Chapter 6

Harper

My hands were shaking as I walked into the small house.

I crossed my fingers as I navigated my way through the people in search of Kelly and Anna.

If anyone threw up I was out of here.

The party was at a small ranch house in the middle of a spread out suburban area.

It was mostly outside but I'd been looking out there for the girls for ages and couldn't find them.

I'd avoided all football players, not taking any chances that I'd run into Noah.

"Harper!" Someone said excitedly.

I spun around to find the source of my name, letting out a sigh of relief as I was beckoned over to Kelley and Anna.

"Why weren't you at the game?" Anna asked with a pout.

"Like I want to see that." I grimaced.

"Hey!" Someone behind them protested.

"Rude!" The other guy said.

I glanced up to find Roy and Mick, both with beers in their hands, standing behind the girls.

My stomach twisted as I saw who was next to them.

Looking uncomfortably sober, nauseous, and slightly angry was none other than the one person I wanted to avoid: Noah.

"Don't mind him, he's been weird all day." Roy laughed, brushing off Noah's odd behavior.

Noah looked annoyed and all I wanted to do was ask him what was wrong.

I quickly pushed the thought away, resisting the urge to succumb to these dumb feelings.

It's not like I still had any affection for him, right?

I turned away from him, forcing a smile on my face as I looked at Kelley and Anna.

"So! Want a drink?" Kelly asked happily.

"No, sorry, I don't drink." I replied, shaking my head.

Kelly glanced at Anna and both of them nodded.

"Suit yourself." Anna shrugged, taking a sip of whatever she was having. "Roy." She said, grabbing the guy's hand before pulling him away from the group.

"Whipped." Noah shook his head, leaning against the back of the couch.

Mick lat out a laugh and Kelly rolled her eyes.

"Just because you have no emotional capacity to actually feel something for a girl doesn't mean every single guy is like you." Kelly shot at him, a smirk forming on her lips.

Noah looked amused while Mick started laughing.

I was trying to stay engaged, wondering how this was at all relevant.

Since when did Noah not have any emotional capacity?

"That was uncalled for, Ms. Rogers." Noah gave Kelly a look.

Kelly just winked, turning to face me.

"So, are you dating anyone? Or are you game for whoever might come looking?" Kelly asked happily.

I let out a laugh.

"No, no I am not dating anyone." I shook my head. "And I'm not game for anyone either."

"No?" Kelly raised her eyebrows. "Bad breakup?"

"Understatement." I shook my head, taking a daring glance at Noah.

He looked sick and was visibly clenching the edges of the couch.

"Man, are you okay?" Mick said softly to Noah.

Kelly started talking to me again but I was focused on Noah's conversation.

"Spectacular." He muttered, his voice thick.

"I don't believe that for a second. Go outside and get some air. When you're ready to tell me what the hell is wrong with you, I'll listen." Mick said quietly.

Noah didn't reply, he shoved past Mick and made his way down the hallway of the small house.

I almost immediately followed him but then my conscious stepped in and I stayed put.

Kelly was looking at me waiting for a response for a question I hadn't even heard but all I could think about was Noah.

What was troubling him so much?

"Kelly where's the bathroom?" I asked suddenly.

"Uh, down this hallway, second door on the left." Kelly frowned.

"Thanks." I mumbled, stepping past her.

I knocked on the closed door, hoping my suspicions were right.

"Uh, someone's in here!" Noah called back.

I pushed open the door and quickly shut it behind me.

Noah was leaning against the counter, his attention on his phone.

He looked up in shock, but his shock faded instantly when he saw it was me.

"I could've been pooping." Noah muttered, focusing back on his phone.

"Care to explain what's going on? Because it's kind of hard to act like I don't give a shit about you when you're acting like your world is ending." I crossed my arms, leaning back against the door.

Noah let out a sigh, stuffing his phone into his pocket.

"Nobody ever asked how I was doing." Noah said quietly.

I raised my eyebrows.

"Um, how are you?" I asked carefully, a frown forming on my face.

"No, not right now." Noah shook his head. "Like... You and I were in our own little bubble of happiness. We were stupidly in love, engaged, thinking we could handle this whole pregnancy thing, and then all of a sudden we weren't. Our parents were yelling and you were crying and then my parents were sending me here and I just... I never talked to anyone about this."

I raised my eyebrows.

"Hank?" I suggested, referring to Noah's best friend from home. I had confided a lot in Hank after Noah moved away before Hank made new friends.

Noah shook his head.

"I told him I was moving and I told him I didn't want to talk about it." Noah said softly. "It's been two years and until today I hadn't even talked to my aunt and uncle about it."

"You talked to them about it today?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Seeing you brought up a lot of shitty memories and I think I kind of cracked today." Noah said softly.

"You yelled at inanimate objects?" I raised my eyebrows.

"My desk." Noah winced. "I barely remember half of the game tonight because all I could think about was you."

I slowly nodded, pushing my hair back off of my shoulders.

"Seems to be a trend with the two of us." I said softly, my stomach clenching slightly as Noah walked towards me.

"Really?" Noah raised his eyebrows.

"I mean that's why I didn't come to the game. I don't want anyone knowing that I have any sort of feelings for you." I whispered, taking a deep breath as he stepped directly in front of me.

"Exactly. Nobody can know about us." Noah shook his head. "Which we've established before. I just don't think it's working out."

"That's probably for a good reason." I nodded.

"Oh yeah?" Noah asked quietly.

"We haven't seen each other in two years. It's totally normal for there to be unresolved... Uh... Feelings I guess you could say." I shrugged, my eyes focused on lips.

Would they feel the same on my lips?

"One word for it." Noah shrugged, reaching up to tuck my hair behind my ears.

I shivered at his touch, my knees quivering.

I couldn't pull my eyes away from his lips.

Would they still know exactly where I needed them?

Would he remember everything about my body?

Would I remember everything about his?

Were the countless hours spent just getting to know each other so intimately going to be wasted on two years of nothing?

"So I mean the solution is pretty obvious." I said softly, looking up at his eyes.

But he was focused on my lips, a completely relaxed and at ease look on his face.

"I totally agree."

"We just gotta get it out of our system before other people start to notice."

"Exactly."

The word was barely out of Noah's lips before his mouth was on mine, his hips were trapping me against the door, and his hands were already pushing up my shirt.

Barely two seconds of uncertainty was between us before the switch was flipped and it was like we were fifteen and had snuck up to his bedroom when his parents thought we were studying downstairs with friends.

We were a well oiled machine that still knew how to flawlessly run.

It wasn't until he was simultaneously unhooking my bra with one hand and his other hand was already down my jeans that I realized what was different.

Two years ago our only experience was each other and we were awkwardly muddling through it all together.

But now we both had two years of other people.

For a split second I was jealous, because I didn't want him to be with other people. I wanted him to love me and only me.

And then his lips hit my neck and I realized it was a blessing in disguise.

Because Noah and I had never had been more satisfied with each other.

And I'd never had anything like that before, which was shocking because it was barely fifteen minutes in a stuffy bathroom in a house that I'd never been in before with people that I didn't know just behind the door.

But it was exactly what Noah and I needed.