Archer's Paradox | Slow updates

Chapter Fourteen

"I need your opinion." I jump as Tori barges into the living room. The door smacks against the wall and bounces back towards the frame. "Hello to you too." I mumble sarcasticly.

"What in this life is going on?" Lucas emerges from the hallway wearing only a towel around his hips. Water droplets still gleam on his chiseled chest. Tori looks like she might faint but I save her ass from embarrassment. "Tori just came to ask me something. You can go back to the shower." He shrugs and turns back towards the bathroom.

"Sweet mercy. What's he doing here?" Tori asks in a hushed voice. "Josh had some work to do and Lucas offered to stay here while he's gone." Tori sighs with a smile. "He is such an Adonis. No wonder Ally fell head over heels." She looks longingly down the hallway but I move so I'm in her view. Her eyes register my presence and she pulls out her phone. "The band I got, listen to some of these songs. They are so hot right now." We each pop in an earphone and Tori taps on her phone. An intro begins to play and soon a voice follows.

Simmer down, simmer down
They say we're too young now to amount to anything else
But look around
We worked too damn hard for this just to give it up now
If you don't swim, you'll drown
But don't move, honey

The song continues and ends then Tori looks at me hopeful. I pretend to think it over but in reality, I love the song.

"It's pretty good." I state simply and Tori starts tapping away at her phone. I'm about to get up from the couch when she shoves her phone in my face. On the screen is a photo of four guys. Two of them have these really tousled hair and the one looks like Asian or something. Two of them are absolutely gorgeous. Not as gorgeous as Noah but still.

"They are to die for!" Tori beams right as Lucas walks back into the room. "What's to die for?" She shoots him a look and picks up her things. "I shall be leaving now. Noah is busy tomorrow so we're all having a logistics meeting on the party." The door shuts behind her and I lean back into the couch. Thank goodness. Her enthusiasm tires me.

I didn't realise a sigh escaped my lips until I hear Lucas chuckle. I glare at him but he holds up his hands. "Want some juice?" His voice raises a bit as he walks into the kitchen. "Uh yeah. That'd be nice."

So Noah's party is happening in a week from now. We have everything set but touch ups need to be done and last minute check ups. Tori is basically glowing with pride that her ideas are coming to life. I'm the distraction. All I have to do is keep Noah busy until I get the signal and lead him to the beach. Pretty easy. I have this idea that we'll spend the day together and do some things until like later the afternoon when Alice will call me. I'll then suggest we go to the beach or something and then just happen to notice the party. Alice said Noah loves surprises so he'll love this. And with him busy tomorrow we can get everything sorted. The band lives in Australia but we got them a room at the motel and they'll get there around noon and start setting up. I can't wait to see Noah's face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Food!" Grey comes in with bowls of food in his hands while Tori follows with drinks. The whole thing is at Grey's house. Noah went out with his parents for an early birthday celebration because they're leaving for Boston tomorrow to work on a case. They're like CIA or FBI, I can't remember. "So, we all get a chance to state our case and how it's going so far." Dustin says and points to Alice next to him. "I help set up then I call Layla when everything is finished and we're waiting." Her eyes wander to me. "Oh and it's going well." She adds for effect. Tori speaks up next.

"The band is hot and ready!" A squeal follows. "They are booked at the motel and everything is smooth." We all nod. "I'm the distraction." I say when it's my turn. "I got everything sorted so yeah. It's good." My cell starts to ring.

Noah❤ flashes on the screen. "Shit guys. Gotta take this." I excuse myself and hurry to the kitchen.

"Hello?"

"Hey gorgeous. Where are you? I went by the house but Josh said Alice picked you up."

Shit

"Uhh yeah. She said something about your parents and early birthday so she didn't want to be alone while you're out."

"Oh ok. Where are you now? I'll come pick you up for a movie or something back at my place."

"I'm with Alice at the Starbucks near the mall."

"Woah. That's far. I'll be there in a few."

"Ok see you."

I hang up and run back to Alice. "Get me to the Starbucks now. Noah thinks I'm with you."

Alice slams the brakes as I throw open the door and fall down at a table near the entrance. She falls into the seat in front of me just as a waiter walks to us. We both order a mocha. Five minutes after the waiter leaves, Noah's Range Rover pulls up.

I try to keep my heart under control but when he steps through the doors, my pulse goes haywire. His dark hair bounces slightly as he walks and his blue eyes are smiling. It takes him a moment to notice our presence as he looks around the Starbucks. Time feels like it's standing still when his eyes lock on mine and he makes his way over.

"Stop staring." Alice mumbles and swats my hand. "Ouch!" I hiss, rubbing the back of my hand. Noah pulls out a chair to my left and plops down, cold air following him.

"You girls ordered yet?" He looks at me. I swear I want to melt into a puddle right now. "Yes we have." Alice interrupts. Bless her soul. She knows how to save me.

Damnit. I can't believe how quickly I fell in love with Noah. I mean, who wouldn't. He's the epitome of perfection and so hot, I can feel the heat radiating from him.

Gosh, you are such a cliché girl. Wake up, Layla!

Yeah yeah, ok. I'm such a girl. But Noah is just so gorgeous. His laughs breaks me from my spell. "Well love, why don't you take that mocha and we go for a drive?" I nod eagerly. Anything to be alone with Noah.

Yeah. You are such a girl.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Noah and Alice's parents are back together. I just remembered after I wrote this that I said his mom left his dad. She came back after Noah tried to kill himself.

Vote and comment

Much love
Xx
Trace ❤