Page 56 of The Luck of Finding You
“You wish.” I walk past the first bed and sit down on the second. It feels slightly softer than a rock. I don’t think I’ll be getting any sleep tonight. Though the comfort of the bed probably wouldn’t have changed that at all.
“I’m going to shower, that okay?” Noah’s still got an amused expression on his face.
“That’s fine.” I yawn. I can change into my pj's while he’s in there, maybe forget the fact I’m sharing a room with him, and possibly fall asleep before he comes out. The likelihood of that happening is pretty low, but I’m still going to try. Noah nods once, then disappears into the small bathroom.
I have to SHARE A ROOM with Noah.
I turn my phone over after I send Holly the text. The girl loves her sleep and has been going to bed before ten every single night since she was in high school, so I know she won’t respond. But at least someone besides me and Noah knows that I’m alone in a room with him. And at least he doesn’t know how strong the feelings I have for him are.
The water starts in the bathroom, and to distract myself from thinking about Noah in the shower, I quickly change into my pjs and grab my laptop to open Twitter. Mo and I have been talking like normal again, after our weird week of near silence when I told him about how I hung out with Noah and then sort of ghosted him. I was mostly ignoring him because I’ve been trying to figure things out, which I haven’t. But I miss talking to him. We talked a little again last night and it almost felt normal, but maybe he doesn’t think anything is wrong. Maybe he’s completely fine and I’m the one projecting my own anxiety onto him and the conversation.
MoReads:Got to St. George :)
I check the time stamp. I wonder where he came in from because he just got here a few minutes ago too. I can’t believe that we’re in the same city.
TheNoraReview:Same.
MoReads:Wow! You’re still awake!
TheNoraReview:Yeah, just got in, so I haven’t exactly had time to sleep.
TheNoraReview:And talking to you is pretty fun ;)
I rub my sweaty palms together, immediately wishing I could take the winky face back, but it’s too late, he’s seen it.
MoReads:I hope you think so once you meet me tomorrow :)
TheNoraReview:I will. I know I will. You get me like no other person has, even if we’ve only talked online so far. You’re my best friend.
Now I’m wide awake. My fears take over and come out of their own accord.
TheNoraReview:Do you think that it’s weird we’ve waited so long to meet in person? I hope you’re not disappointed. I hope I don’t mess it up.
MoReads:I won’t be. And you won’t mess it up. If anything, I will be the one that messes it all up.
MoReads:I also don’t think it’s weird. I think we’ve both really liked this place where we are. We’re friends. We’re close. We talk about so many things, and we’re about to change everything by meeting in person. I think it’s okay that we both waited so long before even asking the question. I was so nervous to do that.
TheNoraReview:I’m so glad you did.
TheNoraReview:And for the record, I don’t think you’ll mess this up either.
The text bubbles appear, then disappear. The water in the bathroom turns off. When Noah comes out a few minutes later, brushing his teeth, there’s still nothing from Mo. He must have fallen asleep. I close my laptop and turn off the light.
It’s not until I’m curled up on the rock of a bed that I realize Noah’s hair gets curly when it’s wet and it makes my stomach flip. But I’m too tired to think about what that means for me. For us.
His breathing slows faster than mine, and pretty soon I know he’s asleep. I’m wired from the weird situation and the fact that he’s less than three feet away from me in this dark room. But eventually, exhaustion takes me, and soon I fall asleep.
21
TALLY
Our room is empty when I wake up the next morning. I hurry to the tiny bathroom to get ready for the day. The event isn’t until six tonight, so we really could have just driven this morning instead of last night. But I still wouldn’t have had a room for tonight, so I guess it doesn’t really matter.
It would have meant less time with Noah. A thought that makes me both happy and sad. I could have spent time without him, but I also want to spend time with him.
I’m curling my hair when I hear the room door open and click shut. “That better be you, Noah!”
“I grabbed some breakfast,” Noah calls back. “I wasn’t sure when you’d be up, but I was starving.”
