Island Vibes

26. you're welcome

Silence washed through the half-renovated café for a few seconds that managed to feel like an eternity.

Noah still looked like he was on the brink of a breakdown, but he seemed a little better. A little airier. He was recovering, bit by bit. I imagined it was a relief, for him to have been able to spill his guts. It sure sounded like he hadn't been able to tell anyone else on the island about his woes. Not Brie, not Melissa, not anyone. That had to feel pretty isolating.

Of course, while it was sweet to think he was comfortable enough to open up to me, it also made me think again about Melissa, and how he'd kissed me. I wasn't sure I'd get over him doing that. 

Our circumstances were completely wrong. We liked each other, we had chemistry with each other, we were attracted to each other. In another universe, it would've been a perfect match. In this universe? It was a perfect mess.

"You know what?" I said, finally puncturing the silence. "You need a break."

"I don't think now is a good time to head off on vacation, Cal," Noah teased, looking pointedly around the room, highlighting all of the work we still had to finish up. We'd made great progress, but it wasn't like we were done quite yet. Summer was speeding by, but it'd be another month or two at least before things would be ready to go.

"That's not what I meant," I said, rolling my eyes. "But... I do think you should skip work for a few days. And, maybe you should tell Melissa you need some space?"

Noah grimaced, the expression paining his pretty features.

"You have to," I said, huffing the words out in a sigh. It wasn't really negotiable. If he didn't let her know something was up soon, I'd feel like I had to. And that'd be way worse. "You can't kiss me and let her think everything is totally cool."

Noah ran a hand over his forehead, but then he nodded. "Alright. Yeah. I mean, I-- yeah. You're right, I guess."

"I always am," I teased, giving him a small smile. "Speaking of me, though – we should probably get some space too." It was difficult to say. I might've been kind of mad at him still, and he was clearly going through some stuff, but... it would get even tougher if we kept hanging out so much.

It was just too easy to get attached to someone like Noah. He was such a breeze to get along with that I imagined even if I hadn't been attracted to him, we'd have ended up joined at the hip. He was magnetic. From what I'd seen at his house party, pretty much everyone seemed to feel that way about him. I tried to think about what that had to be like for him, combined with his current worries – to be surrounded by friends and still need an escape; still want something bigger. It was no wonder he was freaking out.

Noah began to protest. "But-- what about the café? And what about surfing? Brie's going to be--"

"She'll get over it," I shrugged. "You need to, like, recalibrate," I said, feeling a pang of sympathy for him. "You need the space more than I need a surfing lesson," I laughed.

Noah's concerned expression cracked into a gentle smile at that. He looked down at his lap and then he nodded, hopping down from the counter. "Okay," he said. "Sure. I don't know what y'really think is gonna be different," he admitted, shifting his weight and fluffing up his hair, fussing, "but I'm not about to pretend I don't need to think about some stuff."

"Understatement of the year," I said, my smile fading when he drew nearer. I was tempted to wrap him in a hug, as if to console him, but then... there was no way I wouldn't end up kissing him again. He took a tiny step closer, officially putting himself in my bubble – in the danger zone – and I had to turn my back to him to avoid disaster.

Why was he so difficult to cope with? He really was magnetic. It was a nightmare.

"How about we grab a smoothie later this week? See where we're at?" I had to start talking, just to distract myself and give my mouth something else to do.

"Sounds perfect," Noah nodded, grinning a little more like his usual self. "Listen, you're like-- the best, okay, Cal? I mean it."

I smiled and shrugged. What was I supposed to say to that? It didn't sound romantic, just... dramatic.

"Like, I didn't mean to drag you into this. Wrong place, wrong time," he teased. "I think I've been meaning to uh, have this big meltdown for a couple of months now. You just kinda... tipped it over the edge, y'know?"

I swayed closer to elbow his side gently. "You're welcome," I laughed.

Noah laughed too, more heartily than I'd heard from him in a while.

"I'll get my shit sorted out, I promise," he said, nodding decisively. He slung an arm over my shoulders before I had the chance to duck away, but something about the move didn't feel like he was trying to charm me or overwhelm me with any kind of make out vibes. It was like he was just happy to have someone to talk to – like he was grateful, not flirty. For once.