Some Loves (Some Hearts#2)

by Jolie, Meg

  The acrid scent of burning wood floated through the air. I closed my eyes and pulled in a deep breath. I loved the smell. It reminded me of so many other nights with Noah. The scent was pure summer; fun, barbecues, nights under the stars—

  “What are you doing?” he asked with a laugh. He squeezed my hand as he tugged me along the gravel road that led to the field.

  I opened my eyes and giggled at the questioning look on his face. “I’m reminiscing,” I admitted.

  “Hey, are Kira and Renee back in town yet?” Noah wondered.

  “Nope. Kira isn’t coming back but Renee should be here in a few days,” I said.

  “And Riley...?” he wondered.

  I shrugged. “She must be moved out of the dorms by now. I texted her to let her know about tonight but I haven’t heard back from her. Nothing new there.” Or at least, nothing new lately. In the past she never would’ve ignored me, or avoided me, the way she’d been doing lately.

  He frowned at me. “Things are kind of weird between you two, aren’t they?”

  “Yes,” I admitted. “And I’m not entirely sure why. I feel like I’ve done something wrong but I don’t know what.”

  “I wouldn’t worry too much about it,” Noah said. “You know I like Riley, but the girl can be moody as hell.”

  “Look whose here!” Drew said as he staggered toward us. He threw one arm around Noah, one around me. “I always knew you two would get your shit together.” He gave my back an awkward pat. “You should’ve seen this guy moping around.”

  “Drew,” Noah grumbled.

  Drew turned to me. “No, man, it’s true. You totally wrecked him. Didn’t she?” he asked as he turned back to Noah.

  “Yeah,” Noah agreed, probably because he knew it was the fastest way to get out of the conversation, “she did.”

  “But now everything is just A-okay,” Drew drunkenly surmised. He lifted his arm and messed up my hair. “And you have me to thank for that.”

  “Thank you, Drew,” I obediently replied. “It was so kind of you to drop Noah off at my house in the middle of the night.”

  He grinned at me. “You’re welcome.” Then his arms slid away from Noah and I as someone else caught his interest. “See you two lovebirds later,” he called over his shoulder.

  For the first hour or so we mingled with old friends. It was fun to see everyone again. Eventually, Noah pulled us away from the crowd.

  We moved closer to the fire and then Noah dropped down at the base of a tree. “Come on,” he patted the ground in front of him. I lowered myself down so that I rested between his legs. He tugged me backwards until I was resting tightly against his chest. His lips skimmed against my ear.

  “Just like old times,” he murmured.

  “I like old times,” I admitted.

  “Do you remember the first time we kissed?” Noah asked.

  “As if I could forget it,” I said. “I believe it was over there, somewhere.” I pointed vaguely in the direction.

  He had walked me to my car. I had ended up breaking my curfew by almost half an hour. It had been worth it though. I would remember that first kiss for the rest of my life.

  “Who would’ve thought aside for a bump in the road we’d still be together almost three years later?” Noah asked.

  A bump in the road. I hoped that was all it was and would ever be.

  ***

  Noah’s fingers rested inside of my back pocket. They gently massaged my backside through the denim of my jeans. It was just a small action, but bundled together with all of the other small touches, stolen kisses, and whispered promises; it was driving me a little mad. I’d had enough of the party, of the people. I wanted Noah all to myself. I wanted him to make good on those whispered words that had been fluttering around in my mind.

  I did not want to spend another minute at the party, listening to a drunken Drew reminisce about his promiscuity. Granted, some of the stories he had to tell left us rolling in laughter. But right now, I’d rather be rolling around in bed.

  With Noah.

  Preferably naked.

  And preferably soon.

  “Come on,” I said as I took him by the hand.

  He looked at me in surprise. The flickering flames danced across his face. The soft glow made him look delectable. “We’re leaving?”

  “Yes.” I turned to Drew. “This was fun. It was a great idea. We’ll see you later.”

  “Uh, okay,” Drew said. He didn’t look particularly bothered. Not when he had a girl under his arm that was unabashedly nibbling at his neck.

  “Later,” Noah said as he tipped his head toward Drew.

  I tugged him along before he could get tangled up in another conversation.

  “Where are we going?” Noah asked as I led the way back to my car.

  “Back to my house,” I said over my shoulder. The glow of the fire faded away as we reached the road. I slowed my pace, not wanting to trip on the gravel. “So that I can have my wicked way with you.”

  He stopped in the middle of the road and pulled me to him. It was nearly pitch black and now that we were away from the fire, I shivered. The noise from the party easily carried to us, mixing in with the sounds of crickets chirping.

  “You think so, huh?” he asked. His hands skimmed down my backside. He squeezed my behind, pulling me closer.

  “Yes. Do you realize that you’ve been driving me crazy?” His hands had been floating over me all night long. Just light, teasing touches. Nothing that would be inappropriate in front of a group of people but the touches were enough to leave me feeling very, very turned on. Every now and then he’d lean in and nibble at my neck or whisper in my ear.

  He leaned in to kiss me but I laughed and backed away.

  “Like I said, I’m taking you home. I want you all to myself.”

  He let out a little growl of frustration but didn’t protest.

  I hadn’t realized how far my house was from Drew’s. By the time we reached my front door, I felt like I couldn’t wait another second longer. Noah’s hands had continued to wander the whole way home. It had been a challenge to keep my attention completely on the road.

  I fumbled with my key, finally managing to open the front door. We tumbled inside, a hot mess of kissing and touching and tugging at clothes.

  We worked our way up the stairs to my bedroom, leaving a trail of clothing in our wake. I pushed Noah backward, guiding him toward the bed. We collapsed onto it.

  His hands slid up and down my body as he lowered himself down beside me. My fingers dug into his shoulders as his body slid against mine, teasing, taunting, not giving me nearly what I needed.

  Our tongues entwined in a slow caress. His fingers grazed over one breast, then the other. My nipples responded to his gentle touch and I couldn’t resist the urge to moan. He moved, pulling himself on top of me. His knee slid between mine, urging my legs apart. I complied but was left wanting more when he hovered above me, sliding against me but not giving me what I so desperately wanted and needed. His mouth left mine to search for the spot near my collarbone that always drove me crazy. My head fell back as I gave myself over to the sensation of Noah’s body pressing against me, his lips tasting me. His fingers slid into me, teasing me, as they slid out again. His hand slid up to my breast once more, cupping it, kneading it.

  His erection continued to slide against me, edging closer and I moaned impatiently. Usually I enjoyed Noah’s foreplay, but tonight, I was anxious to move things along.

  “Noah…I’ve been waiting all night for this,” I murmured as I pressed myself against him.

  “Funny,” he whispered back, “so have I.”

  My hand moved slowly over his body, across his back, skimming his waist, sliding down, until I found what I was searching for. He moaned against my collarbone as I gently stroked him, and then readjusted myself to easily guide him to where I needed him to go.

  When he slid into me, I arched up to meet him. The feel of him inside of me, filling me, stret
ching me, loving me…it was so intense I cried out from the immediate pleasure of it. My ache for him was so intense I could think of nothing else, only my need for him. As our bodies began moving together, the ache melted away into a feeling of pure bliss. I felt as though every cell of my body had flared to life. When I finally tumbled over the edge, he was right there with me, falling into a state of lust-filled, bone-melting oblivion.

  Small tremors continued to course through my body as Noah stilled above me. When he slowly withdrew, I felt the loss and I whimpered though a smile spread across my face. He quickly pressed a few kisses to my chest, then my neck, lastly to my forehead. Then he dropped onto his back beside me.

  He let out a satisfied groan as his head rolled to the side so he could look at me. I could barely make out his features in the dim glow of the streetlamp. I reached up, running my fingers across his cheek. He grabbed my hand, pressing a kiss onto the back of it.

  “Have I mentioned lately how much I love you?” he asked.

  I laughed lightly. “I think you have. But I swear I’ll never get tired of hearing it.”

  Chapter FIFTEEN

  I pulled the door of my favorite café open. I knew that Noah was here already. I was running a little bit late. I’d spotted his truck in the parking lot. When I walked in, I quickly scanned the room. I spotted him to my left.

  I skirted around several tables to reach the booth Noah was seated in. He glanced up as I approached. When I leaned in I pressed a loud, happy kiss to his cheek. Then I dropped into the seat across from him. I could feel that my face was lit up with a smile.

  “Someone is in a good mood,” he surmised. “I guess that means that appointment went well.”

  “It went great,” I agreed. “Sorry I’m running late. I should’ve known that doctors are always running behind. You got my text thought?”

  “Yeah, I did. So what did the doc have to say?”

  “Tyler was given the go ahead to participate in any sport he chooses. He’s also officially done with physical therapy. Well,” I amended that statement, “he still has exercises she wants him to work on at home. But he’s done with his appointments. He’s so excited.”

  “Looks like you are too,” Noah said with a smile.

  I nodded. “Now I finally feel like we can put that whole, horrible accident behind us.”

  Even though I could see his progress and I thought he was doing well, I had been concerned. I’d worried that I was missing something. When the doctor had praised Tyler for his hard work and told Aubrey and me that it had paid off, well, I could’ve just hugged her.

  “So where’s Ty now? Back at school.”

  “Yes, Aubrey brought him back to school,” I said. “Of course, he wanted to skip the rest of the day, but…,” I shrugged because that wasn’t going to happen. The elementary schools still ran for another two weeks. There was no reason he couldn’t go back to finish up the day.

  “Are you ready to order?”

  I glanced up at our waitress. I hadn’t seen her approaching. Noah gave me a questioning look. I hadn’t had a chance to skim the menu yet, but that was okay.

  “I’ll have a cheeseburger with fries and a root beer,” I said.

  “Same for me,” Noah added on. “Only instead of a root beer, I’ll have a chocolate malt.”

  She smiled and said, “I’ll be right back with your drinks.”

  I was so giddy, relieved and excited about Tyler’s appointment that it took me a few minutes to realize that Noah looked a little out of sorts. He was gazing out the window, the fingers of one hand restlessly tapping against the table. I reached over, stilling his hand with my own.

  He turned back toward me with a sheepish look on his face. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be. What’s wrong?”

  He glanced around the café. It was busy, right in the midst of the lunch rush. The droning of numerous conversations filled the air. He turned his attention back to me.

  “I know we had plans for tonight, but I think I’m going to have to cancel.”

  “Okay,” I said. I waited patiently for more of an explanation. It took him several long minutes to give me one. When he spoke, he sounded glum.

  “Dad wants to finish going through Grandma’s things tonight. My aunt and uncle already divided up what they wanted to keep.” I nodded because I’d been aware of that. “So pretty much anything that’s left needs to be boxed up and donated. Since Dad’s the only one around, it’s pretty much fallen on him. Anyhow, he wanted me and Leah to come over to see if there’s anything we want. Any keepsakes, things like that.”

  “Oh,” I said sympathetically. “That’s probably going to be kind of hard.”

  He nodded and sighed. “Yeah. Like I said, a lot of the stuff has already been sorted out. I haven’t been to her house since she passed on. It’s going to be strange, going there knowing she’s gone. But not only that, it’s going to be strange seeing her house half empty.”

  “I’m sure it will be,” I said softly.

  “On the other hand,” he said, “Dad’s been pushing this for awhile. I know he wants to get the rest of her things boxed up and donated. I feel like it’s been hanging over our heads for weeks. So I guess Leah and I just need to go and get it over with.”

  “That’s probably true.” Like ripping of a Band-aid.

  “I can’t believe they’re going to put her house on the market,” he said. “I mean, yeah, I get why. And I get that they need to because it’s stupid to just have it sit there, empty. But still, it’s hard to think of some family moving into it.”

  I winced because he was right. “Letting go can be really hard.” I couldn’t imagine anyone else living in that house either. But I was sure there would be soon enough.

  “Yeah,” he muttered.

  I glanced up when our waitress set my root beer and Noah’s malt on the table.

  “The rest of your order will be out shortly,” she said with a pleasant smile.

  “Thanks,” I said.

  Noah reached for his malt and took a big bite. He looked distracted again, not that I could blame him. The visit to Adelaide’s was obviously weighing heavily on him. I was tempted to offer to go with. I didn’t because I assumed if he wanted me there, he would ask. Besides, this was something that should probably be a family affair. I was sure that he and Leah would support each other.

  “So,” he finally said with a resigned shrug, “like I said I don’t think it’ll work for us to get together tonight.”

  “That’s not a problem,” I assured him.

  Our waitress returned and set our food on the table.

  “Anything else I can get you?” she asked.

  Noah shook his head.

  “We’re good,” I said as I forced a smile.

  She left and I returned my attention to Noah.

  “So what are you going to do tonight?” he asked.

  I reached for the ketchup and said, “No idea. Probably nothing. That might be nice for a change. I can tell you that it feels really nice to not have to worry about homework.”

  “Yeah it does,” he agreed.

  “You know, you could come over later tonight. If you feel like it,” I offered. I picked up a fry but the current conversation had dwindled my appetite.

  He shrugged noncommittally. “We’ll see. Leah mentioned doing something. I feel like I kind of should. I haven’t spent much time with her lately. If that’s okay?”

  “No, you should. I understand,” I said. Leah was in middle school. She and Noah weren’t all that close because their interests varied so immensely. But if Leah was asking to spend time with him, I thought that was a good thing.

  We both picked at our food for a while. It was finally Noah that broke the silence again.

  “Have you talked to Riley lately?”

  I frowned. “Not really. We texted for awhile yesterday but when I called her, she didn’t answer. I don’t know what she’s so busy with. Casey went home for the summer. I guess she could
be hanging out with Melanie. Or maybe Beth Ann.” Both were possibilities. What I did know was that she wasn’t spending any time with me. It was ironic, really, because the days she’d gotten so upset in the dorm room, I had thought she’d been upset with Melanie. Yet, I’d been the one she’d started to avoid.

  It made no sense to me.

  “Riley’s always been hard to figure out,” Noah said.

  As the conversation continued to shift away from Adelaide, Noah’s appetite seemed to increase. He ate his meal, then half of mine. By the time we’d finished, he seemed to be in a much better mood.

  “Any chance you’d want to go do something?” he asked.

  “I’d love to, but I can’t,” I said apologetically. “Aubrey opened the boutique after she dropped Tyler off. She knew we had lunch plans. But now that school is out, I told her I’d work more hours. She’s expecting me shortly.”

  “Tomorrow then?” he asked.

  I cringed.

  “You work tomorrow too?” he guessed.

  “I do. Actually, from now on, I’ll probably be working full time. You know that Aubrey only took over to help mom out. But I think she’s used to being a stay at home mom. She’s never complained about working while I’m in school, but to be honest, I think she’s anxious for me to take over for the summer.”

  “Oh, well, no problem then. Tomorrow night? Do you think you can pencil me into your busy life?” He winked at me, to let me know he was teasing.

  I rolled my eyes at him. “Yeah, I suppose I could do that.”

  ***

  When I got home that evening, I spent some time in Mom’s flower beds. I hadn’t planned on it, but as I drove up to the house, I realized how neglected they looked. I spent a few hours on my hands and knees weeding and bagging up the ensuing debris.

  I thought of Noah frequently as I worked. I hoped that he and Leah weren’t having too tough of a time. Leah had been close to Adelaide as well. I knew she was still struggling with the loss. It was good that she and Noah had plans for tonight. I thought they would probably both need it by the time they were done with their task.