Page 110 of Sweet Ruin

We’d left things in such a mess when I’d stormed off earlier this afternoon. There was a huge dark question mark lingering over our relationship, and I wasn’t sure I was ready to face him. I didn’t want to stay confined in the car with Noah though either.

When I parked in Luther’s driveway, Noah turned to me. “I know you’re headed back to Rapid Bay tomorrow, and I’m off to New York. But please tell me you’ll think about what I said over the break.”

I stayed silent, and he took a deep breath before he continued. “I’ve been trying so hard to be patient. And I haven’t fought for you because you told me you were happy with Wes, and that’s all I want for you. But, if there’s a chance that’s changed, I don’t want you to have any doubt that I still want to be with you.”

“Noah…”

“Because when I opened my eyes after my fall today and saw the way you were looking at me, I thought I might be dreaming. For a moment, it felt like we’d slipped into a different world—a world where you cared for me as much as I care for you. And having experienced that for just a couple of seconds… Well, I want that with you so damn much.”

I hesitated. With everything that had happened today, my emotions were all over the place. I’d been so angry with Noah after we broke up and so hurt by the way he’d treated me in the aftermath. While I understood his reasons now, I’d honestly thought there was no way back for us.

But the strength of the feelings I experienced when I saw him get hurt today took me by surprise. I clearly still cared for Noah, and now that I realized how deep those feelings were, I couldn’t shake them. I could feel them rattling around inside my chest, and I wasn’t sure I could bottle them back up again. I still cared for Wes, but I felt something for Noah too.

“Just tell me you’ll think about it,” Noah asked. “Please?”

I felt completely confused and had no idea what I should do. Perhaps the best way forward was to take some time and space over the break to think, as he suggested. Try to make sense of what I was feeling. What I wanted. I gave him a small nod. “Okay, I’ll think about it.”

Noah gave me a hopeful smile before he got out of the car and slowly made his way toward the house. I followed him, making sure he got to the front door safely, before I handed him his keys.

“You going to be okay?” I asked.

“I’ll be fine,” he said. “A concussion is a small price to pay to spend an afternoon with you.”

“You’re crazy,” I grumbled.

Noah grinned and went to open the front door. As the door swung inward and he started into the house, he paused and nodded toward the sweatshirt I was still wearing. “You can keep my hoodie,” he said. “It looks better on you than it does on me.”

“I—”

He didn’t give me a chance to object. “I’ll see you after break, Crash.” He winked and closed the door.

With a sigh, I turned and started back toward the twins’ house. I didn’t have my phone with me, so I had no idea what to expect when I got there. Noah had messaged Cress to let her know what happened when we got to the hospital, so I knew she would have told everyone I was okay. I didn’t know what state Wes would be in though. We’d left things so badly when I’d stormed off.

When I reached the house, I cautiously opened the front door. I wasn’t sure why I was so nervous. It was probably because I was still in Noah’s sweatshirt, and I knew the moment Wes saw me in it he would probably get set off again. I’d never seen him so angry before. I’d certainly never had him lash out at me that way. Would he still be mad? Or would our time apart have helped him clear his thoughts?

When I entered the living room, a part of me was relieved to find it empty. In fact, I couldn’t hear a single voice. It seemed as though no one was home. The idea left me feeling much more at ease. If I could just change my clothes, then perhaps I’d find it easier to face Wes.

When I got to my room, I found the clothes I’d left at Luther’s sitting on my bed along with my phone. I quickly changed out of Anna’s bikini and into a pair of sweats. I felt so much more comfortable now I was in my own clothes. Next, I grabbed my phone to check for messages. There were plenty of texts and missed calls from the girls. Even some from Noah and Luther. But not one from Wes. The latest message was from Cress, telling me they’d gone to grab some dinner and would be back soon.

I started to go through the other messages but jumped when I heard a noise behind me. I spun to see Wes standing in the doorway, and I braced a hand against my chest.

“Wes, I didn’t realize you were home.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to catch you by surprise.” His voice was meek and his eyes downcast. His expression didn’t reveal much about what he was feeling, but I was glad he didn’t seem angry. Still, a pit began to form in the base of my gut. I was still dreading what came next.

He slowly entered the room and stopped several feet from me. Normally he would have stepped forward and pulled me into his arms.

“So, everyone’s gone to get dinner?” I asked.

“Yeah, they’re grabbing some takeout,” he replied. “But they should be back soon. I thought I’d wait here in case you returned while they were out.”

“Ah, thanks.”

He was looking at me but struggled to meet my eyes, and as the silence stretched between us, I grew increasingly worried about what he would say when it finally broke.

“I’m sorry I got so angry earlier,” he said.

I relaxed slightly, hoping that meant he was done with his caustic tone and bitter words.

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