Bleed Until You Heal

14- First Days

So, I don't know how I did this but I accidentally skipped posting ch. 12 (the chapter before dunk tanks). I suggest that you go read that chapter before reading this one bc it'll make a lot more sense. Sorry about that-- I've been losing my mind lately  

------------------------

"We can't do this again," I decide, tugging on my own shirt as I get out of the bed.

"We can't?" Noah wonders, still laying down, relaxing in his bed with nothing on under the covers.

"No, we can't," I shake my head at him. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry," He assures me with a disappointed frown. "Can I ask why though?"

I sigh, stepping into my panties and then into my Nike shorts before pulling my hair into a pony tail on the top of my head. "I just feel icky and sex isn't supposed to make you feel icky."

"Is it something that I did?"

"No," I insist quickly. "Absolutely not. It's just that the whole friends with benefits thing isn't really me. Especially not right now when I have so much going on with the first day of classes tomorrow and everything with Scott. I just want to nip it in the bud before my life gets too complicated."

"That's fine," He says. "I understand."

"Do you?" I wonder, feeling a little bit bad. Yesterday, after the fair was over, Jasper told me that Conner was coming over so Scott offered me his couch so that I didn't have to interrupt their night. However, then some of his friends came to the booth and when they found out that he broke up with Macy, insisted that he had to go out with them to "celebrate". Yes, they said celebrate. And that was when Noah offered me his house. He is living with his parents until school starts but they are out of town for the weekend so with Conner at our apartment, the house was empty.

With an empty house and an incredibly charming smile, Noah knows exactly how to get into my pants.

"Yes, I do. Really," Noah assures me, putting on that panty-dropping smile that almost kills me. "We should probably agree to be just friends at least though, considering my brother and your friend are probably going to be dating by the end of the week."

"We can be friends," I assure him, sitting back down on the bed beside Noah. "You are pretty cool."

"You're pretty cool too," He says. "And maybe when things calm down again, we can pick things back up. You know, when it doesn't make you feel 'icky'."

"Yeah," I sigh. "Maybe."

"Do you want to go to breakfast or something before you leave?" He offers.

"I appreciate that but I really have to get back to the apartment," I say to him, stuffing my bikini top and bottoms in my bag. I always have an emergency pair of panties in my bag but not a bra so I am braless under my shirt and I don't really like that feeling. "I still have some stuff to do before tomorrow."

"Sure. Well, good luck with your first day," He tells me with a smile and then he sits up and I lean forward and we share a longer-than-expected kiss.

"I'll see you around," I mumble against his lips as I pull away and slip my flip flops back on my feet.

"Yeah. See you around," He says.

"Oh. Wait, I do need a ride though," I say before I can even stop myself. "You know, it's fine. I'll call Jasper."

"I'll give you a ride," Noah says, pushing the blankets away so that he can get dressed. "I'll probably have to pick Conner up anyway."