Page 50 of Because of Her

Noah tenses at the words. He reaches across to grab Amira’s arm. “I’ll do it.”

Amira pushes in front of me. The two of them crush my sides as they stare each other down.

“Really?” Amira asks.

“Yeah,” Noah replies with a shrug. As though this conversation is the most everyday occurrence. “Can’t promise the falling in love bit. But you can tell him we’re together. I’ll go to the wedding with you.”

His knee knocks against mine under the table, but hebeams at Amira, letting go of her arm. I look at him, wide eyed, but he kicks my shin under the table.

Amira’s spirits rise, the sparkle returning to her expression. When another round of shots arrives for the table, she downs her own before quickly pinching mine.

When the shots have been cleared, most of the table heads for the dance floor.

“I think I’m going to go,” I yell over the music.

When Noah mimes he can’t hear me, I lean in closer to his ear to repeat myself.

We walk through the dance floor on our way out, finding Amira, and saying our goodbyes. She clings to Noah longer than normal, hugging him close and talking directly in his ear. He pulls back to smile at her, giving her a final squeeze before we leave.

“I think I’ll crash on your couch,” he says as we exit the club.

His phone lights up with the Uber app as he books our ride.

“Cheaper than getting a ride out your way,” I agree.

Back at my apartment building, I trip, multiple times, up the stairs. But in my defence, so does Noah. I only drank one margarita with dinner, and the tequila shot Amira demanded we all partake in. But the combination of stairs, and the heels I’ve been wearing for hours, and the drain on my already flat social battery, is not great for my balance.

By the time we finally reach my apartment, I’m out of breath from wheezing so much. I rifle through my bag searching for my key, cursing myself for every useless thingI continue to bring no matter how many times I’ve never needed them.

When I can’t find them, I start to panic. I don’t want to wake Callum in the middle of the night and ask for the spare I left him.What if he has Maisie tonight? What if I wake her up?

Every time I come and go from my apartment, I stare at his door for a moment too long. After we lost ourselves to our feelings in the boutique, I’m still stuck wondering if there is hope for me and Callum. Until I hear a ghost of a giggle from inside his apartment and remind myself of why I decided being with Callum would be a bad idea. I even hear it when I know she isn’t there.

When Noah coughs, I realise I’m doing it again. The staring.

“You look,” I cry as I heft my bag at Noah.

He’s too calm, leaning against the wall and staring at the door across from mine. While he searches through my bag, I sit on the floor and unbuckle my heels. Pulling them off my feet, I moan as I massage my arches and calves.

“What the fuck, Cass,” Noah throws the bag on the floor before dropping down beside me. “How much crap do you have in here?”

He’s not wrong, but I cringe as he upends the contents onto the floor. Looking at everything strewn about, I wonder how it all fits in the small crossbody.

Two sticks of lipstick I never wear, two lip balms I do.

An unopened travel pack of tissues, a tampon despite the IUD that regulates my hormones and stops me getting a period.

My wallet, and my sunglasses even though we left after the sun had started to set.

Seven hair ties in various states of distress, and countless bobby pins—sothat’swhere they all end up.

A pack of gum that is lord only knows how old.

And, a lone matte silver key.

“I’m buying you a key ring,” Noah scoffs as he picks it up.

The door opens while I attempt to shove everything back in the bag, collect my shoes, and stand without falling over. Which of course, I do.

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