Perfect for You(24)

“Yes.”

He nods and looks away. “I guess I should leave you to your history paper then.”

Just like that? No fight? No attempt to make me see he’s the better choice for me?

He turns to leave, but stops. “If you ever decide you do want me around, I’m here. I’ll be here.”

He really does care about me. It’s not some game of going after the girl with a boyfriend to see if he can get her. He genuinely cares about me.

“Noah.” I don’t even realize I say his name until he turns to face me. More than anything I want to split myself in two so I can be with Ash and Noah. I like them both. I can’t help it and I know it’s wrong, but I do.

“Say the word, Meg. Nothing against Ash, but I don’t give a damn what he wants. If you want me in your life, I’m here for you.” He takes one step toward me. “Just say the word.”

My heart pounds. My head says I should keep my mouth shut and let him walk away, but he looks so hopeful that I’ll ask him to stay.

“I don’t want to lose either one of you.” It’s the most honest answer I can give.

One side of his mouth curves up. “I don’t share, Meg.”

Isn’t that what he’s doing now, though? Sharing my attention with Ash. He hasn’t seemed to mind yet.

“At least not for long. At some point, you have to make a decision. All I need to know is if I should bother to fight for you.”

I never thought I’d be the kind of girl who has guys fighting over her.

“So, should I?” He moves closer, and I’m thankful we’re hidden in the back of the library where no one can see us. His hand reaches for my cheek. “This would be so much easier if you let me kiss you. You can tell a lot from one kiss.”

“I can’t cheat on Ash. I’ve been cheated on before. I know how much it hurts.” I lower my eyes, not knowing why I’m sharing this with him. “I won’t do that to anyone, especially Ash.”

“I have a feeling Ash would consider what we’re doing now cheating. Maybe we haven’t kissed, but we’ve hung out behind his back, and we’ve shared more than a few moments I think he’d object to.” He brushes his finger across my lips. “I mean, how would you feel if he was doing this with Liz right now?”

The words cut through me like a blade. Noah knows about Liz liking Ash? “Have you seen them together?” I have to know. Is Ash hanging out with Liz behind my back? Would he do that?

His face falls, like he’s disappointed by my jealousy. “She likes him,” is his only answer.

I nod. Liz has made her attraction to Ash known. Hell, she even made it known at Jackson’s party when I was in Ash’s arms. “He said he’ll stop talking to her if I—”

“Stop seeing me?” Were we seeing each other? Is that what he thinks? “We’re not in the same situation they are. We know we like each other. Ash isn’t sure how he feels about Liz.”

I squint at him, wondering why he thinks he knows my boyfriend so well. “How do you know all this? Are you watching him or something?”

“I can read people really well. That’s why I started talking to you in the first place. I could tell you liked me the first time we ran into each other at the courts.”

“Really? Then why didn’t you know I’ve had a crush on you for two years?” It was supposed to prove he isn’t so good at reading people, but instead, it solidifies his point.

“I kind of had a feeling that was the case. We don’t hang out in the same social circles so I was never close enough to you to figure it out before we started practicing together.” He reaches for both my hands, not caring about my deal with Ash at all. “I’m right here. You can have me if that’s what you want. But Ash is right. You need to make a decision.”

Ash never told me to make a decision. He told me not to talk to Noah. Is there a decision to be made? Are my feelings for Noah that strong? That real?

Noah lifts my fingers to his lips and lightly kisses them. “Think about it.” He walks away, leaving my heart racing and an ache the size of the school in my gut.

I grab my books off the table and run to Ash’s locker. I need to do two things. First, make sure Liz isn’t at Ash’s locker with him. And second, kiss Ash like I’ve never kissed him before. Noah is right. The chemistry between us is too strong to let this go on. I have to end things with him and choose Ash for good. It’s the only way to make this better. To get Liz out of Ash’s life for good. I have to show him he doesn’t need her. With Derrick, dating freshman Stacy had been all about his ego. It made him feel like a man. Sure, when you’re comparing yourself to someone younger, it’s easy to feel more mature. I have to make Ash feel like a man.

He’s putting his books in his locker when I reach him. I grab his arm, turn him around, and plant my lips on his. My hands weave through his hair, pulling him into me. He backs up, most likely because everyone is staring at us, and slams his head into the locker.

“Ouch,” he says, smiling at me. “Not that I’m not grateful for that hello, but what was it for?”

“I love you.” I feel the full weight and meaning of those three words. I love him. I’m an idiot if I let Noah ruin this for me. He’s a crush. Maybe I’m not totally over it. Maybe I like finally getting attention from the guy I’ve been dreaming about for two years. But I don’t need Noah when I have Ash. Ash is the kind of boyfriend girls dream about. He’s my dream.