Midnight sun

9 | Noah

I wake up dizzy and aching all over, barely slept the whole night and the reason is Dylan McKenna. He actually fired me and for a good reason but still, I can't believe it happened. The coldness of his words, the look in his eyes, like he didn't even care like I was the dirt on his shoe that he couldn't wait to get rid of.

I don't know what I'm doing. Never have. I'm adrift and aimless without a purpose but I feel like I have to try because there is something about this place–a feeling that I need to do better.

This probably isn't my smartest idea but I have to go and find Dylan and ask him to let me go back to work. The issue is that it's Saturday, it's the day off and Dylan won't be in the town office or on the site. While pulling on my trousers and the first sweatshirt I find, I decide I'll go to Dylan's house. And then what? I'm not sure but I will think on the way, I'm desperate and at this point I am not above begging on my knees to have it back.

Soon after getting ready, I'm racing past the surrounding forest, finding myself on the back roads that lead to Dylan's place. The drive winds through the tall trees, and I nearly gasp as they thin. When he drove me here to pick up his truck it was dark and I barely noticed anything from how tired I was. A blend of wood and stone, the house at the end of the dirt road is something out of an architecture magazine. It's on a smaller side but absolutely stunning and more than a little intimidating. A person living here alone must have something to hide, and knowing Dylan's mysterious personality I have no doubt that is the case. Strangely, I am not afraid of him.

I pull into a spot next to Dylan's car and immediately go to the door. Dragging in a deep breath, I hold it in my lungs for a moment before exhaling. I do it one more time for good measure before turning and pressing my finger into the doorbell, my heart in my throat while I wait. Nothing happens and I knock on the door, more urgently than I initially intended to do.

The door finally opens and...Oh. My. Fuck. Dylan is right there with that signature scowl on his pretty face. And half naked.

Just great. I can't remember what I planned to say, I can barely breathe. His chest is pale and wide, free of any ink, so much muscle in all the right areas. There's a light dusting of light hair smattered along his chest, and lower, a happy trail leading right into his low-slung sweats. My mouth waters as I take in this beautiful creature.

"Hey. Hi." That's all I say. I'm still trying to catch my breath from running to the door. And the visual.

"Noah?" His frown deepens and there is something similar to worry.

"Hey, so... Please, I know this is super weird, me coming here but I just had to tell you something, and you need to listen to me. I need five minutes of your time, it's all I ask."

"What is this about?"

"My job."

"You don't have one, I fired you."

"That's what I was going to talk to you about. I need my job back. I am so sorry for acting the way I did, I need to get a grip. I keep fucking this up, and the past keeps coming back, but I need to be better, And I will... if y-"

"Noah, you..."

I'm rambling now, I don't even make sense to myself but I just have to explain. "No, Dylan, please let me finish.."

"Now it's really not the time, can we-"

"No, no other time," I cut him off. "I want to go back to work on Monday and I want to talk about it now."

I walk in, pushing past and freeze in the middle of the open space. There, across the room, completely naked is another man, just walking out of the steamy bathroom, carelessly drying his hair with a towel. He stops suddenly when he sees me, and quickly covers his junk as soon as he realizes it's not Dylan.