Summer

*Bonus* Chapter 6

Noah's POV

I made it to my gate a minute before departure, and after fighting with the gate attendant to let me board the flight, I was finally able to get on the plane.

As I make my way down the aisle to my seat, I'm greeted with eye rolls and death stares from passengers who know I'm responsible for holding up the flight. I'd be lying if I said I gave a shit.

After two and a half hours, we finally land into Westchester County. Thankfully, I only packed a carry-on, so I was able to skip baggage claim and head straight for the taxi line.

The driver lets me know that we're about a 30-minute drive to Greenwich, and I feel my knees start to buckle and my hands start to shake. I've never been this nervous before. It doesn't have to do with the fact that Fee isn't expecting me or that I have no idea what I'm going to say to her when I see her. It has to do with the fact that one word from her can make or break me. She can tell me that she never wants to see me again, or she can tell me she's missed me just as much as I've missed her.

Driving through Greenwich, it's not the town that takes me by surprise; it's the houses in passing. They just keep getting more massive as we make our way down the road. I'm talking intricately designed gated estates and waterfront neighborhoods. I don't know why I'm surprised, though. Cassie told me what to expect when I called her for Fee's address. Contrary to assumption, she gave it to me right away, no questions asked. She did, however, end the conversation with, "I always knew you had a pair of balls." Knowing Cassie, she meant it as an insult, but you bet your ass I took it as a compliment.

The car comes to a stop when we pull up to a steel gate engraved with the letter 'P'.

1028 Parker Place. My destination.

I clearly didn't think this through well enough because there's an intercom to the side that requires some sort of passcode to get in.

"Can you give me a second, sir?" I ask the driver before dialing Cassie. Luckily, she picks up on the second ring.

"What do you want, asshole?"

"How the fuck do I get past the gate?" I can see my driver rolls his eyes at me through the rearview mirror when I say the word 'fuck'.

"Try punching in '1105' and then the pound key. That should be it, unless they changed it since the last time I was there."

I get out of the car and do as Cassie says. I wait a couple of seconds until the gate finally lifts up. So much for tight security.

"You're the shit, Cass."

"Tell me something I don't already know," she says before hanging up.

I wave at my driver through the window, instructing him to pull it down. "I've got it from here," I tell him, and he unlocks the trunk. I hand him $50 dollars before grabbing my carry-on.

I make my way across the tree lined gravel driveway, which leads to a cobblestone courtyard with a three-tier marble fountain. The rest of the property is surrounded by perfectly landscaped gardens, and I can smell the Long Island Sound as I get closer.

Shit, this house isn't a mansion, it's a fucking castle.

Here goes everything, I tell myself as I raise my hand and reach for the doorbell. I take a deep breath in when I hear footsteps approaching. I'm hoping it's Fee, and not her mom or dad. That would be awkward as shit.

"Coming!" a voice calls out.

It's my girl.

My heart immediately begins to race at the sound of her angelic voice. Goosebumps occupy every inch of skin on my body, and my armpits officially start to sweat.

Get it together, man.

I can feel her presence on the other side of the door. I can sense her touch on the doorknob as she starts to turn it to the right. This is it. From this moment on — no matter which way this goes — my heart won't ever be the same.