Lost and Found

54 | blake

"I'm starting to wonder why I even bothered to show up," I tease. Crossing my arms over my chest, I lean back against the car door behind me as I smirk down at Noah's feet, waiting for him to appear.

On cue, Noah slides out from under the truck he's been working on, dark blue gaze instantly meeting mine. I can't help but smile as I study him, taking in his messy blond hair and grease-stained tee. The sight brings back memories of our high school days, making my smile all the more genuine.

"To see me," Noah responds cockily. "Duh."

"That's funny, considering I can't actually see you under that thing."

Noah rises to his feet, towering over me. He closes the distance between us by stepping toward me, eyes locked on mine. My heart races wildly in my chest as nervous excitement courses through my veins. Even after all this time, Noah still manages to make me feel giddy with nothing but a glance.

"Well, you can see me now," he counters.

"But I came to spend time with you," I argue. "Though I guess I should have known. You think after all the time I've spent neglected in this garage while you fawn over cars would have taught me a lesson by now."

Noah rolls his eyes at my remark, which has me biting my lip in an attempt not to laugh aloud. I notice the way his stare zeroes in on my lips with the action, the gleam in his dark eyes shifting from playful to lust.

"And you would think that my constant reminding you to not bite that lip of yours after all this time would have taught you a lesson," Noah retorts, pulling my bottom lip from between my teeth with his thumb, touch lingering on my skin.

It's funny how easily things fell back into place once we made our way back to each other after all of the time we spent apart; picking up from where things ended once Noah left. I'll admit, his leaving shattered something deep within me. I didn't want anything to do with him when I'd first learned that he was back in town, pointedly trying to keep my distance. Yet Noah still managed to enter my life again, the world bringing the two of us back together as if knowing we had unfinished business.

I think I've known all along from the moment I ran into Noah at the café that I still had unresolved feelings for him, yet I was unwilling to admit it to myself. At the time, coming to terms with the truth would have made it all the more real. So instead I chose to keep my feelings hidden.

However, with the planning that came along with Mia and Thorne's wedding, I began to see Noah more often than not. Eventually, I caved to my feelings, kissing him one drunken evening at Mia's apartment. I pushed Noah away once again after that kiss, only to have my feelings get the best of me shortly after. Yet even after sleeping with Noah in his truck, I continued to try to distance myself from him, refusing to admit the truth to myself for fear of being hurt again. It wasn't until Noah confronted me at the wedding that I realized I genuinely had love left for him, which caused me to run. Because I was scared. Scared of the truth. Scared of being hurt. Scared that the two of us had changed too much to make things work again.

A little over a month ago as of now, Noah surprised me by showing up at my apartment, begging me to tell him the truth about how I felt in regards to him. I suppose he'd been struggling to let go of me just as I had been struggling to release him. It was then that I finally allowed my confession to get out, admitting to both myself and Noah that I am still very much in love with him.

Since that night, the two of us have taken things slow. Noah claimed that if we were going to try again, he wanted to do things right. After spending three years apart, going slow and steady couldn't hurt anything. We started going on dates, hanging out with our friends, spending our free time together. We tried to keep the time we spent together limited in an attempt to not overstep any boundaries right away.

Needless to say, the slow stage didn't last long.

Soon enough, Noah was waking up in my apartment with me, and vice versa. Nowadays, we practically live at each other's places, merely ending up in whichever apartment is closest to where we are when we want to crash.

Now that Noah is back in my life, things have changed all over again, and for the better. I'd been in a slump practically from the moment he left, though it seems I've finally gotten out of it. I'm happy now, and I've missed the feeling. I'm closer with his family now than ever before, and the same goes for Noah. Our relationships with our mutual friends have strengthened, as well as the love we share for one another.

Furthermore, I don't feel like I have to pretend to be someone I'm not around Noah. I can simply be myself, and I have missed having that freedom dearly.

"You didn't hear a word I just said, did you?"

The sound of Noah's voice abruptly breaks me out of my thoughts. I blink up at him, blushing as he catches me zoning out. I offer him an apologetic glance, his gaze going soft as he appraises me.

"Thank you," Noah says out of nowhere, surprising me a little.

"For what?" I question.

"Everything," Noah responds. He takes my hand in his and interlaces our fingers. "Thank you for giving me a second change. Thank you for being here with me right now. Thank you for loving me, even after everything we've gone through. Just . . . thank you."

"Noah—" I start to assure him that I love him and our past doesn't change that. The time we spent apart no longer matters to me. It's the time we spend together that does. Sure, our paths dispersed a few times. However, we ultimately found our way back to each other, and that is what's important.

"I know you love me," Noah says softly, interrupting me. "You don't have to say it. I mean it though, Blake. I don't know where I'd be without you."

Noah angles his face toward me, his lips colliding with mine. In this moment, the love I feel for Noah Reed multiples, reflecting in the tenderness with which we regard each other.

We break apart, foreheads resting against the other's as we take a moment to collect our breath. Cupping Noah's face in my hands, I look into his deep blue eyes, starting straight into my entire world.

"I don't know where I'd be without you, either," I whisper in response.

All I know is that around Noah, I am a million times happier than I have ever been before. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

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a/n: i apologize if this chapter is messy or filled with mistakes. i am running off of six different types of pills at the moment, which has me so out of it. also i am very shaky from throwing up all day and a long ass trip to the ER so it's just a wee bit hard to type. also i saw my parents for the first time in a month today (bc i can't afford to pay for the doctor lol) and that was very nerve-racking. anyway, here is another one-in-the-morning update bc all the drugs i'm on have my mind like SJSJSHGJSJS rn.