Not to be found

Chapter 13 - Oh no you're not

The meal was incredible, I felt like a pig; polishing off my food in record time so that I had to sit their and watch Noah finish his. Wow, I sound like a creep.

My mother would murder me if she saw the way I ate tonight; elbows on the table, no napkin on my lap and picking at my finger nails. She would be disgusted, full stop.
"So where do you want to go next?" Noah asks as he wipes the rest of his red spaghetti sauce from around his lips.

"I don't know, I've never been here before. Surprise me? I don't know?" I suggest as I twist a lock of my hair around my index finger.

He sat their for a minute, a look of curiosity washed across his face and when it reached his eyes a wide smile formed on his lips. "You're fascinating, you know that? right?" he asked as he sat across from me with his head in his right hand.

"W-what?" I stammered. Damn it Lacey, keep your cool. Don't mess this up.

"Its just I've never met a girl quite like you, I've been introduced to many in my twenty years of life and have only ever had a short term relationship with two of them," he pauses, picking up his glass of wine and taking a sip, "but I finished it with all of them because, well, they just weren't right. They didn't fit me. But you're different I can actually feel something, and I know that its strange because I've only known you for all of five minutes but still. I really like you."

The confession that he has just spilled I'm pretty sure has just made my heart multiply at least twice in size, I can hear the pounding of blood as if it is only in my ears. What do I say to that? How do I respond to that?

"When it comes to me," I begin, "I've never been in a relationship, I've never even been looked at. Not once-"

I'm interrupted by Noah mid sentence, "Hold up. I'm sorry to but in but you've never been in a relationship? not one? how?"

I inhale deeply and slowly release the breathe, "I don't mean to sound horrible, I really don't. By my best friend she always used to get all the attention, I was kind of overshadowed because of her, and so that's how."

For a few seconds Noah just looks at me, as if I'm some sort of extra terrestrial that's just parked their space ship and has joined him for dinner, "Well then whoever those guys were, were idiots. I've only known you for nearly what? three days almost and I already love everything about you, and I know I'm going fast and being super forward but I can't help it. I really can't."

I can feel my cheeks heating up again as I take a sip out of my wine glass and gently set it back down on the table, "Its okay." I simply say, as we look into each others eyes.

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An hour of talking and drinking later, Noah has paid the bill and we are walking back towards the car park.  I insisted that he should let me pay at least half for what we had consumed and dinner, but instead he slipped my money back into my jacket pocket and told me to keep it. Seriously, this man is too much of a gentleman.

The streets are quiet, people are tightly packed into clubs and pubs drinking away their sorrows and having a good time. The street lights guide us back to the car park, and I notice a red telephone box. I should call home, I need to let them know that I am okay. That I'm not being held in some warehouse building with my arms and legs tied up, just to simply say that I am okay. To call off the search, I don't need them anymore.  I'm 19 not 9, I can stand on my own two feet.

I shiver as we approach the car park, my arms and legs covered in goose bumps. I really should have worn tights. Noah unlocks the car and I practically jump into the passenger seat, removing my heels from my feet and pulling them up so that I'm huddled into a tight ball on the passenger seat. Noah turns the heat up full and before pulling out of the car park turns his head to look over at me, curled up on the front seat of his car. I flush with embarrassment and place my feet back on the ground.

"Sorry," I say to him, looking down at the gear shift.

"Its okay," he chuckles, "Its good to see a girl for once who isn't into all that glamourous stuff."

I laugh to myself, "Yeah I'm far from glamourous, if you're looking for a girl who has zero glamour then I'm great."

He pulls the car out of the car park and we're soon driving down the motorway again and back to Willsbury. Back to my little car that I hope is still there. "Why do you only think bad things about yourself?" Noah asks out of the blue, whilst I'm sitting there in my sleepy daze.

I rub my eyes with my fists and sit up a little straighter so that I'm not sunk down into the seat, " I dunno, I guess.....I don't know."

He changes lanes and we drive off the motorway and into the little lay by where my car is parked, thank the lord that it's still there. Noah pulls up beside it, "sure you do, c'mon explain." he urges.

I bend down and pick up my heels, carefully slipping them back onto my feet. "I was bullied a lot, and also the whole best friend thing. To make the explanation simpler; she was the better looking one and I was just me. Her tag a long. A nobody."

I gulped, and could feel the tears forming in the corners of my eyes. Not now Lacey , you cannot cry in front of him. I could feel that burning sensation that you get in your throat just before the tears would begin to roll down my face, I swallowed it and composed myself. Not here, no way.

"You're so much more than a nobody." Noah says, a look of sorrow and pain in his eyes. "Where are you staying tonight?"

"Well to others I am, I'm worthless." I said looking down at the floor, "And my car again I suppose, its warm and it will do."

"Oh no you're not." Noah said sternly, placing his hand on top of mine. "Not again, you can drive your car back to my house and stay in our guest room, anything could happen to you out here."

He honestly was one of the nicest people I've ever met, "No I can't do that Noah, you've already been so lovely to me this evening as it is. Better then anyone has ever treated me in my life, but I can't. I'm fine honestly."

"Gracie, I will not ever forgive myself if I leave you here and something happens, please just come back?" he practically begs.

"Fine. But I'm paying your parents for letting my stay." I reply, trying to be all serious.

He turns a way from me, a smirk plastered across his face, "That's what you think." he mutters.