him but Markell just laughs and sits his book down before walking to the dining room.

It seems their fight was good for them after all. I follow behind him and Noah  until we reach the large dining room. The long dining table is decorated beautifully with full place settings and multiple platters of food in the center. Karen really went all out for this. noah better behave or I will kill him.

"DIXIE, you and NOAH will sit on this side." Karen instructs and gestures to the left of the table. MARKELL sits across from NOAH. TIM and Karen take their seats a few chairs down from MARKELL.

I thank her and sit down next to NOAH. He's quiet and seems uncomfortable but he stays silent behaving much better than I expected. I watch as Karen makes Tim's plate for him and he thanks her with a brief kiss on her cheek. It's such a sweet gesture, I have to look away. I fill my plate with roast, potatoes, and squash then pile a roll on top of it. Noah chuckles quietly at the mound of food on my plate.

"What? I'm hungry" I whisper to him.

"Nothing," he laughs again and piles his plate higher than mine, still shaking his head.

"So Dixie, how are you liking Washington State so far?" Tim asks. I chew my food quickly so I can answer.

"I really enjoy it, it is only my first semester so ask me again in a few months." I joke and everyone except Noah laughs.

"Well I am glad you like it so far, are you in any clubs on campus?" Karen asks and wipes her mouth with her napkin

"Not yet, I plan on joining the Literary Club next semester."

"Really? I've been trying to get Noan to become a member." Tim adds and I look at Noab. His eyes are narrowed and he looks annoyed.

"So how do you like living near WSU?" I ask to divert attention from Noah. His eyes soften and I believe he is thanking me.

"We enjoy it, when Tim first became Chancellor we lived in a much smaller place until we found this house and we fell in love with it immediately."

My fork drops against the glass plate. "Chancellor? Of WSU?" I gasp.

"Yes, you didn't know that?" Tim asks and looks at Noah.

"No.. I didn't." I look at Noah.

Karen looks at Noah and Markell looks at Noah.

"No! Okay, no I didn't tell her I don't know why it fucking matters. I don't need to use your name or position!" Niah shouts and stands up, leaving the table. Karen looks like she may cry and Tim's face is red.

"I am so sorry, I didn't know he.." I start.

"No, don't apologize for his poor behavior." Tim tells me. I hear the back door slam and I stand up.

"Excuse me" I say and stand up from the table to go find Noah.

We are officially have way through the first book!!!!!