When August Ends(56)

I finally seemed to be getting through to her a little. Her eyes softened.

“I understand what you’re saying. I just don’t know what it means for us. Are you telling me to forget about you and date other people when I go away to school?”

That made my stomach turn. “Honestly? I have to think about what it means. We took things to a different level last night, one I wasn’t mentally ready for and one we can’t easily come back from, either. You asked me to open up. That’s what I’m doing. I just don’t have all of the answers yet. Right now, these feelings are very raw. I’m still so fucking high off of you I can’t think straight.”

She just kept blinking and nodding. She didn’t know what to make of this conversation any more than I did.

Suddenly, she got out of bed. “I think I should go back to the house for a bit.”

“Don’t leave yet. Let’s keep talking.”

Heather started putting her clothes back on. “I can’t think straight around you, either. Plus, my mother is probably wondering where I am. She knows I’ve fallen asleep here before. But I’m pretty sure she’ll take one look at my face and figure out what happened this time. I’m not a very good liar.”

The thought of Alice finding out about this made me panic a little. “Are you gonna tell her the truth if she calls you on it?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Well, if you don’t plan to, you’d better cover your neck. I left marks all over you.”

The thought of that made me want to fuck her again. What was wrong with me? Even after all of the concerns I’d just shared, I wanted nothing more than to carry her back to bed, bury my head between her legs, and make her scream again. Forget about everything else.

“Let me get you something to put on.” I threw on my pants and zipped them up.

Opening the suitcase I’d packed, I took out a turtleneck, cable knit sweater. Don’t ask me why I’d brought that with me in the middle of summer, but I was thankful I had.

She pulled it over her head. “Thanks.”

Practically swimming in my sweater, Heather lingered at the door.

I cupped her face. “Last night was incredible. I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying until you tell me it’s okay to leave or until I’m kicked out of here by the new owner…or by you. And I’m here all day when you’re ready to talk more.”

“Okay.” She leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on my lips.

I watched her walk back to her house. Well, Noah, you’ve finally done it. You’ve gone and fucked things up real good.





CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE




* * *



HEATHER




She knows.

My mother isn’t stupid. She’d seen me leave with that pie last night and knew where I was going. So it didn’t take a genius to figure out why I hadn’t come home until now.

She was sitting in the dimly lit kitchen waiting for me when I arrived. The fact that she’d come out of her room to sit there and wait meant she was definitely looking for a confrontation.

She crossed her arms. “Where have you been?”

“You know the answer to that.”

Tilting her head, she said, “I assume that’s his sweater…”

“I fell asleep there. He let me borrow it. It’s a little chilly this morning.”

“Right.”

I tried my best not to look at her as I fumbled in search of a K-cup to make some coffee.

“I understand, you know,” she said.

I froze.

I turned around to face her and was now one-hundred percent sure she knew I’d fucked Noah.

As much as I didn’t want to admit what had happened last night, a part of me needed my mother right now. I needed to talk to someone I trusted. I was used to being the one looking after her, but sometimes a girl needs to be taken care of by her parent. And it was really rare to have her attention like this.

I resumed making the coffee and finally coughed out the words. “I only went over to give him that pie. Things just...it was a mistake.”

“There are no mistakes in life. Everything you do is a choice. Some of them are good, and others contribute to our personal growth, teach us lessons. Choices lead us to things we were meant to experience. I may be depressed, but I’m still your mother, and I’ve still garnered some wisdom over the years.”

“You’re not disappointed in me, then?”

“Why would I be? Noah is a great man. My trepidation about him early on had nothing to do with him and everything to do with me. I was afraid to lose you. I’ve since come to terms with the fact that you’re leaving, so my feelings toward Noah have evolved, too. I’ve always sensed the attraction between the two of you. You know that. So, no, this isn’t a surprise, and I’m not disappointed. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Wow.” I took a sip of my coffee and sighed. “I was expecting you to give me hell.”

“Do I think he’s too old for you? Yes. But the fact is, you’re an adult. I’ve tried hard over the past couple of months to learn how to let you go. That means not questioning your decisions anymore. It hasn’t been easy.”

“I’m pretty sure I might be in love with him, but I would never tell him that. That would freak him out.”