Island Vibes

14. strongman

"You having a good time, new girl?" Noah asked, using Matt's nickname. I almost covered my mouth when a laugh of disbelief tumbled out.

"I mean--" I said, stalling for time. I didn't want to lie, necessarily, but the truth wasn't all that pretty. I took a few moments too long to answer, and Noah turned to look at me before frowning lightly.

"You look a little, um." He stopped himself, trying to find the right word. "White?"

A small smile spread across my face at that. "I'm still working on my tan," I said.

Noah's frown morphed into his usual grin, and he shook his head as he cracked up. "Not what I meant," he said, drawing nearer. He cupped my face in his hands, and I was torn. I wanted to live in that moment forever and also completely erase it: this was exactly what I wanted, but I looked like shit. Right move, wrong time. Somehow, it felt like textbook Noah.

"You just don't look well," he eventually concluded.

"Paging Doctor Flores," I teased, almost starting to feel better.

"I mean it," Noah chuckled, his hands retreating. He was seemingly finding it hard to stay concerned. It was good – I didn't want him to worry. "You feeling okay?" 

I shrugged, and offered only a casual "Not great," because that felt at least one or two steps up from admitting to hurling in his bathroom. I was sure I'd be fine. I just needed to get some rest and probably skip the gross room temp beer/empty stomach combo in future.

Noah looked back at his house. "You wanna crash with Milo for a while, maybe? Or if you're really not feelin' it, I can walk you home now," he shrugged. "They'll survive without me. Brie can hold down the fort," he grinned.

"And Melissa," I added, because my saltiness wouldn't let me stay quiet. I tried to keep the bite out of my words, though. It was the least I could do, because Melissa hadn't done anything to me.

Noah smirked. "I wouldn't trust her with my house sober, let alone while she's drunk," he said. "I'd come back here and it'd just be a pile of rubble, or she'd have painted it lilac or whatever."

"And that'd be... bad?" I joked, as if the idea of having lilac walls was actually appealing.

"Am I walking you home or not?" Noah said, as if he couldn't take much more, a big dumb grin on his face nonetheless.

"I'd like that," I said. Then, because it sounded too sweet, I added, "Unless you have a burst pipe to fix first, and I have to wait around here for a few hours?" because I realised I never wanted to let him forget how he'd dropped the ball on what should have been our first meeting.

He groaned, tipping his head back again and aiming a sigh up at the stars. "It wasn't hours," he said, insistent.

"It felt like it," I said, smirking down at my feet. He was too fun to mess with.

"Wow, alright, y'know, if you're well enough to be this sassy, you can find your way home on your own," Noah laughed.

I aimed my smirk up at him, watching him for a moment. I realised that if he'd been single, I would've been even more pressed. It would've been too suspicious: like, how was no one dating this perfect guy? But Melissa was proof that he was entirely dateable – no horrible secrets, no twisted past. It made it better and worse. Better because I knew he really was as ideal as he seemed. Worse, because, duh, he was somebody's boyfriend.

After a few beats, he jerked his head to the left, in what seemed like it'd roughly be the direction of my parents' house. "C'mon, Callie," he muttered, turning to leave even despite what he'd said.