by Judy Corry
I'd tried to call and text him several times already, but all I got was his voicemail and a bunch of silence.
"I'm going to take some time to think this over. Let's talk again tomorrow, okay?" My dad lifted the doors again and started walking down the hall.
That conversation had gone surprisingly well. Maybe my dad wasn't a tyrant after all.
But just before he turned the corner, he swiveled back and said, "But I'm still serious about you volunteering at the Vincenzo's. You can't be too careful these days."
I'd hoped that Noah was maybe just busy doing things with his family all day on Saturday to respond to my messages, but when I still hadn't heard back from him on Sunday, I started to get worried.
Maybe my dad had really scared him off for good.
Or maybe Easton was right, and I had just been one of Noah's weekend flings.
I tried to keep myself busy doing all the homework I'd neglected this week while hanging out with Noah. But I could only distract myself so much.
By the time Sunday evening rolled around, I was desperate. Was he okay? When I looked at the messages I'd sent him, they still just showed up as "sent" and not "read." Had he gotten in an accident on the way home from my house?
I knocked on Easton's door, even though I was still really mad at him for what he'd said.
"Have you heard from Noah since Friday?" I asked.
"No." He looked up from his Physics book. "But doesn't he talk to you more these days, anyway?"
I rolled my eyes. "Stop being such a drama queen, Easton."
"Well, instead of asking to sleep in his best friend's room while he was homeless, he snuck into my sister's closet. I'd say that warrants a little drama."
I wanted to kick him. He was so moody these days.
"Can you text him and see if he's okay? I just want to make sure he didn't get in a car accident or something."
Easton sighed in annoyance, like I was asking him to re-arrange the planets or something. "Fine. I'll text him."
"Thank you."
34
Noah
"Can you please pass the rolls, Noah?" Tracey, my stepmom, asked Sunday evening as we all sat around the big dining room table. Dad, Tracey, Mom, Mason, Paige, Brielle, and me. It was one of the weirdest family dynamics you could probably get, but strangely, over the past two days, I'd never felt more at home.
It had taken me a lot of humility to show up at my dad's house late Friday night, and I'd been ninety percent sure that he'd send me away. Instead, he'd welcomed me into his home with open arms and we had one of the best conversations we'd ever had in years.
I wasn't going to pretend like things were perfect between us, but we had finally broken down the wall of miscommunication and promised to try harder to have a better relationship. And the fact that he and Tracey had opened their house to my mom, Brielle, and me wasn't hurting my feelings toward them, either.
"Is it okay if I sleep in Paige's room tonight, Mom?" Brielle asked with her mouth full of roast beef.
My mom looked briefly to Tracey as if to ask whether that was okay. Tracey gave her a nod of approval and my mom turned back to Brielle. "I think that sounds like fun. But make sure you don't stay awake all night because you still have school tomorrow."
Brielle groaned. "Can't I stay home?"
My mom gave her a small smile. "I think it will be good to get things back to normal."
Brielle pouted in her seat, but she said, "Okay." It only took her a few seconds, though, to start chatting excitedly to Paige about all the fun things they were going to do for their "sleepover" tonight, and it was fun to see Brielle happy amidst all the crazy that was happening in our family.
The police had found Paul when he'd gone home early Saturday morning and he was now in their custody. I had no idea what the law would be able to do with him, but my mom was finally pressing charges and realizing she deserved to be treated with respect and love. And though I hated that she had to come to the realization this way, I was just glad we were finally going to be able to put the pain and abuse in the past. My mom's body still had a lot of healing to do, but the doctors had a positive outlook for her and doubted there'd be any residual effects from Friday night.
After dinner, I went up to the room that I currently called my own and finally turned on my phone. I had decided to take a break from the rest of the world over the past couple of days, needing to focus on my family. But if Brielle was going to school tomorrow, it probably meant my mom would expect me to go there as well. And it would be good to find out if Mr. Stevens was going to get a restraining order put on me before I tried to approach either of his children again.
I hated the thought of not being able to spend time with Lexi or Easton again, but after seeing how mad their dad had been on Friday night, I wouldn't put it past him to take away their college funding if they ever came within ten feet of me.
My phone powered up, and after a few seconds, it started chiming like crazy. By the time it had finished loading all my missed phone calls and text messages, it showed that I'd missed three phone calls from Lexi and twelve text messages from her.
I opened my text folder and read what she'd written me.
Lexi: Was everything okay with your sister?
Lexi: My dad is so stupid. Don't listen to any of those horrible things he said to you.
Lexi: I'm going to call you.
Lexi: Why aren't you answering?
Lexi: Did I do something wrong?
Lexi: I'm really sorry, Noah.
Lexi: Do you hate me now?
Lexi: Me and my dad don't share the same feelings about you.
Lexi: Am I just fooling myself with you? Was it really a fling like Easton said?
Lexi: Am I really that bad of a kisser?
Lexi: Are you okay?
Lexi: I understand if you don't want to talk to me anymore. But please just let me know that you made it home okay. I'm worried about you.
A text from Easton came through just as I finished reading Lexi's texts.
Easton: Is everything okay? Lexi's worried. She's starting to think you either hate her or that you died in a car accident.
I laughed. Lexi was awesome.
Noah: Tell her I'm okay now. Just been dealing with family stuff.
Easton: Anything I can help with?
Noah: We're okay now. Staying with my dad for a while.
35
Lexi
Easton stepped into my room a few minutes later. "Noah is alive."
I sighed, relieved that he was okay. "Did he say anything else?"
"He said he's dealing with some family stuff right now. When I asked if he needed anything, he said he didn't."
I nodded. "Thanks for texting him."
Easton nodded then sulked back down the hall.
Noah was okay. But for some reason, he wasn't responding back to me. I tried not to be too sad about it. Easton must've been right after all. I was just a convenient target for Noah to make-out with when he wanted something to distract him, nothing more.
I tried not to feel my heart ripping apart inside of me at the thought; instead, I decided I might as well go to bed and not sit here waiting for nothing.
I was washing my face when my phone beeped. When I checked the screen, my heart stuttered in my chest.
It was a message from Noah.
Noah: Meet me outside by your window.
I walked out into the dining room as calmly as I could. My dad was sitting at the kitchen table going through some paperwork.
"Did you check the mail today?" I asked him, hoping that he hadn't.
He frowned and shook his head. "It's Sunday. They don't deliver the mail on Sunday."
"Actually, they do now. I'm just going to go check it."
"Expecting a package?" My dad narrowed his gaze and I worried I might have tipped him off.
I shrugged and tried to keep my face neutral and unconcerned. I knew I shouldn't be sneaking around, especially after our conversat
ion yesterday. But I just needed a few minutes with Noah to talk about things before my dad was hovering over us.
That was to say, if this conversation went well...
"Juliette was going to send me something. And I could use a little fresh air, anyway."
My dad nodded and pointed to the counter. "My keys are right there."
"Thanks."
I walked as calmly as I could to the entryway and put on my coat, though I wanted to hurry. Once out the front door, I peeked into the lit living room windows to make sure Dad wasn't watching me from the slits in the blinds. The window was empty, so I sprinted to the side of the house where Noah had told me to meet him.
I'd just turned the corner when a hand shot out in the moonlight, grabbing me and pushing me against the side of the house.
I almost screamed before I saw it was just Noah. And before I knew what was happening, he was pressing his body against mine and kissing me like he hadn't seen me in years. My breath came in short bursts as I met his lips with the same enthusiasm.
I broke away and gasped for air. "I guess this means you don't hate me then?"
He shook his head. "Never." And then he kissed me again. We kissed for a minute longer before eventually pulling away, both of our chests heaving from the passion and the cold night air.
He cleared his throat. "Sorry I didn't text or call you back. I figured it would be better for me to do this in person."
I grinned. "I don't think that greeting would've been nearly the same through the phone."
"Definitely not." His eyes sparkled in the moonlight, and I loved that I was the reason for this vibrancy in him. "So are you grounded for life?"
"Well, I don't have any doors in my room right now. And I have to volunteer to help with the twins down the road for the next week."
"Wow, your dad doesn't mess around, does he?"
I shook my head. "Nope."
"Do you want me to talk to him? Tell him why you let me sleep in your room?"
"He already knows. He called your dad Friday night."
"So does that mean you already know what happened?
I furrowed my brow. "No? Did something bad happen?"
His expression darkened, and I didn't know if I wanted to hear the answer. Then he said, "Paul apparently didn't get the promotion and took it out on my mom."
"He did? Is she okay? What happened?"
He covered his eyes for a brief moment before looking back at me. "It was pretty bad. I had to rush her to the emergency room and she had a few broken ribs and bruises all over."
"Is she going to be okay?" No wonder he hadn't called or texted me back. It sounded like he'd been through way more than anyone should ever have to go through in just one night. First, my dad kicked him out of my house, and then he went home to find that? How was he even standing upright this minute? I'd probably be crumpled up in a ball on the floor if that had happened to me.
"Things will be okay and she's pressing charges this time. We're actually staying at my dad’s house right now. It's kind of weird having us all under the same roof."
"I bet."
He shrugged. "I mean, my mom hated my dad about as much as I did for what he did to us. Hated Tracey too. But it seems like this whole experience has actually been good in a way. Don't get me wrong, it was terrible that this happened to my mom, and I wish it never had, but the dynamics of my family are better than they've been since before the divorce."
I touched his arm, rubbing the soft leather of his letterman jacket. "That's good that you and your family are doing better. I hope things continue to improve."
He nodded. "Me too." Then he looked to the side. "Anyway, I better let you get back in there. I don't want to get you in any more trouble than I already have."
"Actually, do you have a minute?"
He looked wary. "Yeah, why?"
I slipped my hand into his and squeezed it. "I had a good conversation with my dad yesterday, and I think it might be a good idea for us both to go talk to him right now."
He swallowed. "You do?"
I smiled, hoping to reassure him. "He's not as mad as he was on Friday, I promise."
"I would hope not, because I kind of saw my life flash before my eyes when he dragged me out of your room."
"Me too," I agreed. "Anyway, sneaking around is probably about the worst thing that I can do right now if I want my dad to ever trust me again. So how about we go talk to him together and see if we can convince him to let us hang out without it feeling wrong?"
"You promise he's not going to come after me with his shotgun?"
I smiled. "It's locked in the safe. You'll have a full minute's warning before you're in danger."
"How reassuring," he said, dryly.
"Well, I don't want to give you any false hope." I winked then pulled him to the front of the house.
36
Noah
I nearly crapped my pants when Lexi first dragged me into her kitchen to talk with her dad. I'd always been afraid of the man but walking into the house holding his daughter's hand was probably the scariest thing I'd ever done in my life.
"Dad, can we talk to you?" Lexi asked.
I didn't miss the grimace on Mr. Stevens' face when he saw me, but he smoothed his expression and said, "Sure."
My legs wobbled as we took the two seats across from him.
"In honor of being upfront and transparent in everything I do, I wanted you to know that I didn't go to get the mail. I went to get Noah."
Mr. Stevens' eyes narrowed. "Sneaking around again already?"
Lexi smiled, and I had no idea how she was so calm right now. I was practically shaking in my snow boots.
"Well, I wanted to find out if he was going to dump me or not first." She shot me a quick smile.
I give her hand a brief squeeze then addressed her dad. "I promise I have the best intentions where your daughter is concerned. And I know I'm probably the last person you want to see right now, but I just wanted to start off by asking for your forgiveness."
I had been ready to sputter all kinds of apologies that I'd practiced over the past two days, but Mr. Stevens nodded and said, "It's okay, Noah. And I'm sorry for my behavior the other night. I've had time to cool down, and your dad called me again last night to give me all of the facts."
"He did?" I asked.
He nodded. "I was too quick to judge and I'm sorry for that. It seems that I have not quite reached perfection yet, either."
A small laugh escaped Lexi's lips. She covered her mouth with her hand. I was worried he'd get mad at her for being disrespectful or something, but when I glanced at him, his eyes crinkled at the corners—he was indeed joking.
"Does that mean I have permission to spend time with Noah again?" Lexi asked.
My heart pounded as I waited for Mr. Stevens’ answer. I hadn't really expected her to just come out and ask right here and now—I figured we'd slow our way into it. But apparently, Lexi was the kind of girl to jump in with both feet and keep running.
"You can see each other only during school hours for the next week. Once you have finished your service to Mrs. Vincenzo, we'll take things slowly."
"Can Noah drive me to school?"
Mr. Stevens shook his head. "You will ride with Easton to and from school for the next week."
"Are we ever going to be together without a chaperone?"
"Once you've proven yourself trustworthy again, then most likely yes."
Lexi slumped back in her chair and groaned.
I cleared my throat. "I'm sure you have certain rules that will help us prove trustworthy again."
Mr. Stevens smiled and nodded. A smile was good, right? He'd probably been curating some sort of list for many years in preparation for a day like this.
He turned to Lexi with a stern expression. "My first rule is that Noah is not allowed inside our house unless either Easton or myself are home."
Lexi and I both nodded obediently. He raised a second finger in the air. "The next rule i
s that you, Noah, will, under no circumstances, ever enter her bedroom. And if you ever defile my daughter in any way, I will not hesitate to turn you in to the police. You're eighteen and Lexi is still a minor, so I hope I'm not being stupid in allowing this in the first place."
I gulped and felt the blood drain from my face. "I completely understand. I wouldn't want to do that to Lexi anyway." He was not messing around.
He raised his eyebrows. "That's good to hear, son."
He then told us about her curfew and other embarrassing things, like how there would be no kissing in cars or while lying down.
Once he was done, he looked at me with a gaze that made me think he might somehow be able to see into my brain. "Do you think you can abide by those rules?"
"Yes,” I said. “Those sound very reasonable."
Lexi reached for my hand under the table. "I'm kind of mortified right now. But yes, I'll follow those rules."
Her dad smiled, appeased. "Great, because believe it or not, I'm kind of looking forward to paying for you to go to Yale."
"Are you sure you're still interested in dating me after all of that?" Lexi followed me out onto the front porch after our awkward conversation with her dad.
I rubbed behind my neck. "I don't know. That's a lot of rules."
Her eyes went wide before she stared down at her shoes. "I understand. My dad is pretty paranoid."
I lifted her chin in my hands, forcing her to look me in the eyes. "I was just joking, Lexi. Do I like all those rules? No." I most definitely didn't like them all. "But do I understand them? Yes."
"I really do understand if you want to back out now. I mean, I probably wouldn't want to worry about so many rules, and I can't believe my dad threatened to call the police on you if something were to happen. Which it's not. Not that you would even want it to in the first place." She was speaking so quickly I could barely understand her.
I put my finger on her lips to quiet her down. "Lexi. It's okay. I want to date you. Your dad could add another ten rules to the list, and I would still want to be with you."