Noah Princeton

Chapter 28

Hope's P.O.V

I go to walk out of the bathroom as I hear the bedroom door open. I hear Ivy talking to somebody so I slow down. "I don't want to hear it, Noah." I turned around quickly and went back in the bathroom. 

"Whatever Ivy." He said taking a deep breath. I leaned against the wall listening. "Where is Hope at?" He asked. 

"Why do you want to know?" Ivy asked. 

"Because I don't want to be here when she shows up." He fired. I looked down. Did he regret what we did? Was I not good enough? Why was he acting weird? I hear the bedroom door open and close so I walk out. Ivy looks at me surprised. 

"How much did you hear?" She asked. I sit down on my bed grabbing my phone. 

"All of it," I mumbled. I put my headphones in and laid down on my bed. 

I walk out of my last class just to walk slowly behind Noah as he talked with Eric. I kept my eyes on the ground as I hear them talking about a DSP meeting later. I mentally kicked myself for not being one of the first ones out the door. Noah glanced over his shoulder just as I look back up at him. Our eyes locked and I bit back a smile as I walk quickly around them both. I was in the process of walking past the main doors as someone called my name. I glance back to see Levi jogging up to me. I gave him a confused look. "Hey," He breathed. 

"What do you want?" I mumbled. He let out a few pants before taking a deep breath. 

"I've been trying to come up with some perfect excuse as to why I acted like a dick but I couldn't come up with anything. So I'm going, to be honest with you. It doesn't bother me that you aren't rich. I made it seem like it did because I was trying to be cool and for some stupid reason I thought that was fitting in with the other guys. I should have stood up for you but instead, I just sat there laughing along with them. So I wanted to tell you I am sorry." I hugged my binder to my chest as I processed his words. 

"It's been 3 weeks since that night." He nods. 

"I would have apologized sooner but I was too scared to face you." I sighed and looked down. "I know after you find out you won't want anything to do with me so consider this a feature apology." I look back up at him with a confused look at Sadie and Vivian walk up. Vivian stands next to him. 

"Find out what?" I asked. Vivian let out a laugh. 

"Exactly what I've been telling you. Guys like Noah and Levi could never like a girl like you." I look at her. Sadie giggles. 

"It's all just a game to them." I was so beyond confused. 

"A game?" I asked. Levi looked at them. 

"Vivian." He hissed. She held up her finger to him as she looked at me. 

"It's been four months since the year started Levi. I think it's time for little miss nothing to know what's really been going on." I glanced up at Levi as he looked down with regret. I look back at Vivian. "Noah and his friends came up with a game their last year of high school. They were to pick one virgin girl each year. Each of the guys were to get a chance to flirt with her and work their charms. But the winner is the guy who takes her virginity." Tears slid down my cheek as I processed everything. They were right. I was stupid to think guys like them could actually like girls like me. I looked at Levi as he looked at me. 

"Hope I'm sorry." I shake my head. 

"You're sorry? You played me. I trusted you and you hurt me more than once." He opened his mouth to reply but I walked towards the DSP house. I couldn't help the tears that came down my cheeks. I open the door of the house as all the guys go silent. They were currently getting ready for their meeting or whatever but I didn't care. I stomped through the house until I found Noah sitting in his usual spot. He sees me and stands up. 

"What are you doing here?" He asked. I raised my hand up and before I could think of what I was doing it was too late. My hand stung but I didn't care. He rolled his jaw a few times before looking at me. 

"It was all a game to you? A fucking game? I shared parts of my life that were special to me with you and you were just worried about fucking me. You never cared about me." He looked at me shocked. 

"Hope please let me explain." I shake my head. 

"Explain? What can you possibly explain to me, Noah? The rules of this damn game? I don't want to hear a word you have to stay." He opened his mouth to reply but closed it. He looked down. 

"I'm sorry." I scuffed. 

"That's the second useless apology I've heard today." I turned around and walked out. I walked to my dorm and threw my bag on my bed. Ivy walks in a moment later. I look at her as tears stream down my face. 

"Oh Hope." I shake my head as I the pain sank in. "This is the reason why I told you to stay away from him." I looked up at her as the tears continued to flow down. 

"You knew? About the game?" She shakes her head. 

"I had no idea you were the target. I just knew he was playing a game." 

"You knew he was playing this game and never once asked yourself why he had started hanging out with me? Why Levi and the rest of the guys flirted with me? You didn't put the pieces together? You could have at least warned me about the damn game." A tear slipped down her face. 

"I'm sorry. I didn't think it was important. I didn't think anything of it. Not until I heard Sadie and Vivian talking. That's why I told you to stay away from him. I wanted to save you from a broken heart." I let out a dry laugh as more tears slipped down. 

"You warned me a little too late." She looked at me confused. 

"What do you mean?" She asked. I looked away from her until I heard a small gasp come from her lips. I looked back at her. "You and Noah?" I looked down at my hands. 

"Turns out I liked him a little more then I thought." 

"Hope I'm so sorry. I didn't know." I smiled through my tears and looked up at her. 

"You know a best friend would have put two and two together." More tears spilled out of her eyes and I looked away from her. I walked behind her to the door. 

"Where are you going?" She asked. I wiped my tears and opened the door.