Same Old Love / Noah & Elle Fanfiction

Chapter Three

 When Lee and I were younger, we used to beg our parents to let us sleep in the same room while we were at the beach house. "It'll be like a sleepover!" Lee would plead, and eventually our parents gave in. But as we got older, my dad wasn't so fond of the idea of a teenage boy sleeping in the same room as me. I think that he always thought that it'd be Lee and I that got together someday, and I think Lee's mom thought that too. But I've never thought of Lee that way. Lee is my best friend—the boy who saw me in a bra for the first time and buys me pads when I run out. Maybe I can see why everyone used to think that we'd end up together. I don't think anyone really expected Noah and I to get together. I mean, it was painfully obvious how I felt about him when we were younger, but nobody ever actually expected anything to come from it. Hell, I never expected anything to come from it. But now that it's over, I sometimes wish that we never did, so things could just be okay again.

I hadn't really unpacked anything, so it was easy to put everything back into my suitcase, but now I don't know what to do. I contemplate calling Lee again, but I don't want to tell him about Noah being here. I shouldn't want to protect Noah, but I still do. When I turn my phone back on again, there's more texts from Hayden, and a couple more calls. I don't even bother to check them; instead I check the texts from Lee, and one from my dad. My dad's text just says 'miss u kiddo.' I sent back a quick 'miss u too.' I reply to Lee's 'how are you holding up?' with 'i'm ok' and I just leave it at that. I was about to tortue myself by going through the texts from Hayden, but there was a knock on the bedroom door.

"Go away, Noah," I call.

I can hear Noah sigh, "Please, Elle. Let's talk."

I stay quiet for a moment, but then I stand up and open my door. Noah's hair is all in his eyes, but he smiles when he sees me. "Come with me?" he asks, and I just nod.

"I'd say we could sit outside, but I don't think the beach is all that nice in the winter," Noah says, and I crack a little smile. We both sit down in the living room, this time me curled up on the couch and him sitting on the rocking chair.

"I got kicked out of Harvard," he says, and his honesty shocks me.

"What?" I ask, dumbfounded, and then, "how?"

"I failed a class and was on probation, and then I got into a fight with a guy, so," Noah sighs, "Harvard didn't like that very much."

"Do your parents know?" I ask, which I realize is a stupid question. Why would he be hiding out here if they did?

Noah shakes his head. I don't even know what to say. I want to ask questions but don't want to pry. Talking like this with Noah is so strange. We haven't had much conversation since we broke up, let alone anything deep. I don't know what to say, so instead I tell him my truth.

"Hayden beat me," I let out a nervous chuckle. "That's why I'm here and why I have the cut and the bruises." I can't look Noah in the eyes while he processes what I said, it makes me too nervous.

Noah moves to sit beside me on the couch, and he goes to say something but I just start crying. I can't help it. All the emotions from yesterday are just washing over me and the anxiety I had about telling Noah has just gotten too much.

"God, Elle, don't cry. I'm so sorry that happened to you. Aw, come here." Noah wraps his arms around me, and pulls me into his chest. The touch startled me, but I can't help but melt into his chest and cry harder. Noah rubs his hand up and down my back and I try to calm myself down. I pull myself away from Noah and wipe under my eyes.

"Sorry," I say, and Noah shakes his head.

"Don't apologize. I just don't know why you were so against telling me," Noah says, and there's no anger in his voice, but he almost looks hurt.