Page 48 of Minor Trouble
“Just don’t get involved with any cheerleaders,” he warned.
“As if. Pepper would kill me,” Noah joked.
Whatever conversation they’d had seemed to have shifted their relationship slightly. Instead of being super awkward around each other, they almost seemed relaxed, happy in each other’s company.
Once we’d finished eating, Marlena looked between Seth and me, then over to Noah. “Hey, Noah, would you come and help me in my apartment? I’ve dropped something behind a cupboard and you’re just the right size to fish it out for me.”
“Why don’t you let me do it, Marlena?” Seth offered.
“No, no.” Marlena shook her head. “Noah’s arms are skinny enough to fit behind the unit. Your muscly ones will be too big.” She stood up and picked up her jug. “I’ll take this with me too. Might need a refill. Come on, kid.”
Noah followed her out of the apartment, leaving us alone. I had to hand it to Marlena—she knew exactly when to butt out of a situation. Taking Noah with her was genius.
I fussed around tidying up the empty pizza boxes.
“Ainsley,” said Seth, his voice low, husky. “Why don’t you sit down?”
“Can I get you another soda?” I pretended I hadn’t heard him, getting myself a glass of water.
“Not right now. I want to talk to you.”
Taking a swig of water, I sat at the opposite end of the sofa, half-turned towards him.
Seth let out a breath. “I need to apologize to you about this morning.” He ran a hand through his hair, his dark blue gaze firmly trained on me. “I said things I didn’t mean.”
I tilted my head to one side. “Such as?”
He pointed his finger at me, then him, then back at me, mirroring his actions from that morning. “When I said this was a mistake I, um, really don’t think it was. Do you?”
Sucking in my bottom lip, I wondered how long I should keep him hanging for. “Well, I don’t believe I’ve been wasting my time these past few weeks.”
“Whatever this thing is between us, do you think it’s worth giving it a chance?”
Deciding not to verbalize my answer, I scooted over on the couch, my thigh resting against his. Without saying another word, I leaned in and kissed Seth hard on the lips. His hand moved to my neck, threading into my hair, pulling me close to him.
“Does.”Kiss.“That.”Kiss.“Answer.”Kiss.“Your.”Kiss.“Question?” I drew back, watching his mouth curve up into a smile.
“Sweetheart, there would be trouble if that wasn’t the answer.”
Epilogue
Noah
“Noah! Hurry up, the movers are waiting.”
If you’d have told me six months ago that I’d be living above a garage in a small town called Cali Cross, I’d have laughed in your face. Back then, I had a mom, a stepdad, grandparents, friends, a half decent set of decent grades and the chance to be on the football team.
The next I knew, one phone call changed my life for good. Mom, Bryan, Nana and Papa were gone, taken out by a trailer truck driven by a driver unused to American highways.
And the only person left to take care of me was my dad. A dad I hadn’t seen in years, who sent me cards and money on my birthday and Christmas.
I didn’t want to move. I didn’t know him. But with the alternative being a group home—Carol had shared the sad story that thirteen-year-old boys weren’t usually top of the adoptive parents’ wish list—there wasn’t much of a choice.
“Noah, where are you?”
I took a moment to look around the room we had decorated together. It hadn’t actually been all that bad, once I’d gotten my own space. There was still a Billie Eilish poster on the door to the walk-in closet. Carefully, I took it down and rolled it up, ready to put it in my new room. With a final backwards glance, I left and headed down the stairs into the garage.
“I thought you’d run out on me again.” My dad grinned, and I hung my head. The first few weeks I’d been here had been rough, and on two occasions I’d tried to disappear. All things being said, I thought those days might just be behind me.
