Girl Online(46)

“Oh my God! Did he send you that cake too?” Elliot’s eyes go even wider as he spots the devil’s food cake.

“Yes. His grandma made it. She’s an amazing cook.”

Elliot puts the doll back on the pillow and smiles at me. “OK, OK, I’m starting to see why it was love at first sight. Go on then.”

“What?”

“Tell me all about it.”

So we get under the duvet, and I tell him all about my magical day with Noah. When I get to the bit about his hand brushing mine, Elliot actually starts waving his hands up and down in excitement. I decide against telling him about the inciting incident, though—I want to keep that just between me and Noah.

“Holy swoon-gate!” Elliot exclaims when I finally get to the end of my tale. “If that’s what Brooklyn boys are like I’m emigrating as soon as possible!”

I laugh and break off a piece of Sadie Lee’s cake and pop it into my mouth. It’s so soft it feels like velvet on my tongue.

“I’m sorry I was such a grump earlier,” Elliot says. “I totally get why you were so excited now.”

As soon as he says this, I think of my blog post. In all of the excitement of the special delivery from Noah, I completely forgot to delete it.

“That’s OK,” I say. “I should have told you before I blogged about it.”

We look at each other and grin and I’m filled with a wave of relief that everything is back to normal between us.

“OK, I’m going to let you get some sleep,” Elliot says, getting up from the bed. “You’ve got a big day ahead.”

“I’m really sorry. I’ve hardly got to hang out with you.”

“That’s OK. I’ve been having a great time with your dad and tomorrow we’re going to the Statue of Liberty and on a ghost tour.”

“A ghost tour?”

“Yep. It’s going to be epic—it even includes a visit to the hidden tomb of twenty thousand yellow-fever victims.”

I start to laugh. “Cool . . . I think.”

As soon as Elliot’s gone back to his room, I pick up my phone and a blanket from the bed and go over to the armchair by the window. Once again, the view takes my breath away. And once again I get that can-this-really-be-happening-to-me feeling. I wrap the blanket around me and snuggle into the chair. Then I click on Noah’s number and press call. With every long purr of the American ring tone, my nervousness ramps up a notch. Thankfully, he answers it after just three.

“Hey,” he says softly.

“Hey. Thank you so much for the doll.” I feel awkward all of a sudden, too formal, too polite.

“You’re very welcome. So, tell me, Miss Penny, are you by a window right now?”

“Yes! Right by one.”

“Have you seen the moon?”

“No, hang on.” I open my window and peer out. A huge, perfectly round moon is suspended right over the Empire State Building. But it’s not the size or shape that takes my breath away, it’s the color. It’s glowing bright amber. “Oh my God, it looks amazing! Why’s it so orange?”

“Well, I thought it might have been spray-painted by aliens or something but, according to Sadie Lee, it’s something to do with pollution in the atmosphere.”

“Oh. I think I prefer the alien theory.”

“Me too. So listen. Given that you appear to have done something very strange to me—”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I don’t exactly make a habit of buying china dolls, you know?”

I laugh.

“I think it only right and fair that you see me one more time before you go,” he continues.

“I’d love to—but when?”

“How about I swing by after the reception? Sadie Lee says it’ll all be over by midnight. I have something really cool planned.”

I instantly think of my parents. Somehow I hardly see them letting me head off into New York at midnight with a boy I’ve only just met.

“And don’t worry—we won’t be leaving the hotel,” Noah says, as if reading my mind.

“I’d love to.” I say it so quickly the words practically blur into one. I wrap the blanket more tightly around me and imagine that I’m in Noah’s arms.

“So, I’ll see you tomorrow then,” Noah says softly.

“Yes. See you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight, Penny.”

“Goodnight, Noah.”

I put down my phone and take a deep breath. Then I look out onto the New York skyline and gaze up at the incredible moon. I feel so different—and it’s not just about meeting Noah or being in New York. It’s that for the first time ever I feel as if my life is my own—that I’m in charge of my own destiny. I’m no longer just reacting to what everyone else does or says. With Noah as my inciting incident, I’m finally writing my own script.





Chapter Twenty-Five

When I wake up the next day, I have that Christmas-morning feeling. Like I know before I’ve even opened my eyes that something really lovely is going to happen before I’ve remembered what it is. And then, in seconds, it all comes flooding back. Noah—I’m going to see Noah. I open my eyes and see the doll staring right at me. She’s fallen over in the night and is now lying facing me on the pillow.