Broken Promises

21 | noah

I spot her instantly, which is nothing new.

I'm not sure when I started paying so much attention to Blake Rhodes. All I know is that paying attention to her has become a habit, and you know what they say about habits.

They're hard to break.

Three days ago, she'd shown up at my dad's repair shop with a flat tire. She'd been extremely pale and her voice had been hoarse and scratchy. One touch of her skin confirmed that she was ill, so I'd taken her to the doctor, a task that had proven to be more difficult than I'd thought it'd be. After visiting the town's physician, Blake was diagnosed with strep. I haven't seen her since.

Strangely enough, her absence in my life has been like some sort of withdrawal. It's not like Blake Rhodes is a big part of my life, as we occasionally speak. We're not nearly close enough to be friends at the same time we're not exactly strangers. However, I suppose I've become used to her presence. Somewhere along the way, I started looking forward to seeing her.

Needless to say, spotting her as she climbs out of her mother's Honda across the parking lot instantly lights up something inside of me that I've never quite felt before. I find myself anticipating the moment she will be standing in front of me, hoping she'll approach.

Blake seems to have caught me staring—which I don't try to hide. Her face lights up as she smiles in my direction, making her way over to me. I wait patiently, dropping the cigarette in my hand to the ground before Blake can see it.

For whatever reason, I don't want to disappoint her.

"Hey," Blake says casually once she reaches me.

"You're back," I muse, smiling faintly. "Did you beat strep's ass already?"

"I think strep beat mine," Blake admits sheepishly. "Regardless, I'm finally over it."

"I guess I'm next. After that car ride with you and having to drag you kicking and screaming into the doctor's office . . . I won't be surprised if I end up with strep, too."

I look down to find Blake biting her lip, the action instantly driving me wild. I want to tell her that she's got to stop doing that around me, want to reach out and pull her lip from her teeth.

Of course, I don't.

"About that," she starts, "I should be thanking you for taking me to the doctor. And apologizing. I wasn't the easiest to deal with that day."

I shrug. "It wasn't a problem, sweetheart."

"I just wanted you to know . . ." Blake trails off, seemingly unsure of if she should continue or not. "I'm here, okay? In case you ever need someone to talk to, or . . . anything."

Her words are more shocking than I'd like to admit, hard to believe she's saying them to me of all people. She shouldn't be standing here at all. She should be keeping her distance, as I am nothing but trouble. She should know that.

"You should hate me," I find myself mumbling under my breath.

"Well, I don't. And as much as you pretend to hate everything, Noah, I know you don't."

I raise an eyebrow. "And . . . you know that how?"

"Because you don't hate me," Blake responds simply. "And if you can find it in yourself not to hate me, well then . . ." she trails off, shrugging.

"I could never hate you," I admit, letting those feelings that Blake gives me do the talking for me. "I think it's impossible."

"Noah Reed," My name rolling off of Blake's lips is a melody, a song, a poem. Something sweet and beautiful. "Nothing is impossible."

"Not even someone like you being friends with someone like me?" I question faintly.

Blake smiles as she shakes her head. "Not even that."

As my gaze meets Blake's, I can't stop myself from realizing I've just made my first official friend here in Magnolia Heights.

And I don't entirely hate it.

____

a/n: okay but today pretty much sucked ass.