"Oh my god! What are you doing here?"
I jump up from the corner and run down the front steps. He stops and opens up his arms. I jump to him. His arms wrap around me. He hold me for what only seems like seconds, but I know it's longer than that. I nuzzle my face into his neck. He smells so good. Him and Cole always do.
"Why do you always show up when I need you most?"
He puts me down. "Princess, why are you crying?"
"Marcus kissed me", I spit out. Noah immediately tenses. "He was drunk, and Aiden went to go get us drinks, and Marcus came up and he kissed me".
I break into tears again and wrap my arms around his body. His arms fall over my shoulders. I cling to him tightly until I hear the door to the house open behind me. I look behind me. It's Aiden.
"What the hell happened?" he runs out to me, then notices Noah behind me.
"Marcus kissed me", I blurt out.
Aiden stands up straighter. "He what?"
"He kissed me. He's drunk and when you went to go get drinks, he came up to me and he grabbed my a$$ and then he kissed me. He told me he broke up with Addi. So, I ran out here and I started crying on the porch, and then Noah came, and, and", there was nothing else. That was the entire story. That was it.
"I'm sorry, Mere. I should have known he would have been drunk and tried to pull something like that. I should not have left you alone in there", Aiden says to me.
"It's not your fault, I promise. But, would you mind if I just go home. I don't feel up to going back in there. Just go find Addi and make sure she is okay. Tell her to call me tomorrow", Aiden nods and gives me a hug.
"Sure thing, Mere. Talk to you later".
Aiden walks back inside the house and I look back at Noah. "You staying at my house? Or a hotel?" I ask
"Your father said I could sleep in your guest room. Dropped my bag off before I came here. Your parents gave me the address". Noah looks at my outfit. "Does Cole know you are wearing this? This is a little out there, even for you", he smirks.
"Shut up. It's not that bad is it?" I ask. I look over my outfit for a second.
"Mere, you look like a stripper. Just saying", Noah holds up his hands innocently. He laughs.
"Oh, come on. Really? You are an a$$", I laugh.
We get in Noah's car. We both sit in silence as Noah drives through the suburban streets of Oscarville. I notice him look over at me every once in a while, then smiles. He pulls into my driveway and we get out.
I take a deep breath before getting out of the car and walking up to my front door. I unlock it with Noah behind me. Every time he walks in a door with me, I think of the first day I met him and Cole. They met my mom on my first day of school in Maine by introduces themselves as my boyfriends. It always makes me feel better when I think about that day.
"Mom. We're home. Noah and I", I call through the house. I hear shuffling in the living room and I lead Noah in. Mom and Dad sit on the couch in silence. That's never good. "What's going on?", I ask suspiciously.
"We have some news that we know you will like", Mom says.
Noah and I sit on the love seat on the back wall. I feel odd sitting in my Halloween costume when the other three are in normal clothes. Plus, my outfit isn't exactly appropriate for my parents to be seeing me in.
"So, we know the past few months have been hard on you, even though you have seen you friends every once in a while. We might have found a way for you to live back in Maine without having us with you", Dad says with a smile.
I look at Noah, who has an evil looking smile on his face, then back at my parents. "How? I'm not eighteen yet?"
"It's called emancipation. You pretty much have to go to a judge and tell them how you are going to live life without your parents having legal custody of you. So, you would live in Maine, and you would already have a place to live, and you could get a job as soon as you move there, or shortly after", Mom says. "It should be pretty easy to do considering that you turn eighteen in only six or seven months. We would set a court date and if they say you can be emancipated, you could move back out to Maine as soon as you wanted".
"Are you serious?" I jump up excitedly. "You mean I can move back to Maine with Cole and Noah? Without you? And before I move back for college?" both of my parents nod at each questions. "Oh my God!"
"That's why I'm here. Well, kind of. Cole couldn't come because of schoolwork, and I don't have classes until Tuesday. Your parents knew your answer would be yes, so your court date is on Monday right before I leave. Technically, since you would be living with me, the courts wanted to meet me, so I have to go with you".
"Oh my God! Thank you so, so, so much. You guys are amazing", my parents get up and each give me a hug.
"You are so welcome, Darling. We trust you to live on your own before you are eighteen, and technically you won't be on your own. You are living with Noah, because you would be when you went off to college anyway. You would still go to Bangor Township school because it's only twenty minutes away from there. We have everything figured out. The only downside to the whole thing, if you feel like it is a bad thing, is that you won't see us very often. Mom could visit you more than I could, but I could figure out some time to see you. All you have to do is say yes".
I think for a second. "Yes", I say with a smile.
VOCÊ ESTÁ LENDO
One More Day (Counting on Hockey #2)
Romance*book two of the Counting On Hockey series. Read Just Another Goal prior to this book* Meredith and Cole are going into their Senior year of high school. They are inseparable together. Now both playing hockey, and being together for now more than a...
