She smiled. “Are you thinking the drought explains some of my behavior earlier this summer? Because that wouldn’t be entirely true. I’ve never acted like that before, never asserted myself like that with anyone.”
That made me happy inside, which was messed-up. Whatever I was feeling, I had to get over it. I couldn’t be anything more than a friend and mentor to this girl, especially now that she was finally on the right path. She looked up to me, believed in me. She didn’t need a grown man who couldn’t control his feelings or his dick messing with her emotions right now. I’d be leaving at the end of the month, and regardless of how strong my feelings had grown toward her, I had to stick it out, not get carried away, and stand my ground, even if I felt that ground crumbling beneath me.
Oh! I hadn’t given her the present I’d bought for her. Presenting it now would be a good way to escape this conversation about sex. After our talk earlier, I’d worried it might make her sad if it reminded her of her sister. But ultimately, I needed to give it to her.
I walked over to a drawer and took out the box. “I got you something.”
“You didn’t have to do that.”
I handed it to her, and my heart raced as she opened it. I’d searched a long time for the right one.
When she took the figurine out of the packaging, she covered her mouth. “Oh my God.”
“I know you said you stopped collecting them some years back. I assumed it was because whatever hope they gave you disappeared after your sister died. Am I right?”
Seeming a little choked up, she nodded. “Yes.”
“This one is called Merry Wanderer.”
Heather ran her fingers along the ceramic. “Oh, I know. It’s famous. I’ve always wanted it.”
I smiled. “Really?”
“Yes.”
This particular Hummel featured a little boy with a suitcase and umbrella, headed out on an adventure.
“I figured he could remind you of me, the wanderer who passed through town that one summer. So my choosing it was a little selfish.”
“This is so perfect.” She hugged it to her chest.
“Don’t ever feel guilty about being happy. Your sister would want you to be happy. Collect the Hummels. Live your life.”
Tears sprung to her eyes as she leaned in and wrapped her arms around me. Just like the last time she’d done this, my heart hammered against my chest. I was completely aware of her soft breasts pressed against me, completely aware of my body reacting in a way that was absolutely opposite of what should have been happening. I prayed my erection would subside. Heather was too damn astute. She would notice that shit.
She pulled back to look in my eyes. “This really means a lot. Thank you for this entire night. I’ll never forget it as long as I live.”
I’d never wanted to kiss anyone so badly in my life. “You’re welcome,” I told her.
She suddenly yawned, and small beads of spit sprayed out of her mouth.
“Oh my gosh! I just squirted.”
The moment she realized what she’d said, her entire face froze before it turned beet red. It was like time stopped for a few seconds.
I sure as fuck wasn’t going to touch her “squirting” with a ten-foot pole, although I couldn’t say I totally minded the visual it brought on.
“Can I use your bathroom?”
Ah. She’s going to escape the embarrassment.
“You don’t even have to ask.”
“Thanks.”
After a few minutes, she emerged. “I think all of the alcohol and sugar did me in. I’m not feeling so great. Do you mind if I lie down for a bit?”
“No. Of course not.”
Heather made her way over to my bed and sank her head into the pillow.
My chest tightened at the sight of her. I longed to curl up behind her.
Instead of dwelling on it, I lifted my ass off the loveseat and forced myself to clean up the paper plates we’d left out. I carefully lifted the remaining cake into the refrigerator so it wouldn’t melt.
After cleaning everything up, I returned to the loveseat and put the TV on very low volume. Heather was completely out. It was late. Not wanting to disrupt her if she didn’t wake up tonight, I’d just sleep on the loveseat with my legs dangling over the end.
At one point, Heather moaned. “Noah…”
I sat up. “You okay?”
She didn’t respond, so I walked over to her and saw that her eyes were still closed. I’d almost walked away again when she repeated, “Noah…” It was more like a whisper.
“What’s up, Heather?” I murmured.
She didn’t respond. I realized she was probably talking in her sleep. She’d mentioned she did that from time to time.
“Noah…”
I stayed standing, a foot away from the bed, and looked at her for a while. Just as I’d turned around to return to the couch, I heard her again.
“Noah…fuck me. Please…fuck me.”
Oh.
Shit.
I froze, unsure what to do. This felt like a violation, because I wasn’t supposed to hear her say those words. Yet they’d exited her mouth and were meant for me, in a sense. Do I wake her up?
Her voice shook me yet again. “Fuck me, Noah.”
Jesus.
She did it again. “I want you so bad. Please fuck me.”
This time I spoke back.
“I want to. Believe me.” My words came out louder than I’d intended. I didn’t want to wake her up.
“I want to tickle your ass.”
Hold up. Say what?
Did she just say she wanted to tickle my ass? Or was it…dick in my ass? I couldn’t be sure. Maybe I was just hearing things.
“I want to tickle your ass, Noah.”
Nope. Not hearing things. Tickle. That’s exactly what she said. Unable to help it, I lost it and started laughing.
“God, girl, you’re something else.”
My laughter must have woken her, because she stirred.
Then she opened her eyes. She stared at me, looking dazed and confused.
She scrubbed her hand over her face. “Hey.”
My heart pounded. “Hi.”
Heather blinked. “Wow, I dozed off, huh?”
As she sat up against the headboard, she didn’t seem to have any knowledge of what she’d been muttering—or what I’d said.
“Yeah. You sure did.”
“Did I miss anything exciting?”
I bit my bottom lip. “Nope.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
* * *
HEATHER
Even though I knew it was a possibility, I never expected to get an offer on the property so soon.
When I got off the phone with the realtor on Friday afternoon, my mouth hung open. A man who had come to see the houses yesterday offered five thousand over asking. It was just a matter of us accepting, and then the realtor said he’d likely schedule an inspection. If all went well, it would be a done deal.
We’d told prospective buyers we wouldn’t be able to vacate until September. But now that this was becoming a reality, I felt a little panic.
I needed to calm down before I told my mother the news. I needed to talk to Noah.
I raced over to the boathouse, only to find he wasn’t home. Sadness washed over me. I knew he wasn’t gone yet, but his not being home in this moment when I really needed him reminded me that soon he would be gone. Soon, my world as I knew it would be different.
I sat on the porch of the boathouse and called him.
He answered, “Hey.”
“Where are you?”
“I’m picking up some supplies from Home Depot. What’s up?”
“I’m sort of freaking out.”
“Why?”
“We got an offer on the property.”
He went silent for a few seconds. “No shit. Already? Really?”
“Yes.”
“Wow. Congratulations.”
“Thanks.” I was getting teary eyed.
“That’s fantastic. Are you going to accept?”
I sniffled. “I think I should. It was a little over asking.”
He paused. “Are you crying?”
“Yeah. It’s stupid. I know.”
“It’s okay to be emotional about it. Shit…I’m feeling emotional about it, and I didn’t grow up here.”
“We’ll still have until the beginning of September to figure things out, but I feel really overwhelmed all of a sudden. Not sure I was expecting this to happen so quickly.”
“That’s understandable. It’s getting very real.” He sighed into the phone. “Heather, listen. Take a deep breath, okay? We can start looking for a new place tomorrow. Is the thing with your mother’s sister a done deal?”
His using the word we made me even more emotional. There was no way I could have done any of this without him.