The Thing About Three

chapter three | there's that blush

NOAH CARAWAY LOOKED different. In a very, very good way.

He still had his dark hair and icy blue eyes, of course, but his features had slimmed and matured and his figure had bulked up. He had always been on the lean side and still was in a way, but I could tell that he had gained muscle in his arms even from under the black hoodie he wore.

I stopped myself at his right bicep when I realized how obviously I was gawking at him, quickly averting my eyes towards the field down below, pretending as if I wasn't just checking him out.

Not many seconds of pretending later did I feel his eyes upon me, my gaze instantly sliding back up to meet his.

He only held my eyes for a few moments before he took in the rest of me, sending my mind into a flurry of thoughts. How was I supposed to act? Should I avoid him? Should I pretend our kiss never happened?

Would he avoid me? Would he pretend our kiss never happened?

"Hey, when did you get back?" Dallas asked him, diverting Noah's attention. Dallas stood up, removing his arm from me in order to give Noah one of those man-hugs where they clasp each other's hand while throwing an arm around the other's shoulders.

When they pulled back, Noah was smiling. "I got in last night."

Dallas nodded, crossing his arms over his chest like he always did when talking to someone. "What brought you into town?"

Noah shrugged. "Just wanted to see family."

Before Dallas could ask another question, Megan took the nachos from Noah, scooting closer to him so that she could join the conversation. "Thanks for getting my food for me, Noah. That's awful sweet of you."

He didn't pay her any attention, but instead looked past Dallas's head towards me, a smirk on his lips.

"So, you gonna come over here and say 'hi?' Or am I gonna have to come over to you?" he asked, narrowing his eyes in challenge.

"Well, you know I'm lazy," I said, giving him a smirk of my own, "so you're gonna have to come over here."

It was weird, the casual, cool version of me that came out when he was around. I had always acted differently when I was around him, constantly trying to match his nonchalant charisma. I wanted to impress him, to be cool and confident like him.

I didn't want him to see the flustered, awkward version of me that I tried so desperately to hide from him.

Noah nodded, pushing past Megan and heading towards me.

I managed to stand up just seconds before he swooped me up in a bear hug, earning a surprised screech from me as he spun around.

"Noah!" I yelled out in playful protest.

Noah laughed, eventually setting me down and drawing back, but he didn't remove his arms from their place around my waist.

"You look different," he said, looking over my features intently. "Prettier."

My heart swelled happily in my chest and I felt the blood rush to my cheeks involuntarily.

"There's that blush," he mused.

"Shut up," I told him, hitting him on the chest with the back of my hand.

His smirk only deepened.

As I stood there looking up at him, I started to wonder why I was so worried about things being awkward between us. He was still the same cocky and confidently flirty guy as always, never awkward or nervous in any sense of the words.