The Stepbrother - Noah Centineo (COMPLETED)

What do we do now then?

Arielle's PoV

I didn't feel anything now. I wasn't sad. I wasn't happy. I wasn't angry. I just felt numb. I'm sure Noah's pretty taken back by my attitude but he's lucky I'm speaking at all. I would really love to be in my own room, snuggled under the blankets and not see or talk to a single person for weeks. Unfortunately that can't happen because here I am in Noah's car.
We were driving down a familiar road, one I recognised as Jason's road. Is there a reason as to why we're driving down here?

"Where are we going?" I asked him.
"You're going to Jason's." He sighed, indicating to park right outside my best friends house.
"What?" I frowned.
"You should stay here until things are sorted out at home." He pulled into the small space, the car coming to a halt.
"I'm not leaving you on your own." I shook my head. Why was he doing this?
"Look, you're not yourself at the moment and I can't sit here and watch you be upset for days on end." He ran a hand through his hair.
"Are you kidding me?" I quirked an eyebrow.
"Arielle." He sighed.
"I don't like the idea of you not being safe. Staying in a car with me over night for god knows how many days is not right. It's not safe." He's got to be joking.
"And you're expecting me to go in that house and beg Jase to let me stay with him for a while whilst you're living out of you car? No chance." I shook my head. I'm not leaving him alone, not after everything that's happened.

Noah turned to look ahead of him again with a huff.
"Please don't be difficult about this, Ari."
"I'm not being difficult!" I defended myself.
"You're stupid to think that I'm really just going to walk away like that." I folded my arms over my chest, watching as tears began to gather in Noah's eyes. Oh no, why's he crying?
"Arielle..." he turned to me, his bottom lip trembling.
"In this very moment in time, I'm no good for you." His eyes flickered between mine and I didn't think this heartache could get any worse. What is he saying?
"You're joking." I gulped back my tears.
"I'm sorry." His voice cracked and my heart was racing.
"Noah please, don't do this." I was shaking my head frantically.
"Look, I know I've been miserable but you can't blame me! I'll try to be happier, just please don't do this." My words came out faster than I could think of them.
"I didn't mean what I said last night, I trust you Noah. With all my heart." Yep, the tears started to fall now.

Noah stayed silent, his lips pressed together in a thin line as he looked out ahead of him and up Jason's drive way.
"Noah, say something." I sobbed.
"Just don't be mad at me." He looked at me, his eyes held a type of sadness that I hadn't seen before. This is the type of sadness that would never leave him, one that makes me think that this is it for us.
"W-why would I be mad at you?" I asked softly, leaning over the gear stick to cup his cheeks in my hands.
"Because I know how much you don't want me to do this." He let out a shaky breath.
"Then don't do it. Please. Let's just drive away, somewhere far from here. We can go together and we'll find somewhere to stay. Just please, don't do it." I begged, wiping his tears away with my thumbs.
"Arielle, you know that all the time you're with me, you'll never have a relationship with your father. Things will never be the same again." His placed his hands on top of mine and pulled them down to his mouth, kissing them gently before placing them back on my lap. The gesture broke my heart.

"What do we do now then." I sniffed, looking down at my hands and blinking the tears away. No matter what I was to say right now, nothings going to change his mind.
"It's not we, it's you." He placed a finger under my chin, lifting my head to look at him.
"You're going to walk up to that driveway and you're not going to look back." He licked his lips.
"You're going to let go, just like I am... ok?" I couldn't nod my head, I didn't want to agree to this. This isn't what I want.
"We're going to let the universe do its thing and if we're meant to be, then we're meant to be. But as of now, you have to go." I squeezed my eyes shut at his words, my bottom lip trembling like mad.
"I can't." I cried.
"You can." Noah tucked my hair behind my ear.
"I don't want to." I shook my head for what felt like ages.
"Arielle." His voice was soft but I pushed his hands from me and unbuckled my seatbelt.
"You're mad, aren't you?" He watched as I opened up the car door.
"Mad? No. I'm angry at you!" My voice was raised as slammed the door, beginning to storm up Jason's driveway.
If he's doing this then I need to be as far away from him as possible, I can't even look at him right now.

"Arielle, stop!" Noah ran after me, grabbing my hand and stopping me in my tracks.
"Why? So you can hurt me some more?" I yelled, pulling out of his grip.
"Please don't be angry at me." He begged.
"But I am angry with you and I have a good reason to be!" I was a mess standing in front of him.
"Well at least don't push me away." Now you're taking the piss.
"Me, push you away?" My voice was quiet as I pointed to myself.
"I'm the one trying to hold on here Noah. I need you but I need you to need me too." I cried.
"You do not understand how much I need you Arielle. God-" he looked away.
"I need you more than I've ever needed anyone!" His voice just got progressively louder and if we're not careful, the neighbours are going to start coming out.
"Then why are you doing this?" I flung my arms around in the air.
"Because... Jesus-" he frustratedly ran a hand through his hair.
"Why Noah?!" I shouted. Just answer me for god sake.
"Because I love you Arielle and I want what's best for you!" I gulped.
"How is this what's best for me?" I asked.
"You know I'm no good for you. I do things that you don't like and honestly, I don't think that's going to change anytime soon." His eyes moved behind me and I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder.

I slowly turned my head to see Jason who was giving me a sad smile.
"Just remember what I said, ok?" He asked as Jason pulled me in for a side hug.
"Things will work itself out if it's meant to be, just promise me that you'll sort things out between you and your dad." Noah took a step closer. I tore my gaze from him and clenched my jaw. I couldn't look at him. It hurt so much.
"Please." He placed a hand on my lower arm making me snap back up to look at him.
"Where are you going to go." I croaked.
"I'll find somewhere." He answered, looking back at his car and placing his hands in his pockets.

I sniffed, moving out of Jason's grip and throwing myself at Noah, wrapping my arms around his torso. He was hesitant at first but wrapped his arms around me tightly. This could possibly be the last time I get to be in his arms.
"Please be careful." My body shook uncontrollably as I cried into his chest.
"I will." His chin resting on the top of my head. Why is this so hard? Everything I had has been taken away from me in the space of 24 hours but Noah's right, if we're meant to be, we'll find a way back to each other.

I pulled back from him, taking one last glance into those big brown eyes I've grown to adore before I turned on my heel and headed back towards Jason.
His hands were held out to me and I took them in my own, heading up the driveway with him. I so badly wanted to look back but I couldn't bring myself to.

I've broken up the family completely and I'm to blame for all of this. If only you knew how disappointed I felt with myself.