Page 71 of Caleb
“I’ve been here for four years already,” I remind her. “And you and I met three years ago.”
Time has slipped through our fingers, and so much has happened these last four years. But I’ll forever cherish the memories, both good and bad. I can’t help but feel the melancholy flaring out through my chest like wildfire.
“Three years already?” Her brows pull in, and she shakes her head slowly a few times.
“Almost, yeah.”
“I feel like … I’ve wasted so much time.” She stares blankly at the street behind me, still holding tightly to the flaps of my coat. “So this is goodbye, then?” I can see the sincerity in her eyes when she looks up at me.
“I guess so,” I say simply. “It’s going to be a busy month with the transition and packing and all of that.”
Her hands slide up and down my chest. She seems lost in thought.
“Billie’s a lucky girl,” she finally says, breaking the comfortable silence, resting her cheek on my chest and embracing me tightly. “I’ve always secretly envied her, you know? She’s got you every single day, looking out for her. Lookingather.”
“Secretly?” I tease.
“Shut up.” She fists my coat and pulls me closer to her.
“Jokes aside, I’m sure she must be sick of Aaron and me.” I chuckle, hoping deep down that’s not the case. I don’t think I would ever get sick of following Red around, talking to her, and just … watching her become more herself every day. But all of that’s coming to an end. Soon. So hopefully, she’s enjoyed the moments we’ve shared as much as I have.
Saying goodbye to Noelle is proving to be more emotionally distressing than expected. She seems sad, and I can’t deny my chest feels tight with overwhelming emotion.
“That’s—impossible. I’ve seen the way she looks at you, and she isnotsick of you.”
Noelle’s words appear genuine, but I can’t tell if she’s emotional because of her recent breakup or because I’m leaving. Probably both. But I still don’t want her to feel that way.
“We can stay in touch,” I offer, changing the subject. Talking to Noelle about Red in that sense is not something I feel comfortable doing, especially since I’ve signed a contract where I can’t express any of my feelings toward her. Not that I’ve been able to decipher those, anyway. But again, Noelle’s a degree too close to Red’s friends. I just don’t want to talk about her. Period. “I’ll always be here if you need me.”
She wets her swollen lips, and a heavy sigh escapes her mouth.
“You’re the best,” she says with a sad pout. “Can we—stay friends?”
She’s so silly to think otherwise. It makes me smile. “Of course.” I embrace her and squeeze her shoulders, swaying.
Noelle stands on her tiptoes and reaches for my mouth one last time. We kiss. It’s a slow, soft kiss. A goodbye kiss.
My phone pings with an incoming text. And another. I ignore it and grab Noelle’s waist, pulling her closer to me.
Whoever’s texting can wait. Aaron knows I’m here. I told him I’d be outside, so he could very well walk out and come find me if it were an emergency. I know it’s not. There never is one.
It’s our last kiss, and I don’t want to rush it.
I guess I wasn’t as unaffected by Noelle as I thought I was.
My phone rings with an incoming call, but it stops ringing before I can even think of answering it. And then another phone rings in the near distance, the distraction pulling me out of my stupor.
My lips detach from Noelle’s. There’s this …presencehovering near, like a smoke detector alarm trying to get my attention at all costs. Telling me something’s wrong.
And that’s when I see her standing a few feet away, her phone in her hand, her lips parted with shock.
“Miss Murphy.”
Prends Soin
AS I DROP MY HANDSfrom Noelle’s waist, a sense of dread overruns me.
“Bonsoir, Billie,” Noelle says, her face flushed from the embarrassment of being caught and probably from all the kissing, too. Red greets her back. The exchange is awkward as fuck.
