The Kissing Booth - Chasing Noah

Chapter 28

A/N: This is the edited version of Chapter 63 and 64.

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Elle's POV

Boston ~ 3 months ago

"Hey so I've been meaning to ask you something," Lee spoke. We were drinking coffee on the Harvard lawn, watching Noah try to show Rachel how to throw a football. I checked my watch. We had to leave for the airport in less than an hour.

"Go on," I smiled. I watched Noah adjust Rachel's fingers on the rubber ball. They erupted into a fit of giggles when she sent the ball flying straight at the ground.

"What do you think's in the cards for you and Noah?" he asked. He took a sip of his coffee. Like his halloween costumes, his drink orders were always crazy. While I had ordered the strongest coffee they offered, he had gotten some kind of cotton candy latte.

"What do you mean?" I asked. He shrugged, his eyes never leaving Noah and Rachel. He was trying to be as nonchalant about this as possible. I could see that he was kind of freaking out on the inside.

"I mean what do you see in your guys' future? Do you want to marry him?" he asked. I tore my eyes away from Noah and Rachel to look at Lee. But he wouldn't meet my eyes.

"I don't know, Lee. Why?" I replied. I willed him to look at me. His eyes had always been a dead give away to what he was thinking.

"I don't know. I just keep waiting for something to blow up in your face and for you to get hurt. I don't want that to happen," he admitted. I let out a huff and sat up.

"What makes you think something's going to blow up in my face?" I demanded. Lee finally looked at me and I don't think I had ever seen so much worry in his eyes.

"Well that's how relationships usually work. You either get married or you break up," he pointed out. To be fair, he was right. But I was offended that he had been betting on us breaking up.

"So this whole time you've just thought that our relationship was a ticking time bomb and you were waiting to see me get hurt?" I asked, raising my voice slightly. I saw Noah and Rachel stop to look over at us, but when we both smiled and waved, they went right back to throwing the ball - or at least attempting to.

"That's not what I meant Elle. I just wanna know if you think that you and Noah are gunna be together for the rest of your lives," he told me. I stopped and I looked across the grass at my boyfriend. He was playfully tackling Rachel, lifting her up into the air. She was screaming Lee's name, kicking her legs everywhere. That guy out there has been there for me through thick and thin. I can't imagine losing him, but I also can't see our future right now. I can barely see my own future, let alone one with another person. I don't think I'm ready for that, even if it's with Noah.

"I think we're gunna be okay," I spoke. I saw Lee give me a sad smile out of the corner of my eye. But I didn't feel sad. I knew that Noah and I were meant for each other. Maybe not for the rest of our lives, but I knew that for a long time him and I were going to make each other happy.

"You know that you're the most important guy in my life, right?" I asked Lee. We looked at each other and I recognized that same look from every time he gave me an apology ice cream.

"What about Noah?" he asked softly. I closed my eyes and I imagined Noah's arm wrapping me in a warm safe hug. I could smell his cologne and picture his hands drifting up and down my back soothingly.

But then I imagined Lee's arms around me every time that someone had hurt me. Or I had fallen down. Or lost a soccer game. He was there every single time, waiting, listening. He's been my rock, my constant since day one. Literally.