Page 52 of The Night Before Grumpmas
Jacob: Does it matter?
Noelle: Maybe. Would you like people to know about your personal business?
Jacob: From experience I can say no.
Noelle: Experience?
Jacob: My family, of course. As I mentioned before, they’re their own small town and it doesn’t have any state boundaries or personal ones for that matter. Then you have the neighbors who think they’re also family. The Montgomeries and Cohens . . . It’s not pretty. Oh, and now my own neighbors are in my business too. We should move to an island and forget about people in general.
Noelle: What’s happening with the neighbors? They keep to themselves.
Jacob: They used to not give two fucks until this pretty tornado from Maple Ridge came along and made them care. Now they’re pissed because I got you temporarily…misplaced?
Noelle: I’m not misplaced, I was evicted. How do they know that and that this isn’t temporary? I heard Mr. Oswald is selling and I doubt the new owner is going to let us stay without raising the rent.
Jacob: I don’t know how they know. Remember I’m fixing that. I’m pretty sure they can’t just kick you out, we’ll look at your contract.
Noelle: So you say.
Jacob: Give me until the end of the year. I’ll have everything fixed.
Noelle: Or so you keep saying.
Jacob: Trust me.
Noelle: I . . . Okay, I think I trust you more than I did when I had to leave my apartment.
Jacob: You mean your grandmother’s apartment.
Noelle: Yeah that.
Jacob: I’m so fucking sorry for what I did.
Noelle: I know.
Jacob: Thank you for giving us a chance, for letting me show you that I’m sorry and I really care about you.
Noelle: You surprised me. I never thought you’d be willing to try long distance or that you’d be swinging by to visit so often.
Jacob: I do it because I need my holiday fix. (wink emoji)
Noelle: Hey, I need to help Mom with the dinner. Talk soon?
Jacob: Miss you and in case you’re wondering, I’m thankful for you.
Noelle: Ditto.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Jacob: What do you mean we can’t have video sex calls? Can we do it in person?
Noelle: Is that even a thing? Videosexcalls or is it separate? I don’t think that’s what they’re called.
Jacob: There’s no name so, we can make that up.
Noelle: Sex call?
Jacob: It doesn’t matter really. Why can’t we do it?
