The Moment

Chapter Twenty-Two

It probably wasn't the smartest thing to have done but I couldn't help myself around him. He was someone I wanted in my life because he made me genuinely happy and that's something that doesn't come around often.

"Regs," He began as he slid his fingers across my bare skin. "I should have asked you. I shouldn't have called the whole thing off without hearing from you first. It's just, you're the first girl I've wanted to explore things with out here and at the first sight of trouble, my instincts were to run and I'm sorry about that."

"Noah," I said, lifting myself up to look at him. "I wouldn't have started anything with you if I had the smallest of feelings for someone else. Tayler and I...yes, our friendship looks questionable but I promise you, there's nothing there and there never will be."

"So who's in the video?" He asked, cautiously. Letting out a sigh, I knew it was now or never. I needed to come clean about it and I needed to tell him everything.

---

The party had picked up since Noah and I were upstairs and I didn't realize how many people had actually been invited. Walking side by side, I was worried how Noah would react to the information. I didn't want any animosity between anyone and I think that's why I avoided the truth for so long. Everyone reacts differently to news...but they react the same when they don't know. Watching as Noah and I walked down the stairs, separating at the bottom, I knew I was about to get pulled to the side by Casey.

"So?" She asked, raising her voice over the music.

"We talked." I explained, trying to avoid her curious eyes.

"You and Noah walked down those stairs like you run the whole world. What the hell happened up there?" Dixie asked, joining the conversation.

"You slut." Casey joked, noting my silence and figuring out her own answer. Looking over at Dixie, we waited for her to clue in.

"Oh my God!" She exclaimed. "So does this mean everything's good now?"

"I hope so." I said, not really knowing where Noah and I stood now. Sure, we talked and cleared the air but does this mean we're back to being friends? Are we friends with benefits? Or are we finally going to go on a date? There were so many ways this could go from here on out that I was worried that I had just slept with someone only for it to go back to just a friendship.

"I know you aren't just going to stand here talking all night." Josh said, taking my wrist and pulling my away from the girls. "We're playing Say it or Shot it, fuckers!" He yelled, grabbing the attention of pretty much everyone in the room. I couldn't exactly say I was excited because we all knew where this would end up. "Alright, Griffin! Say it or shot it, do you still want to be with Dixie?"

"I'd like another chance, yeah." He explained, awkwardly avoiding eye contact with her.

"Mind if I sit here?" Knowing exactly who it was before turning to look at them, I shook my head. "I didn't think this was your kind of game, Cross." One thing about him...he probably knew me just as well as Tayler did but I also knew him.

"I was just about to say the same thing to you, Ryland."