Saving Grace

Chapter Sixteen. // A Tightrope.

Chapter Sixteen. // Toes

"I will annihilate you if you drop me." I hiss, gripping Noah's shoulders as he hoists me out of my window.

Noah rolls his eyes, laughing softly, "you know I'd never dream of it."

With his hands on my hips, he helps me jump rather ungracefully out the window. Like all the cliche scenes, my chests bumped against his and our noses almost touched. Only, he looked me right in the eye but I completely avoided looking at him.

Once my feet touch the ground, I try to step back and put some distance between Noah and I. But he had different plans, keeping his fingers griped into my shirt and his eyes on me, he breaths slowly. Noah's face is leaned into mine, looking down at me and nose against my cheek.

I close my eyes, pushing against his stomach to try and get at least a few more inches between us. Noah sighs, leaning in an kissing my jaw which automatically tenses up. His lips linger there on my skin for a few more seconds before he breaths out through his nose.

I sigh almost in relief when his lips finally leave my skin, giving it a cold prickling feeling.

"Let's go," he whispers softly in a gruff voice before letting his fingers slide down my arm and lace through my own. He tries to be sneaky as he "leads me through the dark" by holding my hand but we both know that if anyone needs leading through this yard, it's him.

Just as I had predicted, he stumbles forward, probably tripping over an over grown root. I can't help but when I nearly fall with him. I roll my eyes, grinning at his flustered face through the dark. "Come on, dummy." I whisper, pulling him forward so now I lead. "You just follow me." I ignore how his fingers tighten around my hand.

"I'd follow you anywhere, James." He mumbles softly though I know I wasn't meant to hear it so I don't make any responses.

Stepping around the corner of my house and walking over to the side walk hand in hand, major nestalgia hits me hard.

All the time I snuck out in the middle of the night with Noah or to meet him. All the times we ran down that sidewalk with our hands locked and our hearts racing. I can hear it now. The obnoxious laughter and the forbidden whispers. I can hear the winds whirling past us, my hair whipping all over the place with his lips pressed to my neck and my back pressed to a tree, hiding us in leaves and darkness.

I can almost feel him tug my arm as he spins me around, nearly making us fall into the brush. I can feel his breath on my face and the insane, erratic beating of my heart against my ribcage.

Once we step on the illuminated sidewalk, I gently slip my hand from Noah's, the cool air instantly sending chills up my arm. I try to ignore the small sigh that Noah lets out as he slips his hands back into his pockets.

"What did you need to talk to me about?" I ask softly after a few long seconds of walking in silence.

Noah shakes his head a little, "can we wait until we get there?" He whispers, "I just want to take in the fact that you're here with me and you're not screaming. You're here and talking peacefully and I just want to savor it."

I bite my lip, looking down at my shoes as they scuff across the pavement, "why? Are you scared in gonna get mad after we talk?"