I Dont Date Blondes

C H A P T E R F O U R T Y - F I V E

For the past hour and a half my mum has been whining about how I have never brought a boy home and that she was worried for the sake of her grandchildren.

I was sitting there with the biggest scowl on my face as I shovelled peas into my mouth. My dad was attempting damage control but my mum had not got the hint and continued with her criticism of my relationship status.

I had refused to look at Noah throughout the past half an hour in fear of what I'd see. I expected that I'd see one of two things. I'd either see a cocky smirk on his face about my mum letting slip all my secrets or a completely frightened look that screamed 'get me out of here' and I-

"Do you have a girlfriend Noah?" My mum asked interrupting my thoughts, that was it. "Mum!" I called to her. Her criticism and comments about myself were bearable as this was my mother and only to be expected but to be prying into his was a step too far.

"It's okay Juliet" Noah half whispered.

"No. Listen mum it's fine when you're saying that my relationship status is of great concern to you as you're my mother but Noah does not need to be brought into this" I said forcefully as I tried to calm my breathing.

I almost jumped as a large hand encased mine in itself as I looked under the table to see Noah holding my hand. I looked at him and he showed no signs of our hand-holding before my parents.

I could feel my breathing returning to normal and I was more relaxed and I shook away the thoughts that it was Noah's hand to blame for my return to calmness.

"Julie your mum is just excited you've brought a boy home. She hasn't stopped talking about it since you told us, this was bound to happen" my dad reasoned.

I couldn't help but find truth in his words. A small part of myself had been warning me about the potential behavioural traits that my mum could show in front on Noah - especially her traits regarding spilling all information about my social and love life.

"Sorry mum" I muttered feeling slightly embarrassed at my outburst. "It's alright Juliet, maybe asking Noah about his relationship status was a bit soon".

Soon enough we were all laughing off the topic and Noah quickly turned to my mother and whispered, "I don't have a girlfriend but my eyes are definitely set on someone".

I was sure he hadn't intended for his whisper to be heard from the way he had leaned right next to my mum to conceal it. I showed no admittance on my face of hearing what he had said but couldn't ignore the twinge in my chest and the ache in my head at the thought of Noah liking someone.

Many times I had told him that he and I were never happening and so couldn't help but exclude me from being the 'someone'. At the thought of Noah with someone else made me feel..hurt?

No. Probably confused as I hadn't seen him around too many people. Then again, I didn't know too much about him. This realisation hurt me more than I thought it would.

Noah was able to talk with my friends, arrange amazing trips and never failed to make me laugh. He knew me way more than I knew him and I couldn't help but feel guilt wash over me.

My mind rolled back to what Emilia had said. Was I really stubborn? Was I that reluctant to not even know him at all?

"Juliet?" Noah called breaking my from my mental analysis. I looked up at him as he said, "we're apparently going to go check out your old photo albums".

"What!" I called in alarm standing up,

Noah laughed deeply as I turned to see him staring at me, "I'm joking, you didn't hear that we are going to watch a movie so I thought I'd spook you a little".

I swatted his arm as I chuckled and pushed the chair I had been sitting in back to the table. "Then again" he started once more, "if you have that kind of reaction about your albums then they sound like a must see".

You will never see those pictures, I thought scowling at the chuckling asshat in front of me.