Page 111 of The Kissing Booth
‘Hey... so, Elle,’ said Dixon, suddenly appearing and planting a hand on my shoulder. ‘The guys are wondering... just how long have you been off the market?’
I laughed, blushing. ‘Why?’
‘They want to work out how badly Flynn might beat them up for talking about you.’
I laughed again. ‘Uh, since this evening.’Officially, I added silently.
‘I see... So nobody’s in too much danger of broken arms,’ he laughed. ‘Well, you know... congrats. I think that’s appropriate. Who’d have thought it?’
‘Tell me about it...’
‘Hey, Elle!’ I looked over and saw Rachel pushing her way to my side. I smiled, sighing in relief. I stood up, brutally ignoring the girls wanting to talk to me about Noah, and grabbed her arm, dragging her away.
‘So you guys worked things out?’ she said.
I nodded. ‘It looks like it. But—’
‘Oh no, oh no, no, no,’ she said frantically. ‘There’s a “but”. This does not bode well.’
‘It’s not a bad but! It’s just a... I-don’t-know-how-this-is-gonna-end-up but.’
She nodded slowly. ‘I see...’
‘What?’ I asked. ‘What is it?’
‘It’s... well, are you sure this is really the right thing? I know you like him and stuff, but still. Everyone knows what he’s like...’
I shrugged. ‘I know, but... I really don’t care anymore.’
She looked at me a long moment, then something clicked and she nodded like she understood.
When the band announced that they’d start slowing things down after the next song, Rachel got a distracted look on her face. ‘Well, whatever floats your boat, Elle. I totally get it. Listen, I have to head off...’
‘Lee?’
‘Yeah,’ she laughed guiltily. ‘Yeah. Sorry.’
‘Go ahead, Rach. I’ve got to find Noah anyway.’
‘Right. Find Noah.’ She winked elaborately before hurrying off.
Someone grabbed my arm in a strong grip I recognized instantly, and tugged me out onto the dance floor before I could protest.
‘You didn’t give me the first dance,’ Noah said, giving me the sweetest smile in the world, ‘but I’m sure as hell taking the last.’
He’d got us a room at the Royale for the night too. When I saw it, I realized why he’d disappeared earlier.
I giggled when he tugged me out of the elevator. ‘You didn’t have to do—’
‘I know, I know, but I’ve told you a billion times tonight. I’m trying to make things up to you, so I am being stupidly perfect and unrealistic boyfriend just to show you how seriously I’m taking this.’
‘Oh, this is you being serious?’ I said skeptically.
‘Hey, cut me some slack, I’m trying here!’
I laughed. ‘Okay, okay, I’m sorry, I’ll shut up.’
He laughed too as we stopped outside a room on the seventh floor. He pulled out a key card and swiped open the door.
