The Kissing Booth - Chasing Noah

Chapter 25

A/N: This is the edited version of Chapter 56 and 57.

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Elle's POV

I practically counted down the days until I got to see Noah again. In the first month, I went to seventeen appointments with my coach at the hospital, and a therapy session after every other one of them. Noah insisted that I call him after every nutrition class, therapy session, workout at the gym. I felt like if I talked anymore about this part of my life that I regretted so much, I was going to fall off the wagon.

Apparently my therapist thought treating my episode as an addiction would help me recognize the signs and triggers or it. God. After all this completely unnecessary and ridiculous talk about my feelings I definitely knew I did not want to switch my major to psychology.

I got accepted into Trinity. I think I smiled for a week straight. It wasn't a full ride, but they hadn't heard about my 'eating disorder' so they felt no need to make me pay full tuition when my grades were consistently rising. I had so many freaking lists on my bulletin board laying out my priorities. And the number one on nearly all of them was following through on the promises I made. That meant to Trinity, my brother, my dad, Lee. Even Noah.

He was always there for me, whether I wanted him to be or not. But he did say that space would be good for us right now. To get back to what mattered and to stop worrying so much about our relationship. It wasn't going anywhere so there was no need to stress myself over it. And honestly that one piece of advise got me through a lot of days.

Lee still hadn't told me what he wanted to do for our birthday. Three months away turned into two which turned into two weeks. Two weeks until I got to see Noah. Being totally honest, Noah was right - which I was never going to tell him - this distance really did help. I could focus on me, on getting better. Instead of all the drama that seemed to follow any long distance relationship. My insecurities mixed with a love story that occurred solely over phone calls, text messages and skype calls. How did Noah manage to even stick around this long? Because he loved me. Just like he told me every single day. And I think I was finally starting to have trust that.

Even though he couldn't possibly be more cryptic about my birthday present. He said it was going to be amazing, and he was positive that I was going to love it. And even though I was sure I would - I loved every present he got me - it still made me feel uneasy. He had never hyped something up like this.

But all in all everything felt like it was starting to go back to normal. I felt normal again.

A year ago I was trying to figure out how to juggle my relationship with my best friend and my relationship with the boy I loved. I couldn't believe everything that had happened since then. Just in the past couple of months.

After one of my sessions with Agatha I decided it would be a nice change to eat in the courtyard at the hospital. I know, that might sound kind of weird, but the hospital was starting to grow on me. Even with my weekly sessions I could stay away from any part of the hospital that my mom had spent time in. And the courtyard really was beautiful.

"Hey Elle!" someone yelled from across the courtyard. It scared the crap out of me, making me send salad flying everywhere. And because of my strict portion sizes, that meant my entire lunch was now on the ground. I looked in the direction of who called me and I had to fight the voice inside my head telling me to run and hide. I could get up, walk away, and say I didn't hear him. But that plan went out the window when he started walking over.

Why did he have to look so freaking good? God, even his jeans were sexy. They were loose, but somehow they outlined from his waist down perfectly. Instead of his usual snug t-shirt he was wearing a cream-colored cardigan. He looked like the guy you took home to meet your parents at Christmas. It felt like it took him an eternity to reach the table where I was sitting, and yet when he stood in front of me I had no idea what to say.