Falling - NOAH CENTINEO

ch. 9 | Little Sting

As soon as we got back to the house, Noah went straight to his room without a word.

I sat in my room, digesting everything that had just happened. I can't believe that Noah just beat the living shit out of Anthony.

Honestly, it fucking terrified me.

I have never seen Noah get in a fight before, he just wasn't that person. Truthfully, he was just too intimidating and the popular boy that people didn't pick fights with.

I sat on my bed, cross legged, in silence. Then, out of nowhere, I heard Noah grunt from his room.

I let out a deep sigh.

Theres no reason to be afraid of him. He's still the same Noah that kissed my cut knee when I fell off the swingset. He's still the same guy that got you that elephant from a fair, hes still the same boy that made you smoothies when you got your wisdom teeth taken out.

I racked my brain for every pure moment that I shared with Noah. He wasn't a scary guy that beats people up. He was just protecting me, which is more than anyone else has ever done.

I crossed the hall to Noah's room and knocked quietly.

"Who is it?" He asked.

"Blake." I answered, opening the door cautiously.

He sighed and came around the corner for the bathroom. His shirt was off and he looked down at himself when he saw my face.

"I'm just assessing the damage." He said, refrencing his body.

My hand flew over my mouth and I held back tears. He chest was covered in bruises and small cuts. But his lip looked the worse. It was gaping and bloody.

"Jesus, Noah." I said, closing the door and rushing over to him. I reached up to his hair, brushing it back to see his face more.

"We gotta tell your mom." I said.

He stepped away. "No, no. My mom can't know. I gotta do this myself."

I let out a sigh and thought. "Okay, um. Do you have any vodka left?" I said.

Noah walked over and pulled the small bottle out from under his bed. He handed it to me as I pulled myself to sit ontop of the sink's counter.

"Come here." I motioned.

He walked in between my legs and placed his hands on either side of me.

I grabbed tissues from beside me and soaked them with alcohol.

"This is gonna sting." I warned, bringing it closer to his lip.

"How bad?" He asked.

"Pretty bad." I said, touching his lip with the tissue. He winced and closed his eyes.

I patted the area while holding onto his chin.

He winced and groaned.

"B, this fucking hurts." He whined.

"Maybe you shouldn't of gotten into a fight." I shot back.

"I was protecting you." He said, harshly.

"I never asked you to."

I was mad that he did that. Grateful, but also mad.

He shook his head. "Well, sorry I ruined his pretty face." He said, sarcastically.

"I'm just glad that he didn't ruin yours." I whispered, patting his lip.

He looked down at me, almost confused at what I said. Like he was trying to understand my meaning.

"Ok, I guess thats done." I said, putting the bloody tissue down.

He looked past me, into the mirror, looking at his, now, clean cut.

"Should we do these other ones?" He asked, turning around to show me a bigger cut.

This one was definitely bigger but not too deep.

"Jesus Christ." I whispered.

I picked up another tissue and soaked it in the alcohol, pressing it on his skin.

"Why did you hit him?" I asked, nervously.

"Cause he wouldn't keep his fucking mouth shut about you." He said.

"I can take care of myself." I said, trying to keep the tears back.

"B, I know that. But... anthony, no one, should ever say that shit about you." He stammered.

I gulped. "It doesnt matter, they're just words."

He looked back at my wrist. "Oh, yeah? What do you call that?" He eyes my bruise. "Did words do that to you?" He turned back around.

"I told you I wanted to kill him and I wasn't lying." He whispered.

I stayed silent, unsure of what to say.

"I'm not letting anyone do that shit again to you and Anthony's gonna serve as an example to everyone to not fuck with my girl." He grunted.

I froze in my tracks. Did he just call me his girl?

"I meant-"

"I know what you meant." I said, sparing him an explanation.

"And B?" He asked, quietly.

"Yeah?" I asked, dapping the blood off of him.

"I'm sorry I made you fall back there. I was just so caught up-"

"Its okay, Noah. I'm fine."

"I just feel like absolute shit about it. When I saw how scared you looked when I looked back at you-"

"Noah, its fine. Just drop it. I'm all good."

He unstiffened and I put the tissue down.

"Okay. Done." I said. Noah turned back to face me, looking at everything but my eyes.

I took his cheeks in my hands to make him look at me. "Just promise you won't do anything like that again. I can't stand to see you hurt, Noah." I sighed.

He hung his head. "B-"

"Promise me." I demanded.

"I promise." He sighed.

I let go of his cheeks. "Thank you."

He looked back up in the mirror.

"Now what the fuck am I gonna tell my mom when she sees my lip?"

"He fell at the fair," I said, shoveling food into my mouth.

"And you busted your lip?" Greg asked, suspiciously.

"Yeah, and my ass." Noah laughed.

Noah's mom eyed him. "Watch your language." She sighed.

Noah rolled his eyes. "But yeah, really I'm fine."

"Bullshit" Taylor said, hidden in a cough.

"Taylor." Greg warned.

"C'mon, I can drink alcohol but I can't curse?" She challenged.

"Not at the dinner table, young lady." Noah's mom said.

Taylor laughed quietly and continued eating her food.

I looked up from my plate and I caught Noah's eyes. He was trying to hold in a laugh, same as me. It was like a secret that we'd keep from our parents like we did when we were kids.

Noah and I went back to my room after dinner and sat on my bed.

"I love how your mom knows that somethings up but she doesnt even say anything." I laughed.

"Yep, classic Kellee." Noah laughed.

He walked over to my balcony and looked out at the dark ocean.

He looked back at me. "You wanna go on a drive?"