Always a Friend

Chapter 20

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Noah showed up at the house right at one, as he said. Sarah and Ty were in the living room, sitting on the couch. Mom was in her office working on something for work, which left me to answer the door. I thought about leaving him out there and pretending I didn't hear the doorbell, but I knew Mom would start yelling at me to get the door after about the fifth ring. As much as she disagreed with me, he deserved to be left out waiting. I still wasn't buying the whole story; he was waiting for me. True, I didn't have much experience with guys, but I wasn't stupid, and I sure in the hell wasn't buying his bullshit lies. 

"Gem, are you going to get the door?" Mom hollered after the fourth ring. 

"Yes," I answered, rolling my eyes toward the door. I took a deep breath, forced a smile, and opened the door. "Sorry, I was upstairs." I lied through my teeth. This dating thing is off to a great start. 

"You look great. Are Sarah and Ty ready to go?" Noah asked, stepping inside. He looked hot, wearing dark blue swim trunks and a tight pale blue t-shirt. The T-shirt hugged his muscular arms and showed off his six-pack abs, making it hard to stay mad at him. Sarah and Ty came out of the living room a few minutes later while I went and told Mom we were leaving for the beach and that I'd be back later today sometime. I turned and rushed back to everyone before she could come out and embarrass me in front of Noah. 

I let everyone go outside first while I closed the door behind me. I turned around and saw a big black SUV sitting in the driveway. "Um...Where's your car?" I asked, pointing to the SUV. 

"It's at home. I brought my mom's SUV for the day." He walked down the steps. My eyes flashed over to Ashton's house when I heard their front door open. I stood there frozen between the end of the sidewalk and Noah's mom's SUV, waiting for Ashton to say something to me as he walked to his car. He had on his swim trunks and a tight white T-shirt. I assumed he was headed to the beach by how he was dressed and carrying his big duffle bag. He opened the back door to his car, tossed his bag into the backseat, and closed the door. He stood there for a second like he was about to look over our way, but he kept his head down, opened the driver's side door, and slid down in the seat. He started his car, backed out, and sped off. He didn't even wave at me, which wasn't like him. Even when he was mad at me, he would still acknowledge me. 

"What was that all about?" Sarah whispered behind me. I shrugged my shoulders, glancing back at her. I had no idea, but I was going to find out. "Come on, Gem." Sarah climbed into the backseat with Ty. 

"Everything okay?" Noah asked, following my stare toward Ashton's house. 

I blinked. "Uh...Yeah." I was getting a little too good at lying, which was starting to worry me. The second my seatbelt was fastened, Noah backed out of the driveway and headed to the beach. During the drive, I kept quiet, staring out the passenger window, wondering why Ashton wouldn't look or wave at me as he left the house. I knew it had to do with Noah, but he knew the whole helping me was so that I would be dateable and not stuck at home all the time while my friends were out having fun. 

On the way to the beach a few times, I almost had him turn around and take me back home, but I kept my mouth shut instead. Sarah would've protested, telling him to keep driving and not listen to a damn word I was saying. I loved Sarah, but sometimes I wished she'd let me make wrong decisions about things. I got tired of always being the level-headed one of the bunch. Once in a while, I wanted to be the irrational one who made stupid mistakes I'd regret later. And going home would be one of those stupid decisions. Before I dared to say something, Noah had already parked the SUV close to the beach. I opened the door, hopped down, and grabbed my bag from the floorboard. I looked out toward the beach and saw many of our friends playing football or volleyball or lying on the beach. 

"Hey!" Chloe yelled, walking toward us. 

Noah placed his hand on the small of my back while we walked to the edge of the parking lot; he leaned down, kissed me, and then headed off toward the football game. I could see Ashton with his buddies already in the middle of a game. Most of them were already shirtless, running around on the beach. Off to the side of the game was a group of guys talking and pointing as they were waiting to play. You could tell they were criticizing how the others played by the way they were looking and pointing. 

"What are you doing here?" 

"Last time I checked, the beach was a public place, and anyone could be on it." I motioned my hands at all the people around us. "I'm sure people are probably saying the same thing about you, Claudia." 

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes, turning her focus to Sarah and Chloe. "Girls, I'm having a party tonight, and you're both invited. Ashton invited the guys already." She turned, her hair flipping over her shoulder. The way she carried herself screamed, "bitch!" 

"We don't have to go with the guys tonight, Gem," Chloe said, glaring at Claudia, talking to a couple of girls five feet from us. "We can have a girl's night filled with movies and junk food." 

"Yes." Sarah agreed, shaking her head. 

"No, go have fun with Braedon and Ty. I'll be fine at home with a movie." I forced a fake smile. 

"Gem, we aren't going without you." They laid out their blankets. "The guys will understand. Besides, they'll be with their friends, drinking most of the time anyway. It's not like they'll miss us being there." Chloe sat down on her blanket and got out her sunscreen. 

"Chloe's right." Sarah stretched out on her blanket, rubbing sunscreen on herself. "I don't feel like babysitting my drunk boyfriend half the night." 

"I love you both, but I'm telling you, I'll be fine. Go be with your boyfriends at the party. Don't worry about me. I've got popcorn and movies at home." I followed them and stretched out on my blanket. 

"Movies? I was going to see if you wanted to go to the party with me tonight?" Noah asked, standing over me, shirtless, his muscular abs glistening with sweat. He knelt, sitting next to me on my blanket. "So, would you like to go with me to the party tonight?" 

"I wasn't invited." I motioned to my right over at Claudia, who was still talking to some girls. 

"Who cares? I was invited, and I want to go with you." Noah leaned over and kissed me. "Great. I'll pick you up later tonight." He smiled, getting up from my blanket. He ran back to the guys when they started calling his name. 

I sat there with a furrowed brow, trying to recall when exactly I agreed to go to the party with Noah. I turned and looked at Chloe and Sarah sitting there, trying not to smile. "I'm glad you both think this is funny." I shook my head in disbelief. 

"I don't know how in the hell you managed to talk him into inviting you to the party. But he won't be leaving with you." Olivia glared down at me, then rushed off to her friends, sitting a few feet to the right of the football game. 

"What the fuck was that about?" Chloe asked, looking around to figure out what had just happened. 

I shrugged my shoulders, wondering the same thing. I had no idea which direction she came from and what that was all about. Then, I remembered her sitting with him at Coffee Oasis the other day. I couldn't help but feel like I was being played for a fool. My eyes flashed over to Noah, who was fully engaged in a football game with Ashton and the other guys. Ashton turned around, and his well-defined abs were drenched in sweat. And it wasn't the kind of sweat that grossed girls out but the kind that drove girls wild with passion. Who would've thought sweat would be sexy? The longer I stared at him, the warmer my cheeks got, and it wasn't from the sun either. 

"Are you sure you want to go to the party tonight, Gem?" Sarah asked. 

"Huh? Yeah..." I turned my head before Ashton caught me staring at him. "I'm tired of letting them chase me away from things. Besides, I'll be with Noah." I started rubbing sunscreen on my arms.