A Known Stranger

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

                It had been awhile since I had gone out onto my spot on the rocks by the water. But unlike every time I came out here, I didn’t come out here to think about my life that was spiraling out of control. Tonight, I came out here to simply get away. With my mother and father home a lot more than usual, I felt suffocated. I was so used to being alone in the house that, now that both of my parents were here like normal parents, it felt crowded even though we were far from being crowded in that house.

                So as the wind bit at my cheeks, and tangled my hair that was loose from its ponytail that it had been in all day, I stared out at the dark waters and sat in complete silence. Thoughts of the day swirling around in my head as I ran over the events: people’s lingering stares as if knowing something I didn’t, whispers that were more like normal volume chats, and then there was the entire Ryder thing that was just annoying me.

                Why did he insist in talking with me when he knew I wanted nothing to do with him?

                Running a hand through my hair, I exhaled deeply and shook my head. I needed to relax. I had been awake close to twenty four hours and even before that, I never got the right amount of rest I needed. School, work and homework were killing me. I needed to stop stressing before once again, I would end up sitting on these rocks, wondering how it’d feel to jump off and drown.

                In my sweater pocket, my phone began to vibrate. Sighing, I slid it out and looked at the screen. I had a new text message from Noah, his text message waiting for me to open and read it. Sighing I pressed the message and his text popped up.

                If you need someone to talk to, I’m here. –Noah.

                Looking around, I glanced over my shoulder and noticed how Noah’s bedroom window was wide open, curtains pushed aside, a dark silhouette standing before looking out at where I sat.

                Looking back down at my phone, I typed back a message.

                What are you doing up? –Fae.

                Couldn’t sleep, you? –Noah.

                Staring at his text, I couldn’t help but wonder what was going on. Ever since he got out of the hospital he was acting as if he and I had been nice to each other since we were kids, when in reality, he and I were at each other’s throats just the night before- both literately and physically.

                Same. –Fae.

                Want to come over? I think mom’s got coffee ice cream in the freezer downstairs. We could watch a movie? –Noah.

                Looking back at all the times Noah and I had spoken, I couldn’t find one where he and I had a civil conversation like we were now, hell when he first got here the very first thing he did was tell me I looked like a hungover hooker. Rereading the text message another few times, I finally typed my reply and stood up to leave.

                Where’s your spare key? –Fae.

--

                Noah and I sat shoulder to shoulder on his queen sized bed, a bowl of popcorn sitting on his lap, while the cold tub of coffee flavored ice cream rested between my hands. Sucker Punch played on his plasma TV, the volume on low as we didn’t want to disturb his sleeping parents down the hall. We hadn’t said a word since the movie had begun. We simply sat side by side, eyes glued to the flat screen.

                It didn’t feel unusual- to be sitting alone in his bedroom watching movies at four o’clock in the morning. In fact, it felt utterly normal- as if we had been doing this for years. Scrapping the spoon against the frozen ice cream, I scooped up a good amount of stuffed it into my mouth, while Noah shoved a handful of popcorn into his mouth.

                “I still can’t believe you like that ice cream,” he mumbled, his gaze fixed on the TV when I glanced over at him.

                Swallowing the cold melted liquid, I licked my lips and smiled. “It’s my favorite,” I told him.

                “I know; it’s been your favorite since we were kids.” He laughed, looking away from the screen and meeting my gaze. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips, the bruises that covered his face slowly turning lighter and lighter as the days passed.

                “You use to like it also,” I replied, rolling my eyes.

                “Yeah, but I haven’t had the stuff since your fifth birthday party.” He responded.

                “That’s a long time,” I told him, eating another spoon full.

                He shrugged, “After we moved, mom would buy it from time to time and every time she would eat a bowl, she’d remind me how much you loved it.”

                The smile that was tugging at my lips slightly fell, and questions began running through my mind. But the most important one: why did he start to hate me as the years went on? I didn’t reply, instead we looked at each other, completely lost in the silence suffocating us.

                Noah licked his lips, his eyes flickering down to my cold lips.

                “Do you want some?” I whispered when I noticed him slowly beginning to lean forward.

                A smirk tugged at his lips, his eyes locked with mine. “Some of what?” he asked.

                I felt my heart begin to pound, the closer to leaned down, the more I began to think that he could hear just how fast it was beating against my ribcage. His eyes stayed on mine, and I could see his hazel orbs searching mine for something.

                I bit my lip, rabidly, repeatedly telling myself that once I looked at his soft, wet, plump lips, I was a goner. I had no idea what was happening between Noah and I. One day were fighting like one of the guests on Jerry Springer and then one night we were centimeters away from kissing. And now here, tonight I found myself in the same predicament.

                “Ice cream,” I squeaked out.

                Don’t look at his lips.

                Don’t look at his lips.

                Don’t look at his lips.

                Shit, I just looked at his lips.

                Noah smiled; a dimple showing on his right cheek as his eyes flickered once again down at my lips then quickly flashing back up to my eyes. “I want some but first I want a taste from your lips,” he replied before pressing his warm lips onto my cold ones.

                The taste of popcorn and mint tangled in with the taste of coffee I had in my mouth, a weird combination, yet, coming from him, all I could taste was the sweetness and the warmth his lips gave me.

                The kiss was slow, our lips moving in perfect sync. There were no sparks, no fireworks or angles singing in the background during the kiss, but the there was something more there as we parted to catch our breaths. Something that made small butterflies begin to flutter in my stomach, something to made the blood rush up to my cheeks, something to cause my breathing to hitch once, I reopened my eyes and found Noah already looking at me, a smile playing on his lips.

                What the fuck just happened? Had been the first thing to run across my mind, but something in his eyes had my nerves calming down. His eyes held so much emotion- something I hadn’t seen since his accident and it surprised me how just a simple kiss could make the life come back into his eyes.

                I smiled, despite being freaked out of my mind; I smiled back and leaned in, capturing his lips with mine once again.