Falling for the Bad Brother//A Noah Flynn Story

Chapter 6

Ashley's POV

As I walked through the bustling school halls, my mind was solely focused on homecoming. The excitement was palpable, with students buzzing about who to ask and all the festivities that awaited us. Spotting Elle at the end of the hall, I quickened my pace to catch up with her.

"Hey, sis!" I called out, grinning as she turned to look at me.

"Hey, Ashley!" she replied, her smile brightening my day.

"Have you seen Noah yet?" I asked, scanning the crowded corridor.

"No, I haven't seen Lee either," she said as we made our way toward my locker.

As I opened it, something caught my eye—a football with a note attached. My heart raced as I read it: "Come outside. I have something I need to ask you about. Love, your football boy."

"Oh my gosh!" I exclaimed, my heart fluttering. I knew it was from Noah.

Elle squealed in excitement, grabbing my hand. "Let's go!" she urged, and we hurried through the hallways to the field.

When we stepped outside, I spotted Noah standing there, looking dashing and holding a bouquet of roses. My breath caught in my throat. As I approached, he took my hand, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Ashley Evans, will you do me the honor of being my date to homecoming?" he asked dramatically, a huge sign popping out from behind him that read "SAY YES."

I burst into laughter, my heart soaring. "Of course, I will!" I exclaimed, wrapping my arms around his neck and taking the roses with one hand.

Noah laughed, picking me up and spinning me in the air. The world around us faded as I soaked in the moment, feeling so alive. When he set me down, he pressed a sweet kiss to my forehead.

"Did you plan all of this?" I asked, still buzzing from the surprise.

"No, it was kind of last minute. I remembered homecoming was coming up, and Lee helped me set this up this morning," he admitted, looking down at me with a boyish grin.

"Really?" I asked, my smile widening.

"Yep," he confirmed, his eyes sparkling.

In that moment, I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him softly. At first, he didn't respond, but then he wrapped his arms around me, deepening the kiss. Our lips moved together in perfect harmony until I pulled away, remembering Elle was watching us.

I turned to see her, her cheeks slightly flushed, a smirk plastered on her face. "You guys are so gross," she teased, turning to walk away.

"Hey!" Noah and I shouted in unison.

Elle laughed and playfully gave us the finger, causing Noah to chuckle. "Classic, Elle," he said, intertwining his fingers with mine as we made our way back into school.

Once inside, we had to part ways for our first morning classes. When lunchtime rolled around, I entered the cafeteria with a bright grin. I spotted Elle and Lee sitting together at our usual table, their hands entwined as they laughed and shared stories. It warmed my heart to see them together.

I slid into a seat beside Noah, who immediately placed his hand on my thigh, sending butterflies fluttering in my stomach.

"Hey, big sis!" Elle greeted, looking at me with that familiar sparkle of sisterly love.

"Hey, lil' sis!" I replied, and we both burst into laughter.

"So, what's going on with you two?" Lee asked, glancing at us with curiosity as Noah joined me.

"Oh, everything's great!" I said, beaming at Noah.

"Yeah," he added, his hand still resting on my thigh, making me feel all warm inside.

I turned to Elle. "How about you two? What's the latest?"

"I asked her to homecoming!" Lee announced proudly.

"What? Really?" I squealed, nearly spilling my water as I took a sip. "That's amazing!"

"Yeah! Noah helped me plan it out. I took her out last night, and they were doing a movie night in the park. I laid out a blanket with food and everything, and when the movie ended, we walked around the park, and I asked her by the waterfront," Lee said, his eyes shining with pride.

"Awww! That's so sweet! I wish Noah did that for me," I teased, glancing at Noah with a mock scowl.

"Don't worry. That's how I'm going to ask you to prom," he said casually.

I stopped mid-sip, eyes widening as I turned slowly to look at him. "You weren't supposed to tell me that!" I exclaimed, playfully swatting his hand off my thigh.

"What? Do you think I'm going to do that? I'm going to do something even greater," he said, leaning in to peck my lips.

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Later that day...

As I strolled away from cheer practice, I caught sight of Noah approaching the locker room.

"Babe?" I called.

He turned, a casual grin spreading across his face as he walked toward me. "Hey!" he said, slipping his hands into his pockets, a relaxed posture that made him even more endearing.

"What are you doing here? I thought practice ended an hour ago," I said, curious.

"I came to pick you and Elle up. Lee had to work, so he couldn't come get her," Noah replied, his eyes sparkling with warmth.

"Oh, alright." I set my bag down and pulled out my phone, feeling a rush of gratitude.

I dialed Elle, and she answered after the third ring. "Hello?"

"Hey, sis! Where are you right now? I just got out of practice, and Noah's here to pick us up," I said, glancing at him, who leaned casually against the wall, watching me.

"Oh, I'm in the locker room. I was taking a shower. I'll be right out," she replied.

"Okay, meet us out front when you're done. Do you want to stop and get some food?" I suggested, looking back at Noah, who shrugged.

"Yeah, food sounds great!" Elle said before hanging up.

"She said she'll be right out. Where do you want to grab something to eat?" I asked Noah, tucking my phone back into my bag.

"How about In & Out?" he suggested, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me closer.

"Sounds good! Should we get something for your brother too?" I asked, peering up into his eyes.

"Yeah, let's do that," he replied with a nod.

"Alright." I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck, resting my head against his chest. We shared a comfortable silence for a few moments, soaking in the warmth of each other's presence and the rhythmic beat of our hearts.

"When are you planning to get your dress for homecoming?" he asked, breaking the silence with genuine curiosity.

"I need to ask Elle about that. I was thinking tomorrow since the dance is next week," I told him, glancing up at his face, hoping he'd like my ideas.

"Okay. Do you have a color in mind? I want to make sure I can pick a tie that matches," he said, his expression earnest.

"I was thinking of a champagne color," I replied, playfully twirling a strand of hair at the back of his neck.

"Sounds perfect," he said, leaning down to plant a soft kiss on my lips.

"Ewww, gross!" Elle's voice cut through the moment, making us pull away.

We turned to see her striding toward us, her laughter bubbling over.

"Oh, shut up!" I retorted, playfully nudging Noah away from me.

Elle chuckled, and together we made our way toward Noah's car.