Page 49 of The Kissing Booth
‘Exactly. So why do you always call me by my first name?’
‘’Cause I grew up with you. Then I did it to annoy you. But it’s kind of hot.’
The words had come out before I realized what I was saying. My mouth snapped shut and my cheeks flamed as I held a hand over my mouth. I couldn’t believe I’d just said that! I mean, Ididthink Noah was a hot name – maybe not on some people, but Noah Flynn pulled it off. He made it sexy. I just couldn’t believe I’dtoldhim that!
He smirked, pulling my hand away from my undoubtedly beetroot-colored face. ‘Well, when you put it like that, it doesn’t seem so bad.’
I gave an embarrassed laugh and he gave me a quick peck on the lips before letting my hand go. I needed to get going now. And if someone came home unexpectedly, it was bound to look more than a little suspicious that I was here with Noah. They’d hardly believe we were just ‘hanging out’.
I detoured to the kitchen on my way out to grab my purse and the video game for Brad.
When I turned around and saw Noah leaning in the open doorway, it made me jump. He hadn’t made a sound; I’d had no idea he was there.
‘Are you free tomorrow?’ he asked me.
‘I don’t think so ... I have a ton of homework I have to do, so...’
Only after I’d said that did I think maybe I should’ve tried to be more mysterious – ask what he had in mind, tell him I might or might not be available. But I waved away the notion immediately – as ifIcould pull that off.
‘That sucks.’
I waited for him to expand on that, but he didn’t. He just gave me that infamous trademark smirk and his bright eyes bored into mine. I wondered if that meant he wanted to meet up with me. But he didn’t say anything more.
‘Um,’ I said quietly.
He grinned. ‘I’ll find somewhere out of the way to meet you, don’t worry.’
I smiled back at him. In just one day I’d gone from having no love life to what I could only call sneaking around with the most desirable guy in school, all because of that damn kissing booth.
‘Bye,’ I said quietly, brushing past him to get to the front door.
‘Hey, hold up,’ he said, tugging me back by the belt hook of my jeans. ‘I want my goodbye kiss.’
‘Hmm, no.’
Wow, that may just have been the flirtiest thing I’ve said today. Go me.
‘No?’ He raised his dark eyebrows challengingly.
He bent to kiss me anyway, and I was going to kiss him back – but he pulled away after barely brushing his lips to mine. He gave me an innocent look, at which I rolled my eyes.
‘Bye, Shelly,’ he called teasingly after me.
‘Bye, Noah,’ I replied in the same tone, smiling to myself.
I didn’t stop smiling the whole way home.
That night, I lay in bed thinking about it all. I had no way of knowing for sure how long this would last; I’d always thought of myself as the kind of girl who would be in more long-term, committed relationships. From what I’d heard, Noah’s longest relationship had been maybe a week. But I couldn’t help it. I didn’t want to hurt Lee, but I felt an attraction to Noah that wasn’t only something physical—
Not that I would do anything so stupid as to fall for him.
Nope. No way.
If anything could damage my relationship with Lee, it was that. It wouldn’t happen. It couldn’t happen. I wouldn’t let it.
I just had to try and deal with this whole thing the best way I could. And if that meant hiding the fact that Noah and I were together, then so be it. I didn’t want to not be with him; just the thought of this afternoon made me feel warm inside.
I’m pretty sure I fell asleep smiling.
