Patchwork Romance

Chapter 4

So, it's been a long time, and I mean a loooong time, since the last chapter was uploaded and we can only blame that on a 'technical' hitch involving who's chapter was who's :L I know there's not a lot of people that have read this, but I hope we'll get some more....... x

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I flicked out the tablecloth I’d found hidden under the stairs, sliding it across the small wooden table. The straight, cheerful red and white check seemed to clash with the cluttered but dull interior of the house. Mum and Dad didn’t exactly place tidiness at the top of their priority list. I smiled, I couldn’t wait to go to Uni with Noah, to have our own place that wouldn’t look a thing like this; it would be perfect. I began to put out the mish-mash of cutlery and plates, which would have to pass as the best china you got out for visitors. I straightened them up, trying to make it look presentable, but stopped and laughed at myself. Noah wouldn’t care what the plates looked like; he’d be more interested with what was on them.

The doorbell rung and I smiled. Speak of the devil and he will appear, I mused. I skipped to the door feeling a little bit silly. Noah came over all the time, but it didn’t stop the excitement that rose within me when he was around. I unlocked the door and pulled it open.

“Hi” I smiled.

“Hello” he replied, stepping in and wrapping me in a tight hug. “Is that chicken I can smell?” He asked over my head a moment later.

“Yes” I laughed, the sound muffled against his chest “Come in or you’ll get a cold” I added and moved out of his grip to close the door. He took my hand and I lead him to the small kitchen. Noah’s eyes lit up when he saw the food I was preparing. 

“You’re a pig”, I told him honestly “Nothing’s finished yet” I laughed.

“But you love it, don’t deny it” He grinned.

I rolled my eyes and moved to the kitchen counter to finish the salad. Noah sat in a vacant chair, putting his feet up on another and picking up an old book with a broken spine. I watched him for a moment, how the light lit up his face and tawny eyes. The way he ruffled his already and ever-messy brown hair. I sighed contentedly and went back to what I was doing, sharing out the salad and stirring the sauce.

I began to hum to the song on the radio when Noah grabbed me and span me around. The wooden spoon clattered into the saucepan. He clasped my hands in his, grinning mischievously. We span to the music and I squealed childishly when he lifted me off the ground. We danced across the cluttered room, completely lost in the silly little moment.

My feet had just brushed the ground when I smelt something funny. I gasped. “The chicken!” I squealed as I squirmed away from Noah and dived at the cooker. I flicked off the heat and pulled open the door. A smoky cloud swirled from within and I waved a hand to disperse it. I sighed, slipping on an oven glove and pulling out the tray. On it lay two blackened chicken breasts, blatantly inedible.

“Oh well” I said as I scraped the chicken into the bin. 

I turned back to Noah who said completely seriously “I would have eaten it”

I laughed and put the tray on top of the oven, placing the oven glove back it’s drawer.

“I know you would have” I smiled, poking his stomach playfully “But luckily for you and your stomach, I know the difference between charcoal and chicken” He smiled and leant back against the counter, holding me against him. We stayed that way for a moment, just enjoying each other’s presence.

“I love you”, he murmured suddenly, twisting a lock of my dark reddish-brown hair between his fingers. It seemed like we’d been saying that a lot lately, like we were trying to fit it in as many times as we could before we couldn’t anymore. I sighed and pushed away the depressing thought. I balanced on my tiptoes and brushed a kiss across his lips.

“Don’t you love me?” He asked looking into my eyes. 

I grinned “We don’t need to say it to make it any more true. You know I do”

He smiled, before looking longingly at the tray that had once held his dinner.

“I tell you what”, I said making him look at me again “I’ll grab some stuff and we’ll have a picnic at the dock. It’ll make it up to your stomach for me cremating its dinner”

He grinned once again and I slipped away. I grabbed the hamper that was sitting forlornly in the corner, bringing it with me to the fridge. I put in the sandwiches I’d made for tomorrow, some bottles of water and some of my parent’s used to be secret stash of cakes and treats. I went to the cupboards and threw in some fruit and biscuits for luck. It wasn’t healthy or particularly fancy, but it would do.

Shrugging on a brown leather jacket and some converse, I took Noah’s hand and we headed for his car. I grabbed my bag on the way out. I put in my phone and gave the keys to Noah who softly closed and locked the door behind us. His hand left mine as he slipped into the driver’s side and I put the hamper on the backseat. I strapped it in for good measure; I wouldn’t be impressed with myself if I messed this dinner up too. Noah would eat it, but I wasn’t a fan of squished sandwiches and fruit.

I quickly got into the car with Noah and we reversed out of the drive, heading for my most favourite place in the whole world, with the evening sun setting behind us.

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