Noah (5th Street series)

Chapter 16

I'm sorry I didn't hear from you over the holidays. I hope they were good. I really hope you're better. I'm here for you. You know that. Have a happy New Year.

Veronica read the text from Derek again. She knew what he was thinking. That she was wallowing in self-pity through the holidays alone and pathetic. He'd texted her so much in the past few weeks that if she didn't know any better, she'd think his guilty conscience was getting to him.

She hadn't responded even once. Maybe she should, just to let him off the hook, let him know that while he thought her buried in grief and eating herself to death, she'd had not only the best Thanksgiving but the best Christmas that she could remember in years—if ever.

After nearly giving into her desires on Christmas day and possibly ruining everything, she'd managed to turn it around, and they'd had the most perfect day, watching movies. They talked and laughed the whole day. Other than the times she and her mother had done the same thing, this was the best Christmas day ever. She'd worn her medal the entire day. Even when Noah had teased her and told her she didn't have to, she refused to take it off.

She stared at her phone for another moment then decided against replying, tossing it on her bed. The day awaited her. She'd already warned Noah that she might not make their workout tonight. The mall after Christmas would be worse than it was the weeks before it. Every store was having clearance sales, and Veronica needed an entirely new wardrobe for work.

It was going to be another wet one out, but this couldn't wait. If she was going to make a clean start, then she needed the clothes to go with it. She grabbed her commuter mug and headed out her back door.

Noah had replaced her windshield wipers the day before when she told him about her day of shopping. He knew the rest of the week was supposed to be miserable. She smiled remembering his words "I don't wanna have to worry."

He was such a sweetheart. She sighed. If only he were a few years older, damn it. She hopped in her car, slipping the keys into the ignition. The car made a hacking noise followed by a wheezing sound but wouldn't turn on. Her shoulders dropped. "Nooo!"

She tried again, and again the noises were there but no power. Her head dropped against the steering wheel and she gave it a minute. Silently praying, she tried it again. Nothing.

"Damn it!" She slapped the steering wheel, and then it hit her: this was the worst time her car could break down. Her first day of work was less than a week away.

Sitting up straight, she thought fast. What to do? She leaned over quickly and grabbed her purse then pulled the keys out of the ignition. Within minutes, she was on the phone with the auto club.

It would be at least a half hour before the tow truck would even be there to pick it up. Her day of shopping was shot. She tried Nellie. Maybe by some miracle she was free for the day. She hadn't spoken to her since before she left on her cruise a few days before Christmas.

To her surprise, she answered. "Hey, stranger."

With nowhere to go, Veronica plopped herself on the sofa. "How are you? How was the cruise?

"It was wonderful. How was your Christmas?"

Veronica almost said it was wonderful also but she knew better. "Quiet. We watched a movie marathon most of the day."

"Oh, good. I was worried maybe you'd spent the day alone. Noah was with you?"

Veronica rolled her eyes, trying hard not to feel resentful. Nellie had been home for days from her cruise, and she hadn't bothered to call. Veronica had to remind herself of all the selfless effort Nellie had made to get her back to feeling human again. "Yes, he was here. It was nice."