Island Vibes

15. unbelievable

When Noah finally put me down, it was right outside the house. Some small part of me expected this to be the start of a kidnapping, but he'd actually been true to his word.

"You feelin' any better?" Noah asked, hitting me with a big, exaggerated frown that looked comical on his face.

"Oh, enormously," I replied, the sarcasm already thick in my voice. "Being jolted around on your shoulder'll do that."

Noah's frown morphed into his characteristic grin.

"Wow," he said. "Not even a single thank you?" He shook his head, lamenting the situation. "You're unbelievable."

Then he paused, his eyes scanning mine as if he were searching for something. I almost froze, not sure what he was hoping to find. I shot him back a small smile, and watched as his expression softened into something caring. Something affectionate.

"Truly unbelievable," he repeated, murmuring the words this time as he kept gazing at me.

It wasn't a smoulder, or another awkward sexy wink. There were no jokes about his relationship status, about one day being together. It somehow felt like more, even though he was saying and doing less.

It was like he actually gave a shit about me – like he was proud of himself for getting me home and keeping me safe. I felt like something he saw as too precious to risk losing.

It made my heart tighten in my chest.

I didn't want to read into things, not really. But, as always, I couldn't stop myself.

I had been determined to have a light, fun experience here. No heavy emotions. No feelings. I didn't like feelings. Not real ones. Not deep ones. 

I wanted Noah to be eye candy. And on some level, I think I liked that he was unavailable and out of reach. We could flirt and be silly and ultimately just be friends and joke around about everything... but now? This? This didn't feel anything like that. He was looking out for me, and I hadn't counted on my hot, dorky employee having the biggest heart.

I should've known from the second he stocked my fridge. What kind of guy cooks for a girl he hasn't even met yet? I was in deep from day one.

I was starting to get nervous with all the emotions that were buzzing around in my brain. This wasn't good – I couldn't dwell for too long, because I knew I'd say something stupid if I did. It wouldn't have been true, but I wouldn't have put it past my idiot mouth to blurt out an I love you. I had to say something – anything – before my nerves bubbled me over into Stupidville.

"You know what's really unbelievable?" I said, my tone too soft. I was still thinking about how this loser had just carried me up a hill because my sandal had snapped. Maybe I did love him? God, no, okay, shut up, Callie.

What was wrong with me? I was so out of whack tonight. I told myself it was delirium – I hadn't eaten, I'd been sick, I was totally kidding myself.

Noah's grin had a spark of electricity in it. Something was keeping him alight.

"What?" he asked, drawing dangerously close.

I could smell the mix of citronella and cinnamon again.

"Um," I faltered, because he was close enough that with a step and a half I could've been kissing him. And, holy shit. I did want that. My eyes settled on his lips. "The-- the, um..." I was staring at his mouth. This was the least cool I had ever been. "Um, the time," I eventually said, tearing my gaze away from his stupid perfect lips.

I deserved a medal for that feat of superhuman strength. 

Noah pulled his phone out of his pocket and flashed up the screen, smirking down at it.

"Well," he said, a resigned sigh in his voice, "you're not wrong. That is also pretty unbelievable. Where does the time go, huh?"

I gave him a meek smile and a tiny shrug. I wanted him to stay, but I also wanted him to be single. The latter, unfortunately, meant more to me.

"I should get back to, uh--"

"The party?" I asked.

"Everyone trashing my house, yeah," he chuckled.

He swooped in and wrapped me in a hug, and I felt him press a kiss to my hair that seemed to last maybe a second or two longer than I expected. My heart felt a little funny again.

"Work tomorrow?" Noah called at me, as he backed away, already at the top of the hill.

"Work tomorrow," I confirmed, smiling but shaking my head at him as he aimed finger guns at me before turning around and disappearing from sight.

I spun around to look at the house, and rested my head against the door. I was so dumb. It was such a silly situation that I barely wanted to admit it to myself, but I knew it was true: I liked Noah. Like, a lot. Like, way too much.

I trudged inside, unlocking the door with a jangle of the keyrings. I flopped down onto the couch first, bending to unfasten both the broken sandal and the intact sandal. I inspected the broken one and scowled at it, wishing I was back home so I could complain at the store I'd bought them from.

I threw it down onto the tile unhappily and tried to clear my thoughts. Alright, a broken shoe and a big fat crush on a dude with a girlfriend – at least my problems weren't too dire. I could deal. I'd be salty and sulky about it, but I'd deal.

I padded barefoot through to the kitchen, letting my hair down on the way. Pulling open the fridge, I retrieved the last batch of potaje, the non-veggie one, which Noah had made for me.

Heating it up on the stove, I found that with every stir of my spoon, I was falling deeper into some pretty heavy fantasies about Noah. Like, that he was here too, cleaning up after preparing the dish, dancing around the kitchen, making fun of me for not knowing how to cook anything properly. It was disgustingly domestic, and not at all the easy breezy fun vibe I'd been hoping for.

Dishing up my super belated dinner, I settled myself on the couch with another random garbage TV show on the set. I wondered what kind of TV shows Noah liked, then immediately hated myself for thinking about that. How was I supposed to get him out of my head? It was like I was dealing with the most persistent memory of an ex-boyfriend or something, except nothing had even happened with Noah. And nothing would, either. Get a grip, Callie.

Frustrated with myself, I finished off my food and started streaming a random radio station to fall asleep to so I couldn't let my dreadful Noah obsession keep spiraling. I couldn't believe how bad things were getting, and I was sure they were only going to get worse.