When August Ends(64)
Oh my God.
Time seemed to stand still as both of us looked at Noah.
“Don’t answer that,” I insisted. “It’s not fair for you to be put on the spot. Please don’t answer.”
I couldn’t bear to hear him say no. The longer he said nothing, the more excruciating this was. Noah just blinked.
Iliana placed both hands on her head. “Is everything okay with your head?”
“Depends on who you ask,” he said. “As far as I know. Why?”
“I can’t be sure. I’m feeling some pressure in my head, and I don’t know what it means. It could be literal or figurative.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It could represent a lot on your mind or actual physical head pain. Just be cautious.”
Noah seemed totally weirded out. “Okay.”
Illiana concluded her reading, and we left her feeling more confused than when we’d walked in.
Noah grabbed my hand. “I suddenly have a headache.”
“And I’m mortified because I’m apparently an ass tickler.”
“I’m still freaked out that she knew that.”
“What else did I say to you that night?”
“You really want to know?”
“Yes.”
He stopped and leaned into my ear. “You begged me to fuck you.”
What?
“You’re lying!”
“I wouldn’t lie about that. Begged.” He laughed. “That night was the beginning of the end of my resistance.”
“I can’t believe you never said anything.” Pointing my finger at his chest, I said, “I need to be aware of these things. What if I do that shit at school? I’m going to have to get a roommate. What if I say something to them in my sleep?”
“You might want to warn them ahead of time, clarify that you can’t be responsible for what you say. Tell them not to believe any of it—even if that shit is true half of the time.”
***
On the way home, we stopped at a restaurant near our house that Katy had selected.
As predicted, my mother had forced herself out in honor of Noah. It was amazing how much she’d grown to like and trust him compared to the beginning of summer.
Katy pulled a piece of bread from the basket in the middle of the table. “So what will be first on the agenda when you get home, Noah?”
“I’ve booked some assignments starting in October, so I’ll have a little time to get my studio in order again before I get back to work. My father has also been building a laundry list of things he needs me to do, stuff that needs to be fixed. He’s in his early seventies, lives alone, and relies on me a lot.”
She grinned. “He’ll be happy to have you back.”
“Yeah.” Noah glanced over at me and offered a sympathetic smile.
He knew exactly what I was thinking: his father’s gain would be my loss.
“Well, I hope the long break was just what you needed,” my mother said. “Although you certainly didn’t do much relaxing while you were here. I can’t thank you enough for everything you did for us.”
“You know it was my pleasure, Alice.”
My mother reached for my hand across the table. “I know you’re sad about Noah leaving. But I have what I hope is some news that will brighten your night.”
“What?”
“Your father called me today while you were out. He’s changed his mind and has officially informed us that he does not intend to take any money from the sale of the house. Of course, it’s not final until the paperwork is signed, but he says he plans to relinquish those rights.”
The breath rushed out of my lungs. “Wow, okay.”
Noah squeezed my leg under the table. “That’s great.”
It was a weird feeling. I knew I should have been happy, but the whole stress of my father threatening us had been unnecessary in the first place.
Katy smiled. “I’m glad you won’t have to deal with that complication.”
This dinner was nice, but I was antsy to have Noah to myself again. It was only a matter of hours now before he’d be gone. I knew he was feeling it, too, wishing we could stop time. I’d felt his eyes on me all throughout dinner and could feel an unspoken intensity in the air.
When my mother went to the bathroom, Katy busied herself with handling the check. She’d refused to let Noah give her money.
Without an audience for a moment, Noah turned to me and mouthed, “You’re so beautiful.” It was as if he’d been dying to say it.
“I want you,” I whispered. So badly it hurt.
I couldn’t let him go back to Pennsylvania without having him one more time. Even if I had to beg for it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
* * *
NOAH
My insides twisted as we drove home from the restaurant.
I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to this place, to say goodbye to Heather.
Earlier when that psychic had put me on the spot about my feelings, I’d wanted to tell her the truth: that she’d guessed correctly—that I was in love with Heather. In my heart, I knew she was right. It wasn’t something I wanted to admit now, not with Heather’s future on the line. But that woman was fucking good.