The Art of Falling in Love

Chapter Twenty

❝There is always something left to love.❞ -Lorraine Hansberry

Sketch of Noah that Diana draws in this chapter! (credit to ribkaDory on tumblr)

Noah holds a red rose in his hands, twirling it absentmindedly as he watches the sunset. We had come back onto the roof of the school. This time, I brought my sketchbook with me and found inspiration within seconds.

Noah's back is to me, as he is looking out at the sky. Still, I have every little aspect of his face etched in my mind. I don't need to see his face to draw it. The strong jaw, dark eyes and messy hair. I could get used to this: the setting sun, the slight breeze, a sketchbook in my hands and Noah.

I draw Noah without even thinking. Starting with his defined features, and moving to the little details, like the way he would frown and squint his eyes when he is looking at the whiteboard at the front of the class, or when he is thinking too hard about something.

"How did the date go?" Noah finally gets the courage to ask. I almost want to laugh. "You haven't said one word about it."

"That's because I don't want to talk about it," I reply easily. "I shouldn't have gone."

Noah finally turns back to look at me, concern on his face. "Diana, love, did he do something? Say something?"

I nod hesitantly. "I asked questions I wasn't ready to hear answers for."

Noah looks at me with fake sympathy. "Does he also find your singing unbearable and downright atrocious?"

"What? No! What do you mean also?" I exclaim, throwing my eraser at him. He catches it easily with a laugh. "I asked him who the girl was. It opened a conversation I was not ready to have. Like if she knew we had been dating at the time, or if she ever plans on telling me..."

"Who's the girl?" Noah asks.

I bite my lower lip. There is no way I would ever tell Noah his sister hooked up with my boyfriend during Spring Break. Who knows how an overprotective brother and friend would react?

"That's not important," I reply hastily. He frowns, but doesn't push it further. "He doesn't know if she knew, but everyone at both of our schools knew we had been dating, so it's hard to imagine she didn't know..."

"I didn't know it was you, but I definitely heard about Joshua dating someone," Noah nods slowly. "He never dated. It was news to everybody."

My pencil trails along the rough sketch, adding shading details absentmindedly. I glance up at Noah, never realizing how long his eyelashes are. How come boys are blessed with beautiful eyelashes?

"What are you drawing?" Noah asks curiously. "If it's porn, I don't want to see it."

"You have a way with words, Jackson," I scoff sarcastically. "I'll show you when I'm done."

Noah smiles delicately, nodding along to my words. He offers me the rose in a swift motion. "A beautiful rose for a beautiful girl."

I take the rose from him, laughing quietly. What is he doing to me?

Everyone has small miracles scattered in their lives. Noah Jackson is one of mine.

I finish up the last details of the sketch as Noah sits in front of me peacefully, balancing my eraser on his head with the setting sun behind him. It is such a lovely sight.

I turn the sketch to him, suddenly feeling timid about the drawing. Is it weird to draw someone without asking them first? Even if that may be so, Noah's eyes light up in such a way that all my doubts wash away.

"Wow, I'm hot," Noah says in awe, his eyes flickering up to meet mine. "In all seriousness, you're so talented, love. So fucking amazing."

It is in that moment that I realize how close Noah and I are. I can count the minimal freckles dotted across his face like constellations and I can see the beautiful green that mixes in his eyes. We both hold onto the sketchbook, so close that if I lean forward, I could kiss him.

As if awoken from a trance, I snap out of it and tug the sketchbook back into my hands, moving away from him. Noah blinks, surprised, and pulls away as well. My mind feels like it's just gone through a blender.

On one hand, Joshua does seem different. He was kind during dinner, and made sure I was okay after hearing answers to the questions I blocked out for so long. He seems to care for me, more than he ever did back then. But then there's Noah. Smart, kind, funny and carefree Noah who proved to be the opposite of everything I thought he would be. He's so much better. I'm glad I met him, Damon and Hunter this year.

"So Damon and Mackenzie are more serious than I thought," Noah coughs out; I'm assuming to defuse the undeniable tension in the air now. "She called me last night to talk...to see if I was okay with the idea of them."

"That's considerate of her," I reply. "What did you say?"

"That she better not ditch him the way she left me," Noah shrugs. "I know that deep down, the girl I used to be best friends with is still there. The fact that she's even admitting to having feelings for Damon is a step I've never seen her take before."

"Do you trust her?"

"No," He says without hesitation. "But Damon does. And I have to trust that he has good judgment."

I smile at that. "I think he does. He's got a hell of some best friends."

Noah grins, "all I know is that the guy seems happier now. I hope Mackenzie's grown and addressed her relationship problems. They look at each other like they are the only ones in a room. That has to mean something."

It was something I noticed after Damon told us about him and Mackenzie. I would always catch him looking at her for a second, before lowering his head, as if scared to get caught. Mackenzie glances his way, too, but I always thought it was just because he's hot, or maybe even because he's sitting beside Noah. It seems there's always more to a picture.

"I don't think Mackenzie and I will be friends anytime soon," I say, "but Damon looks genuinely happy with her. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing if they end up together."

Noah sighs, lying down on the blankets we brought. "I guess. I just hope they don't break each other's hearts."

I doubt they would ever intentionally hurt each other, but with a pair like Mackenzie and Damon who are fire and ice, someone is bound to get hurt.

A/N: I'm 99% sure the sketch is Logan Lerman but let's just pretend it's some random boy :)