The Anatomy of Killer

Chapter 21 - Betrayal

The weekend passed in a blur of nerves. Between Noah and I trying to figure out how we were going to define our relationship and me worrying about what was going to happen on Monday, I was an anxious mess. Noah did his best to try to help me but it was more awkward than helpful, probably because he knew how I was feeling. Finally, on Sunday, Noah got fed up.

"We need to talk about this," he said that night, taking my arm as I was entering the kitchen. "I can feel the anxiety rolling off you in waves."

"Noah, I - "

"Listen, Eve. I get that you're worried about tomorrow night. I really do." Noah's eyes met mine, full of sympathy and understanding. "But I also know that you're worried about what I am to you now and I want to help you take away just that one piece of the anxiety that you're feeling."

"Noah - "

"Just - hear me out, okay?"

I gave up on trying to interrupt. I knew he really needed to get this off his chest. "Okay."

"Obviously, I want to be with you. I know that you enjoyed it when we kissed the other day. I knew that things would get awkward when I kissed you Friday and I didn't care. But now that I'm living it, I miss you. You're keeping your distance from me and I miss you," he repeated. "Why?"

"I don't know." Of course, I knew. It was because I didn't want to be with him when I was lying to him through my teeth every day. I didn't want our relationship to be built on a lie. However, at the same time, I'd longed for his touch these last few days. "I don't know," I repeated.

Noah shook his head. "If you're worried about whether or not I want you, don't. I want to be with you."

I shook my head. "I know. I just - I don't know, Noah. I - I - "

Noah cut me off by gently pressing his lips to mine. The gesture was tentative, but he knew exactly what he was doing. He buried his hands in my dark hair, keeping me from moving.

"I want you. I want us," I mumbled against his lips.

I felt him smile into the kiss as he pushed my back against the counter. His hands moved from my hair to my waist, lifting me up so I was sitting on the kitchen counter, him standing between my legs. Our mouths moved in sync as I wrapped my legs around his waist. He broke the kiss. I let out a grunt of disappointment. He smirked and pressed his lips to the sweet spot behind my ear. "Oh," I moaned.

He trailed kisses down my neck. "Oh my God, Noah." All worries that I'd had about meeting Gabriel had disappeared. The only thought I had was Noah. His smell, the feeling of his lips on my neck, of his hands on my waist.

"I could take you right here." Noah's voice was husky with lust.

"Why don't you?" I whispered.

"Mm," Noah hummed. "Because I'm a little more classy than that."

He picked me up off the counter and carried me into my bedroom. "Okay...I like where this is going," I said before he pushed me down onto the bed and attacked me with his lips again.

***

I woke up tangled in the sheets with my head of Noah's bare chest. I looked up at his sleeping face and smiled. He looked younger asleep, I guess that's what everyone says when they first see someone they know asleep. I rolled over onto my side and looked at the clock on my nightstand. It was six o'clock in the morning, thirty minutes before my alarm went off for work. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and ran my hands through my tangled hair. I grabbed the first piece of clothing from the floor and pulled it over my naked body. It happened to be Noah's tee shirt that was even large on him. It fell to my mid thigh, covering everything that needed to be covered, even though Noah had already seen pretty much all there was to see. I moved into the kitchen turning on lights as I went so I could see through the early morning darkness.