Page 58 of The Kissing Booth
‘Come on.’ He jerked my arm, leading me around the side of Warren’s house.
‘Ouch! Noah!’ I protested. His legs were longer than mine and his strides were quicker; I stumbled to keep up. ‘Noah!’ I tried again. ‘You’re hurting me.’
That seemed to get his attention. He loosened his grip considerably, and grabbed my hand instead to march me down the street.
I started to get angry at him. Who did he think he was? It was barely half ten – the party still had a few hours of life in it yet. I didn’t want to go home. Up until the little episode with Patrick I’d been having a good time.
Most of all, though, I didn’t want to explain to my dad why I’d left so early.
When we finally reached Noah’s car, he unlocked it and I stood by the passenger door, my arms crossed firmly over my chest and my eyes narrowed at him.
Noah rubbed his fingertips over his eyes. ‘Would you please just get in the car.’
‘I’m not going anywhere with you. Are you some kind of violence junkie? I’m not getting in that car with you behind the wheel after you’ve had a drink, no matter how much alcohol you say you can take.’
‘I haven’t hadanythingto drink, Rochelle! Do you think I’m an idiot? And – what?Violence junkie?’
I shrugged. ‘Still. You can’t make me leave. I don’t have to go anywhere with you. I’m going to stay here.’
I saw his jaw clench in the dim light. Shadows were cast over his face, which made his controlled anger look a little scary. ‘You’re leaving before some other drunk jackass tries anything on with you.’ His voice was clipped, tense.
I carried on glaring at him. ‘I had it under control. It wasn’t that bad.’
He let out something between a snort and a bark of derisive laughter, which only made me feel angrier. ‘It wasn’t that bad?’ he repeated, eyebrow up. ‘You—’
‘You’re overreacting,’ I snapped back at him, ‘You’re being a controlling, obnoxious jerk, like always, and if you think I’m going anywhere with you, then—’
‘Just get in the damn car,’ he snapped suddenly, slamming his hand palm down on the roof. The sudden bang made me jump. But I gritted my teeth and stood my ground.
‘Please,’ he finally added after a while.
I got in the car.
As Noah slid into the driver’s seat, he sighed, ‘Thank you.’
I nodded. ‘You didn’t need to yell so much.’
After a second he said, ‘I know. I’m sorry.’
I sat there, fiddling with the frayed rips in my jeans. ‘Patrick didn’t do anything, you know.’
‘He would’ve.’
‘We just went out for some fresh air. Is that a crime?’
‘Is that what he said?’
‘W-well, yeah...’ I faltered.
Noah sighed heavily, leaning his head against the steering wheel in exasperation before he sat up and looked me in the eye. He looked a lot calmer now, if a bit hopeless.
‘And you really thought he meant you were going out for fresh air?’
‘At first I did.’
‘Elle, this is exactly what I’ve been trying to say to you. You’re so naïve when it comes to guys.’
‘And whose fault is that?’ I retorted, twisting in my seat to frown at him. ‘If you hadn’t been so freaking protective and let guys ask me out, I wouldn’t be so naïve and so innocent and so damn freaking nice! You’re the biggest hypocrite in the book, Noah Flynn.’
