The Thing About Three

chapter twenty | acting weird

I STOOD IN wait at Noah's black Mustang once the workday was over, leaning up against it with my arms crossed as I kept my eyes trained on the open door to the shop, waiting for Noah to exit.

I had been waiting a while, everyone having already gone home. Except for Dallas, that was. He was still inside, probably waiting for Noah to finish so that he could lock up.

Dallas came out through the entrance when the sun had finally set, frowning when he spotted me.

"I thought you'd left already," he said, moving closer. "You okay?"

"Yeah," I lied, digging my hands into the pockets of my coat when a chilly breeze whipped through the air. "I'm waiting for Noah. I wanted to tell him about Jeremiah."

Dallas nodded. "Well at least get in your car while you wait. It's getting cold."

"I'm fine out here."

"You sure? I can bring you a blanket or one of my jackets or something. Or some hot cocoa."

I smiled, shaking my head softly. "I'm good."

"You can come up to the loft if you'd like," he suggested, "and watch the parking lot from the window like a creep."

"Oh, is that what you do?"

"Only sometimes," he joked, backing away. "Seriously, though, just come up if you need anything."

"Thanks, Dal."

"You're always welcome, Claire."

I watched him walk away and up the rickety stairs outside his loft, disappearing through the door at the top.

I snapped my gaze away from it when I caught movement out of the corner of my eye, Noah finally walking out of the open bay door.

He met my eyes once and then sighed, his shoulders deflating and eyes shutting briefly as he continued toward me, stopping only three feet away with his arms crossed over his chest.

He started to open his mouth to say something, but I cut him off lightning fast.

"He's my brother," I blurted out, causing him to frown in confusion. "Jeremiah—the guy I went to lunch with—is my brother. I only found out two weeks ago when he showed up at my house and said he thinks we're related. Even though we don't know for sure if he's really my brother or not, the chances are extremely high, and he asked me to lunch today because he wanted to get to know his me more because we're all that sure he's actually my brother."

He stared at me for a few moments after my admission. "Huh," he breathed out. "I wasn't expecting that." Silence came as I waited for him to apologize for his behavior, or at least say something.

Instead, he moved around me to unlock his Mustang.

"Wait, what are you doing?"

He frowned, opening his door. "Uh, leaving?" he replied. "See you tomorrow."

I grabbed his arm to stop him. "But, you can't just—just leave like that. This can't be the end of the conversation. It doesn't feel right."

"Well, what do you want me to say, Claire?" he asked, slightly irritated.

"I don't know," I responded. "Tell me what you're feeling right now."

He laughed humorlessly. "I'm feeling a lot of things, actually. None of them good."

I scowled at him. "Quit being like this, Noah. You're doing the thing again."

"What thing?"

"Acting weird, just like how you did after Jovan visited."