Kissing Booth: Another Take

Chapter 15

AN: Italics - Happy Now by Kygo

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Elle's POV

We were all hanging out at the pool that afternoon. It was funny, I thought for sure that Noah and all his friends would want to be out and about doing adventurous things but they seemed pretty content just hanging out with us for the time being. The days had felt so long and I couldn't believe that just 5 days ago my life was completely different. It just proved that change could happen overnight if you wanted it to.

I looked down on the phone to see a text from Marco.

Meet me at the soccer field? Want to talk.

I frowned.

He always knew to find me there when I was missing and I always knew to find him there when he was fighting with his mom or his sister was annoying him or he was pissed off about something.

So the fact that he wanted to meet at the soccer field paired with the fact that he skipped out of our run this morning told me one thing: something was up.

"Everything okay?" Lee asked next to me noticing the way I was scowling at my phone. "Yeah," I said. "Marco wants to talk," I looked up at him worried.

Lee sighed, "Guess not everyone can be happy for you and Noah."

I sighed back, "Do you think that's what this is about?"

He shrugged, "I can't imagine it's easy for him... all of this. He was kind of the one to put you back together and now he just has to watch you go back to the guy who made things so hard in the first place."

A pout came to my face. "Sometimes I wish there could just be two of me," I admitted.

Lee shook his head. "Elle like you said, you can't go around always worrying what would make everyone else happy. Just make yourself happy."

I nodded and got up, pulling my cover up over myself.

"Where you going Shelly?" Noah called out from the pool. Rachel was on his shoulders trying to push Chloe off of Jake's shoulders. It was cute how him and Rachel were starting to be closer. I took a moment to appreciate Noah's six-pack, reminding me to also be grateful for my stupid hot boyfriend.

"I've got to go meet Marco at the soccer field real quick," I answered honestly, lying about it would just make things weird. I didn't want to do that. I noticed Noah have a little battle with himself in his head before he asked, "Need a ride?"

"No, I'm good. I'm taking Lee's."

He nodded stiffly and I just gave him a wave, catching Lee's keys and heading out.

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Rachel's POV

I bit my lip looking at Noah brooding on a pool chair. We won in chicken, but he acted like someone had just kicked him in the gut.

I felt bad. I remember when I first started dating Lee and had to adjust to being tied for first in his life. It was tough. I could only imagine how it felt for Noah to feel like he was in a 3-way tie sometimes. I'm sure that's not how Elle saw it, but it must have been hard for Noah not to think that.

Honestly, I was grateful for Marco. I wasn't joking when I told Elle she was a huge cock block during the breakup. Lee expended so much energy trying to be there for her that sometimes during our dates he would want to just stay in so he could fall asleep from exhaustion. It almost broke us; I didn't want to come second. I know that makes me sound like a bad person, but it was a really rough time for our relationship. I know it was rough for Elle too.