about messing up my conversation with Ash.” He can play dumb all he wants. He knows he’s partially to blame for this. I wouldn’t have kicked him if he wasn’t bending down and staring at me so intently. Making me…get lost in his eyes.
“So this is my own fault?”
“Exactly.” I bring him to the downstairs bathroom. No way am I taking him anywhere near my room. I get the ointment from the closet and hand it to him. “Here.”
“You’re kidding, right?” He turns his shoulder so I can see the gashes on the back of his arm. “I can’t see the cuts. You’re going to have to help me.”
Help him? As in rub ointment on his toned triceps?
“Do you have a washcloth to wash the blood off first?” He looks around for one.
I go back to the closet and choose the darkest one I can find. I don’t want to have to explain the blood to Mom later. I wet the washcloth and dab it on the cuts.
Noah jumps. “Whoa, that’s cold.”
“Sorry.” I’m afraid to touch him too much, which is making this really hard to do.
“You can touch me. I promise I won’t bite.” He turns and gives me a sly—totally sexy—smile. “Besides, I don’t want to get you mad. I’ve seen what you’re capable of.”
“Very funny.” I place a shaky hand on his left shoulder to steady myself and him while I wash out the cuts on his right arm. “I’m sorry I knocked you over.”
“I deserved it.” Does he really mean that? Is he aware of what he’s been doing to me?
“I think the bleeding’s stopped. Time for the ointment.” I grab the Q-tips and start applying the cream.
Noah laughs. “Afraid I have a disease or something?”
“They’re open wounds. I don’t want to get germs in them.”
He nods. “So, you’re telling me you’re dirty.” The flirtation in his voice nearly knocks me over.
I glare at him, but not really meaning the harsh look at all. “You could do this yourself, you know.”
He clamps his lips together, signaling he’s finished making comments. I finish with the ointment and return it to the closet. We stand there staring at each other, not knowing what to do. Noah’s in my house. I had to invite him in after I hurt him, but now what?
“Listen, about that movie…”
“You don’t want to go. I get it.” He twists his arm to get a better look at the cuts, and I can’t help wondering if it’s only to avoid my eyes. “What time is Ash coming by?”
“Ten.”
Noah checks his watch and smiles. “Then I have you all to myself for an hour and a half.”
“Noah.” How do I make this clear to him? “You can’t stay. I told you, I don’t feel right about this.”
“Don’t you think it’s odd that you and Ash have to ask each other not to hang out with people who like you? I mean, Ash isn’t supposed to hang out with Liz, and you’re not supposed to hang out with me. Except Ash is with Liz tonight, isn’t he?”
“Don’t be that way.” I cross my arms, trying to protect myself from the truth in his words. “You’re not helping your cause.”
His mouth curves into a smile. “Thanks for the tip. Kind of makes me think you’re rooting for me.”
“You know that’s not what I meant.” He won’t give up. I’m not sure if I should be annoyed by his persistence or completely flattered that he’s going through so much trouble for me.
He puts his hands up. “I apologize.”
“Great. I guess we’re done here. Have fun at your movie, and I’ll see you in school on Monday.”
“Not going to the game tomorrow?”
Noah’s going to the football game? “You can’t be serious. You’ve never gone to a game.”
“Been keeping tabs on me?” His dimple is back.
If Noah shows up at the game, it could ruin Ash’s concentration. No, it will ruin Ash’s concentration. Ash has this uncanny way of finding me in a crowd of people. And what if he finds me with Noah?
“Please, don’t go.”
“Okay, I won’t.” He takes my hands in his. “I’ll stay as long as
“So this is my own fault?”
“Exactly.” I bring him to the downstairs bathroom. No way am I taking him anywhere near my room. I get the ointment from the closet and hand it to him. “Here.”
“You’re kidding, right?” He turns his shoulder so I can see the gashes on the back of his arm. “I can’t see the cuts. You’re going to have to help me.”
Help him? As in rub ointment on his toned triceps?
“Do you have a washcloth to wash the blood off first?” He looks around for one.
I go back to the closet and choose the darkest one I can find. I don’t want to have to explain the blood to Mom later. I wet the washcloth and dab it on the cuts.
Noah jumps. “Whoa, that’s cold.”
“Sorry.” I’m afraid to touch him too much, which is making this really hard to do.
“You can touch me. I promise I won’t bite.” He turns and gives me a sly—totally sexy—smile. “Besides, I don’t want to get you mad. I’ve seen what you’re capable of.”
“Very funny.” I place a shaky hand on his left shoulder to steady myself and him while I wash out the cuts on his right arm. “I’m sorry I knocked you over.”
“I deserved it.” Does he really mean that? Is he aware of what he’s been doing to me?
“I think the bleeding’s stopped. Time for the ointment.” I grab the Q-tips and start applying the cream.
Noah laughs. “Afraid I have a disease or something?”
“They’re open wounds. I don’t want to get germs in them.”
He nods. “So, you’re telling me you’re dirty.” The flirtation in his voice nearly knocks me over.
I glare at him, but not really meaning the harsh look at all. “You could do this yourself, you know.”
He clamps his lips together, signaling he’s finished making comments. I finish with the ointment and return it to the closet. We stand there staring at each other, not knowing what to do. Noah’s in my house. I had to invite him in after I hurt him, but now what?
“Listen, about that movie…”
“You don’t want to go. I get it.” He twists his arm to get a better look at the cuts, and I can’t help wondering if it’s only to avoid my eyes. “What time is Ash coming by?”
“Ten.”
Noah checks his watch and smiles. “Then I have you all to myself for an hour and a half.”
“Noah.” How do I make this clear to him? “You can’t stay. I told you, I don’t feel right about this.”
“Don’t you think it’s odd that you and Ash have to ask each other not to hang out with people who like you? I mean, Ash isn’t supposed to hang out with Liz, and you’re not supposed to hang out with me. Except Ash is with Liz tonight, isn’t he?”
“Don’t be that way.” I cross my arms, trying to protect myself from the truth in his words. “You’re not helping your cause.”
His mouth curves into a smile. “Thanks for the tip. Kind of makes me think you’re rooting for me.”
“You know that’s not what I meant.” He won’t give up. I’m not sure if I should be annoyed by his persistence or completely flattered that he’s going through so much trouble for me.
He puts his hands up. “I apologize.”
“Great. I guess we’re done here. Have fun at your movie, and I’ll see you in school on Monday.”
“Not going to the game tomorrow?”
Noah’s going to the football game? “You can’t be serious. You’ve never gone to a game.”
“Been keeping tabs on me?” His dimple is back.
If Noah shows up at the game, it could ruin Ash’s concentration. No, it will ruin Ash’s concentration. Ash has this uncanny way of finding me in a crowd of people. And what if he finds me with Noah?
“Please, don’t go.”
“Okay, I won’t.” He takes my hands in his. “I’ll stay as long as
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