Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 116232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
“Great.” Theresa returned to the fridge and retrieved a bottle of white wine from one of the shelves on the door. “I think we all need one after the evening we’re having.”
“I’m sorry,” Noah announced, “but we can’t stay.”
She wasn’t fazed. She unscrewed the top of the bottle and began pouring a glass, but it became clear it was only for her. “All right,” she said. “Then you’ll have to bring her by for dinner.” She took a sip of her wine while her gaze slid to me. “I’d love to get to know this girl who’s convinced my son to clean.”
“Yeah, sure.” He looked pained. “Maybe some other time.”
She didn’t act offended at his attempt to brush her off.
“You going to pour a glass for me?” Gabe asked his wife.
“You’re not supposed to.”
He groaned. “Oh, stop it with that. It’s one glass.”
She turned to her son and her expression screamed, see what I have to deal with?
Noah straightened. “I think we’re going to head out.”
“You sure you can’t stay?” Theresa asked.
“No, thanks. As much fun as Charlotte and I have had, this wasn’t part of the plan for tonight.” He motioned to the doorway, asking me to start moving in that direction.
“Nice meeting you,” I eked out before going.
“Oh, you too,” his mother called back.
The goodbyes were quick, and we hurried down the front porch, and I didn’t feel like I could relax until I was in the passenger seat of Noah’s car, safely closed inside. It wasn’t the same for him, though. Tension gripped his shoulders tightly as he started the engine.
“Are you okay?” I asked softly.
“Yeah.” His answer came so quickly, it was a knee-jerk response, and he sighed. “It was fucking rough seeing my dad like that, all incapacitated. And you know what’s even worse? He was pissed I was there. He didn’t know my mom had called and asked for help.” His tone was bitter. “He was adamant he would have been able to get up on his own eventually, that he only ‘needed another minute.’ Never mind he’d been lying on the shower floor for twenty minutes already.”
It wasn’t my place, but I said it anyway because Gabe had been utterly silent when we’d left. “Did he thank you for your help?”
“Nope, he sure didn’t.” He set his hands on the steering wheel but didn’t put the car in gear. Maybe he needed another moment to collect his thoughts.
“I’m sure it’s hard,” I said, “for you and them. You should all give each other some grace.”
He turned to look at me, and I half expected him to tell me to be quiet or that I didn’t know what I was talking about, but there was only surprise in his eyes. He wore the same expression he’d had in the kitchen when I’d asked for his help with the dishes.
“They were kind of prickly to you.”
I pulled my mouth into a lopsided smile. “They were fine, and I’m giving them some grace too.”
He finally put the car in reverse and began to back down the driveway. “Careful. That doesn’t really sound like something a spoiled brat would say.”
I shrugged and matched his playful tone. “Maybe I’m starting to outgrow that.” I swallowed a breath. “I noticed you didn’t correct your mom when she called me your girlfriend.” I said it as a joke, even though I was completely serious. “I thought we were just friends.”
He finished backing into the street, and as he put the car into drive, he glanced over to me. His, and his expression made my heart stumble and beat faster.
“Maybe,” he said, “we’ve outgrown that too.”
TWENTY-SEVEN
Noah
It didn’t make any sense that I’d been sort of excited to introduce Charlotte to my parents, and the only thing that had given me pause was I knew how messy their house was going to be.
Not that it was a bad fucking idea to bring her along.
But it was too late now.
It was done, and honestly, I wasn’t unhappy about how it had gone. Sure, my dad hearing her say she wanted to sit on my face was less than ideal, but at least the cat was out of the bag with my folks. They knew I was dating someone, and that someone was quite a bit younger than I was.
I was glad Charlotte and I had decided to put a label on it.
My girlfriend seemed happy about that too. She was practically radiating in the passenger seat of my car as I pulled into my garage. We didn’t talk as we got out and made our way to the door to the house. I pushed it open for her, slapped a hand on the button to close the overhead door, and followed her inside.
I didn’t bother turning on the lights. We stood in the small, dark hallway that led to my kitchen, toeing off our shoes, and as soon as that was done, I was on her. My mouth slammed into hers, and my hands seized her waist, and when she sighed into me, warm satisfaction spread through my chest.