Chapter 16

Chapter Thirteen
Double-Take
That night wasn't as awkward as I expected it to be. I for some reason thought it would be awkward after mine and Noah's encounter in the kitchen but it wasn't.
I was in Noah's room, about to get in bed and go to sleep before he got upstairs because I wanted to stay mad at him and ignore him for now but of course that plan didn't work out when Noah entered his room.
I turned around and looked at him standing by the door. He took a step in and shut the door behind him.
"Do you need an extra blanket?" He asked casually, as if he didn't just trap my in his arms and nearly kiss me in the kitchen. Well, we wouldn't have kissed because he is Noah and wouldn't have kissed me anyways and I was Tiffany who wouldn't have let him kiss me either way. But his lips hovering right above mine was close enough.
I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest, "no and I can take the recliner." I started walking towards the recliner in his room that was set up in a corner of his room. Noah, with the help of his long legs, took a few strides until he was in front of me.
He shook his head, "Let's not make his complicated. Just take the bed and get comfortable, okay?"
I looked at him for a moment, sighed and then went over to his bed again. I didn't want to argue anymore because I was tired and knew it was going to be a long night since I didn't have my pills.
I reluctantly got into bed and rolled onto my right side so I was facing away from Noah.
I shut my eyes and pretended to attempt to sleep until I knew Noah was no longer looking at me in thought.
When I felt the bed dip beside me and the blanket move, I turned around to see Noah getting in bed beside me.
I sat up in the bed, "what- what are you doing?" I sputtered.
Noah gave me a flat look, "I'm going to sleep." He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. It kind of was.
"Okay..." I mumbled slowly, looking at him like he had three heads. "But what about-"
Noah sat up beside me, giving me a tired look and sighing to cut me off. "I am going to sleep. Just like last night, beside you, in bed, both of us sleeping, our eyes shut and going unconscious." He spoke slowly, like he was explaining why unicorns don't exist to a little child. "Is it really that big of deal? If you're uncomfortable I'll go sleep on the couch but reall-"
"Fine!" I snapped, cutting him off so he would shut up. I huffed an agitated breath as I laid down and pulled the blanket up to my chest and starred at the ceiling.
Noah took a minute while he still looked at me before exhaling a deep breath and mimicking my actions. He laid down beside me, our shoulders touching as he also started at the ceiling.
"Are you... are you going to be able to sleep okay?" He asked very softly and cautiously, without looking at me.
Looking at the ceiling still, I nodded, "I'll be okay."
Noah nodded and reached over to turn of the lamp that was on his bedside table.
The room went pitch black.
I laid there awake for what seemed like hours and hours when it had only been one hour. Eventually I heard Noah's even breaths which told me he was sound asleep.
I sighed, shifting lightly so I wouldn't disturb him but I did. He didn't wake up but he shifted in his sleep so somehow he had moved closer to me and wrapped his buff and strong protective arms around me.
My back was against his chest, his arms around me as he spooned me, his head resting on my back.
My body was tense and uncomfortable for about five minutes until I eventually gave in because he was sleeping and I couldn't do much about it. I relaxed in his hold and to my surprise, I started to drift off into sleep.
I woke up the next morning the same way I did the previous morning except this time I woke up after Noah.
I stirred away, blinking my eyes a few times.
I looked over to see Noah looking at me, a small smile resting on his face. His hair was messily disheveled and eyes were slightly squinted as the room was bright from the sunlight coming in along with the heaviness from sleep.
My eyebrows pulled together. Noah had an arm wrapped around me.
I wiggled out of his grasp and sat up, running a hand through my hair. "A picture lasts longer." I murmured, looking down at my hands.
Noah laughed as he sat up, "good morning to you too sunshine."
"Mhm," I grumbled. I looked over at Noah once again and again, he was still look at me, amusement dancing over his features.
"What?" I snapped, annoyed.
He shrugged nonchalantly, "so you're extra cranky in the mornings," he noted.
I narrowed my eyes as I looked at him, "is that why you're staring at me like I'm a hypnotic gif you can't stop looking at while baked?"
Noah raised his eyebrows in amusement at my comparison, "No, I'm starring at you because you're stunning."
I did a double-take and looked at Noah like he just grew an organ on the outside of his body.
"What?" Noah asked, grinning like a foolish child when I hadn't said anything and continued to look at him with a straight face.
"Nothing," I muttered dryly, standing up and scrambling out of his room to find the rest of the group before he could say anything else.
I don't know why I got weird. I mean I wasn't really weird, I just woke up so my mind is a little hazy.
It wasn't that I couldn't take compliments either. That was the second time Noah said I'm pretty. I was just confused and surprised by the comment and the way he said it so casually. I don't know.
"Thanks Amanda," Charlie grinned as he bit into his waffle.
Amanda was in the kitchen pouring herself some coffee when she noticed me, "good morning, dear. Breakfast?"
I smiled politely and nodded as I took a seat at the island where Charlie and Leo were sitting while the others sat at the dining table.
"How'd you sleep?" Charlie asked casually but I knew he was asking with a deeper meaning.
I looked at him and shrugged, stealing a waffle from his plate causing his jaw to drop as he whacked my hand. "I slept, Charlie."
To anyone else, it would seem like a dry but generic response. However, Charlie stopped trying to steal his waffle back and looked at me with wide eyes. I nodded in confirmation before he could say anything else. People might start asking questions if we continued talking about how I slept.
"So, what are we doing today?!" Luke asked, excitement evident in his tone just as Noah walked into the kitchen.
I subtly rolled my eyes without anyone noticing.
I was really outgoing especially back in Saratoga but that changed especially now that I was here.
This groups idea of fun was so different than what I was used to.
My old friend group and I would never plan to go bowling or have a movie fest. I'm not saying we went skydiving but we just didn't... do these things. My old friends would actually laugh and joke about how childish these activities were.
I however, did have a good time with everyone here. Things were just calm and easy, fun even if we didn't do much.
But, I didn't want to get dragged to another bowling alley (not that we ended up actually going) or ice cream parlour even though ice cream is good.
"Earth to Tiffany," Leo waved a hand in front of my face, pulling me back into reality.
"Huh?"
Everyone was looking at me, Jade and Joy laughing at the confused look on my face. "We asked if you're down."
"Down for what?" I looked at Leo baffled.
Noah grinned amusedly, "really lost there, sunshine?"
Leo chuckled at Noah's comment, "We're going to go to the coffee house. Are you down?"
Charlie had told me about the coffee house. It wasn't just a café. It was more of an acoustic pub. It was a good place to just go and hang out and if you wanted to have more fun you could go roller skating because there was a rink for that in there as well. You could also take some shots and do karaoke.
"You know what, you guys go have fun." I smiled assuringly, looking between all of them especially Luke because I did not want to get grabbed. "I think I'm just going to grab an Uber home. I'm kind of drained out and have a lot of homework to catch up on."
Jade frowned, "Are you sure? I could always come over and we can work together, if you want."
I shook my head, still forcing a smile, "no, no, don't bail because of me. I just need some low-key time but I'll come with next time. Promise."
Luke frowned, "it won't be fun without you, princess."
I guess I was kind of flattered. I hadn't known these guys long at all and it seemed like they already genuinely liked being around me.
I didn't understand why but it was flattering.
I laughed, "You'll be fine without me, charming."
"I'll drive you home," Noah said after we all had finished with breakfast and were chilling in the lounge before everyone was going to head out. Some of the group was going to go home before meeting at the coffee house since we had been here for two days now.
"What?" I narrowed my eyes, "Ezra can drive me home, he's on his way out anyways."
Noah shrugged, "Ezra is going to his place, not yours."
"Okay..." I nodded. "Then Luke can drop me off, he's headed out too."
"No he's not," Noah retorted, a smug grin on his face. "And even if he was, he'd be going home. I don't have to go anywhere else so I'll drive you home, sunshine."
Dang Charlie who wasn't going home.
I exhaled and nodded, not arguing because it was no use. "Fine. Let's go."
The car ride was quiet, the music on the radio playing softly to break the silence. We didn't talk the whole ride which I was okay with. Noah did glance at me a few times but I pretended not to notice.
"Thanks," I muttered as we pulled into my driveway. "I'll get your clothes back to you tomorrow at school."
I quickly hopped out of the car, grabbing my things as soon as the car came to a stop. I stopped walking and turned around to give Noah a confused look that said 'what are you doing?' when I heard his car door close and looked to see him following me to my front door.
"What?" He shrugged innocently.
"Where do you think you're going?" I was utterly confused.
He grinned cheekily, "You said you have to study, right? Well, I'm your math tutor, aren't I?"
"Wait, what?" I sputtered, looking at him like he was crazy. "No. I mean yes, you are but no thank you. Not today."
"Sunshine, you're at a 55 percent, max and you still need to make it up to an 80 percent." Noah claimed calmly, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked at me with hilarity dancing in his eyes.
I just spent the last two days with this guy. I was not signing up for anymore, whether or not I considered him a friend now. He was already... messing with my head with the close proximity and compliments and...
Yeah. I think that's enough attachment. Hanging out with him more would get us closer which would lead to me somehow (unintentionally) hurting him because bad luck followed me which I had made very clear to him.
"Okay, well we still have all week to study more. I want to... sleep." I excused even though I knew very well I wouldn't be doing any sleep. As much as I would like to, I didn't want to have to take sleeping pills in the middle of the day.
"Isn't that why you bailed out of the plans today?" Noah retorted, smirking. "You said you had to study."
"I also said I was drained out and needed some low-key time." I argued. Noah and I were literally standing on my driveway, arguing like little children. He was very amused but I was not. I just wanted him to go back home or something.
Noah shrugged, "So I'll be idle. Let's go."
He started walking further p the driveway heading to the door.
"What if I said I didn't want to hang out with you?" I grumbled as I reluctantly followed him to the front door because I was getting cold as I wasn't wearing anything but Noah's white v-neck he had lent me.
Noah shrugged yet again, turning to look at me smugly, "I wouldn't believe you. You love my presence."
I narrowed my eyes and looked at him, trying to hold my ground.
"You going to open the door or freeze out here? Because I was smart enough to wear a coat." He was too smug and full of himself. He knew he won this one.
I groaned and unlocked the door, letting him walk in before me. He gave me a proud look as I glared at him and headed up to my room.