“Do you want me to stay?”
“No, you’re excited to see your friends again. Besides, I’ve got a lot to get my head around.”
“I know but if you need me to help you get your head around it…”
He was so sweet, always thinking about me first, but now I had the chance to do something for him and letting him go home without guilt was exactly what he needed.
“I do, but this isn’t going to get better in a weekend, Noah. Maybe time alone will help me and when you’re back things might be clearer, and then you can help me move on.” It all sounded so simple. I didn’t even buy my own words so there was no way he would either.
“I still don’t like to leave you when you’re upset.”
“That’s exactly why I love you so much. You spend time with your family, and I’ll work on talking things through with mine.”
He rolled to his side, so we were facing each other. When his fingertips brushed my chin, I took a deep breath. He made me feel so many things all at once and even though sometimes the intensity of those feelings scared me, I wouldn’t change it for the world.
“I love you, Scarlett,” he whispered and claimed my lips.
Noah
IT’D BEEN MONTHS since I’d been home, and I missed everything and everyone. We were such a close community, and I hated how distant everyone was here. I had no idea who our neighbours were, the most contact we’d had was a grumbled hello over the fence.
But we were finally going back to visit for the weekend, and I couldn’t wait. Dad loaded up our bags while Mum made food for the long journey. We were leaving in an hour, and I wanted to spend some time with Scarlett before I left.
“I’ll be back soon,” I said to Dad as I walked down the path.
“Alright, send our regards to Scarlett.”
“I will.” Stuffing my hands in my pockets, I made my way to her house, not even bothering to try to convince myself I wasn’t overeager to see her anymore. I felt what I felt, and I couldn’t change it any more than I could control it.
I arrived minutes later, and Jeremy answered the door. He rolled his eyes and told me she was upstairs. I’d become a regular at their house as me and Scarlett went through that needing to be around each other all the time stage that really didn’t need to be faked by me anymore. I honestly didn’t think I ever needed to fake it. Even before she consumed most of my thoughts, I enjoyed spending time with her.
They shouldn’t have chosen me.
Scarlett was laying on her back on the bed when I walked in, just staring up at the ceiling.
“You okay?” I asked.
She didn’t look over, but she did smile. “I’m really good.” She wasn’t, but she was dealing. Having me there helped because she thought I hadn’t betrayed her. And I hadn’t. Not really. Not yet.
I sat on the bed and started playing with her fingers. “Yeah, why is that?”
Looking over, she arched her eyebrow and replied, “Why do you think!”
Of course, I knew but every time she said something like that she made me feel a hundred feet tall. Hell, every time she looked at me she did.
“But I’m also sad.” She pouted adorably. “Two days is a long time.”
“It’s not that long.”
“No,” she said, sitting up. “You’re supposed to agree with me here because you’ll miss me, too.”
“I will miss you, too, but it’s okay.”
“How is it okay?”
“Because there are people out there, living and working so far away from the people they love for months, years even. Time doesn’t mean anything, Scarlett, not when you care about someone.”
“Okay, that just made me feel a hundred times better about this weekend.”
“Good, because I don’t think I’ll be able to speak to you much. I’ll try going to town a couple times, though.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s actually okay. Time doesn’t mean anything, right? Just enjoy your time with your family and don’t worry about leaving your stupid limited service and no internet village and checking in. I’ll see you when you get back.”
It didn’t feel like checking in, not when I wanted to talk to her. I wasn’t going out of my way because I wanted that contact. But she was right, and I needed to reconnect with everyone back home because I could feel myself losing touch.
“I’ll still try to call. I want to,” I said, making her smile.
“Okay, it’s not like I’d ignore the call or anything.”
I knew she wouldn’t, and I loved that she wanted me just as much as I wanted her.
“What do you have planned?”
“Sleepover at Imogen’s. I’ve been a bit of a crap friend since you came along.”
“You haven’t, you still spend time with your friends.” She’d made sure she spent time with Imogen, Bobby and Chris. She wasn’t going to Imogen’s because she felt like a bad friend, she was going because she didn’t want to stay home all weekend.