Summer

Chapter 30

Noah texted me at 6 o'clock on the dot letting me know that he was coming to pick me up, but he didn't tell me where he was taking me. I'm not going to lie, I was impressed by his punctuality. And the fact that he got dressed up. His short waves are slicked back, and he's wearing washed-out jeans with a slim, long-sleeve Henley shirt.

I told my brothers that Cassie and I were going for dinner, so I had her pick me up and then bring me back to her house so that Noah could get me from there.

I know, it's confusing as hell. The pit in my stomach that I feel from lying to my brothers just keeps getting bigger and bigger, and I know that sooner or later I'm going to have to tell them the truth — whatever the truth is. For right now, though, I choose later. I don't know what my status is with Noah, but I know that I like him — a lot. He says that he likes me, too, and I want to believe him, but I'm going to need him to prove it after what happened between him and that girl at Justin's.

"I can't believe you haven't asked me where we're going yet," Noah says as we drive down a dark, empty street. He moves his eyes from the road and onto me for just a second. "You know what? It's a surprise, anyways."

Noah keeps one hand on the wheel as he lays the other on the center console. I'm tempted to place my hand over his, but I resist my urge. When I'm around Noah, I have this tendency to move quicker than I normally would in relationships.

"Why does something tell me that your idea of a surprise isn't a conventional one?" I confess, and he smirks, showcasing those gorgeous dimples.

"You can trust me, Fee. I promise."

"Can I though? Trust you," I ask him, but he doesn't answer. And instead, we just look at each other.

I spend the rest of the drive thinking back to just a few weeks ago. It's crazy how Noah and I went from practically hating each other to...well, this.

I'm ripped from my thoughts as soon as we turn into a parking lot. The neon sign on the brick building before us reads "Charleston Lanes".

"Bowling?" I ask. "That's your surprise?"

"Yup. What do you think?" Let's just say the last time I went bowling I averaged a 48 — with bumpers.

"Fun!" I say as convincingly as possible. It's not that I'm not excited, I just wasn't expecting this. To be honest, I was anticipating something more...romantic. Maybe a nice stroll on the boardwalk; some ice cream to follow. But, I really am excited. I'd go anywhere with Noah. In fact, I love that being with him forces me to do things that are either outside my comfort zone or something that I wouldn't normally think of doing.

"It's going to be fun. This is our first official date, so there's no way in hell that I'm letting tonight go to waste," he says, and my cheeks flush. "In fact, let's make a deal right here, right now, before we get out of this car. If I win — and I will win — it's your turn to show me a side of you that I've never seen before; tell me something that I don't know. But if you win, you get to ask me anything you want." Noah lends out his hand. "Deal?"

Ask Noah anything I want? That sounds like a dream.

I consider his proposal before agreeing. "Deal."

We walk inside the bowling alley and the entire room is dark. The only lights come from the glow-in-the-dark lanes that transmit neon colors. In the background, music beats from the local DJ that's bumping his fist in the air, and there's also a bar that's crowded with people who are chomping on nachos, fries, and beer.

We check in at the front desk, where the lady hands us a pair of bowling shoes and directs us to Lane 2.

"I should warn you," Noah says as he punches our names into the system, "I never lose." I'd like to warn him that I never win. Can someone please tell me what I was thinking when I agreed to this deal in the first place?