Page 48 of The Kissing Booth
‘I’m not just going to hook up with you,’ I replied firmly.
‘I told you,’ he sighed, touching my knee, ‘that’s not all I’m interested in.’
I shouldn’t like him. Icouldn’tlike him. We were too different; this was too wrong. Not to mention how I could ever face up to Lee and tell him I was with his brother.
But... I enjoyed being with him like this. I liked the way it felt to kiss him; the feel of his arms around me; the smile in his eyes when we argued over bands. It feltniceto be like this with Noah. Like it was natural.
Was that worth hurting Lee for, though? I couldn’t do that to him, could I? He’d already made it clear that it’d be weird for him; that it could potentially damage our friendship – and nothing could be worth that. Right?
‘I... I don’t know,’ I admitted after a while. ‘It’s just... we shouldn’t, and – and Lee...’
‘I see.’ Noah was quiet for a moment. His fingertip traced circles on my knee, and I watched the movement, waiting.
He spoke haltingly. ‘Well... maybe Lee doesn’t have to know.’
I let that sink in a moment. ‘You mean I should lie to him?’
‘Maybe just not tell him the whole truth...’ His mouth twisted a little, like he was struggling to word it properly. ‘Until we figure out what to do.’
I nodded. If Lee didn’t know, it couldn’t hurt him. If things didn’t work out between Noah and me, then Lee would be none the wiser, and things could stay as they were between us. And if thingsdidwork out with Noah... then I’d cross that bridge and tell Lee when I came to it.
I heard him sigh, and I looked up. He gave me a wry smile. ‘I told you girls didn’t want to be with a guy who’s got a history of punching things.’
I shoved his arm lightly. ‘It’s not that. And besides, I know you’d never lay a finger on a girl. You’re not like that.’
And before I could think about it any more, I said, ‘Okay.’
‘Okay?’
‘But just promise me you won’t let Lee find out.’
Noah nodded. ‘Of course I won’t.’ Then he sat up and leaned forward far enough to kiss my nose. Smiling, I moved my head so I could kiss him on the lips instead. I felt his lips curve up against mine, and when we pulled apart, there was that dimple in his left cheek that only appeared when he smiled.
Then I looked past him and saw the time, glaring at me in red from his digital alarm clock. I gasped; I had to be home for dinner in twenty minutes. Where had the afternoon gone?
‘I should get going,’ I said urgently.
‘Oh...’ If I didn’t know better, I might have thought he was disappointed. ‘Do you need a ride home?’
I turned to raise my eyebrows at him. ‘I can walk. I have legs. Two of them, actually.’
He smirked. ‘Have it your way, then. I was just trying to be nice...’
‘It’s okay. Really.’ I wanted to clear my head a little, and this would not happen if Noah was with me.
‘You’re cute when you look like that,’ I told him, nodding at his expression.
He grimaced. ‘Don’t call me cute. Please.’
‘Aw, how cute,’ I teased, laughing. I shoved at his shoulder playfully, a gesture which he returned with an eye-roll.
I went to pick up my cell phone from the dresser next to his bed, and blurted out a question before I could help myself.
‘Why do you hate people calling you Noah?’ I asked.
‘Noah’s not exactly the coolest name in the book. You can’t imagine some guy running in terror at the name Noah. Flynn’s just—’
‘It suits you.’
