Page 65 of The Kissing Booth
‘Really, it’s okay,’ I told him fervently. ‘I’m so sorry Noah went all...’
‘Yeah, well, don’t worry. It was just Flynn being Flynn. It’s not your fault, Elle, so don’t worry about it.’ He smiled. I gave him a smile back.
A throat was cleared, and we both turned around to see a glowering Noah.
I ignored him and looked back at Patrick, who was trying his best to look like he didn’t want to flee to safety. ‘Well, I hope you get better soon.’
‘Thanks, Elle. And seriously, I’m so sorry.’
‘Don’t worry about it. See you.’
‘Bye,’ he said, already walking off.
I shot Noah a glare and went back to playing solitaire. I could still feel he was there, watching me.
‘What did he want?’ he said after a while.
‘To apologize.’
‘What, and that’s it? He just wanted to say sorry?’
I quit the game and shoved my cell phone in my pocket, whipping around to glare at Noah. ‘Yeah, even though it’s you who should be apologizing to him for hurting him! He had to go to hospital because of you!’ I figured I’d guilt-trip him a little, so I didn’t add that he’d only gone to hospital at his mom’s paranoid request.
‘Don’t start this again...’ He’d taken a couple of steps closer, and now he half turned away from me, tugging at his hair.
‘Start what, Noah?’ I snapped.
‘You’re really hot when you’re mad at me, you know,’ he commented in a husky voice.
My mind blanked momentarily and my breath caught in my throat. Why did he have this effect on me? ‘Shutup, Noah. Go away.’
Where was Lee anyway? He shouldn’t be takingthislong...
I looked around. Most of the other students had left by now, and a few stragglers were looking curiously over at me and Noah. Finally I spotted Lee and Rachel standing by her car, talking and looking all cute and loved-up.
Damn it. I wished he’d hurry up already.
‘You can always get a ride home with me, you know,’ Noah said conversationally. I refused to answer. ‘Elle...?’
Eventually I had to look back at him, and when I did, he was smirking victoriously, thinking he’d won the argument.
‘Do you want the ride or not?’ he asked. ‘Lee’s going to be ages, we both know it. My offer stands for the next thirty seconds. Time is ticking.’
I reallydidjust want to go home. By the time Lee turned up, I would probably have run down my cell and be dying of boredom...
‘Tick-tock,’ Noah teased.
‘Bike or car?’
‘Bike.’
‘No.’
He laughed. ‘You know you didn’t really hate it, Shelly. And it gives you an excuse to cling onto me.’
‘Um, no.’
He got this weird look on his face then – like he was confused; like he was annoyed by my reaction. I’d honestly hated my last experience on his bike and was in no rush to repeat it unless I absolutely had to. Like, if a horde of monkey-ninjas were chasing me, and Noah’s bike was my last hope of escape.
