“Put a sock on the knob next time,” that Midwestern accent comments.
Noah meets my eyes, joy blending with an air of sadness shining through as he smiles. He stands and greets Nick and Ashton, who take up way too much space standing in the small entryway.
Noah offers his hand to me, and I take it as he helps me off the couch. I’m still feeling a little weak, so I reason with myself. If I don’t want to fall over, I should lean into Noah’s side. For support. That’s all. Not because even though I have no idea why, I like the feel of his hand in mine. Even if it freaks me out a little.
Okay, a lot.
It’s like my body and soul recognize him, but my brain hasn’t caught up yet.
I need a dose of comfort. “You’re back!” I slowly slip my hand from Noah’s and walk across the room to greet Ashton. He givesme a weird look, but I think he reads the storm of confusion raging behind my eyes.
After I take a grocery bag from Ashton’s hand, I dare to glance back at Noah, knowing that the abrupt exit must have hurt him. He wears a tight smile, and a sinking feeling swirls in my stomach. I don’t want to hurt Noah, but I need a moment to sit with his existence in front of me and process.
Noah, however, casually strolls toward us and introduces me. “Nick, this is the woman who decided it would be a fun time to forget me.” His eyes crinkle in the corners as he grins wider, but there’s still something dark swimming underneath his expression. “And she still doesn't remember everything, but she remembers my heart-melting smile.”
Ashton rolls his eyes as Nick sighs dramatically before responding. “How fortunate. I saw Windsor when I took Ashton out to Safeway. She didn’t even look at me. She actively stuck that little nose in the air and walked right on by.”
“It was quite funny,” Ashton comments, holding one handful of groceries since I took one bag from him in a hasty action to make it seem like I rushed to help Ashton instead of taking a breather from the intensity that is Noah Prewitt. “She acted like he didn’t even exist.”
Nick shrugs. “I don’tlikeher anyway. It’s just fun to rile her up.”
Noah snorts. “Whatever you say, buddy.”
“Windsor?” I ask. “That’s her name?”
Nick grins, tilting his head. “It’s my name for the Princess of Crescent Cove.”
I narrow my eyes in confusion, but Nick doesn’t offer to elaborate, obviously lost in some sort of vision of said princess.
Once the guys come inside and put away the groceries, Nick sets to work cooking some kind of secret dish he says we’ll love while Ashton, Noah, and I sit around the campfire in Nick’sbackyard. I’m a wallflower while the guys talk, but I’m enjoying seeing Ashton’s pure elation at being with his twin again. It’s as if a weight has crumbled from Ashton’s shoulders.
I was wrong earlier when I thought I hadn’t slept long after passing out from the overwhelming sensation of that stupid montage that didn’t help me remember much of anything. I had slept for four hours while Ashton and Noah caught up. It’s ten at night here, but the sun says it could be five in the evening with how brightly it’s shining since the clouds have disappeared.
Part of me wants to continually stare at the blue sky. It moves differently here, creating the illusion that I’m standing on the edge of the world.
But Noah is real, and I can’t rip my eyes away from him as he laughs at something Ashton says. I’ll never read my book the same way again, and there are so many new layers and depths I want to add to the story and to Noah’s character. The way he masks his deep-seated sadness with humor. The way he’s been avoiding talking about anything too heavy with Ashton. I think he’s trying to protect me, but I wish he’d just open up. I’m the last person who would judge him. Or maybe he thinks I’ll beat myself up if he starts to talk about just how much my memory loss impacted him.
I can’t deny he’s right about that, but I still wish he wouldn’t tiptoe around me with humor and flirty comments.
It’s our specialty,fictional Noah states.
“And then Branda took off her heel and threw it at me.” Ashton laughs as he finishes telling Noah a story about yet another time Branda got peeved at him at the office.
Noah laughs, shaking his head. His curls bounce, and I want to run my fingers through them to see if they feel as silky and smooth as I wrote them. “Don’t worry,” Noah says. “I’ll get her back for you when we get home.”
“So, you’re coming back?” Ashton’s voice quivers lightly as he casts his gaze down.
“I honestly was planning to come back at the end of the month.” Noah, apparently reading the raging emotions in Ashton’s eyes, just as I did, stands and walks around the fire to where Ashton sits on a log. Ashton stands, and the brothers hug. Tears spring to my eyes, and I can’t help but smile at the wholesome picture in front of me. From over Noah’s shoulder, Ashton mouths, “Thank you.”
I give him a nod as I wipe a tear from my cheek.
“Man, Noah,” Ashton says after a beat of silence where we listened to the crackling fire while they embraced. They pull apart, beating each other on the back like men do. “I haven’t seen you this happy and light in months.”
“Haven’t seen him at all in a couple of months,” I helpfully remind Ashton with a smirk. Noah turns around and meanders back to sit on the wooden bench beside me.
Ashton grimaces, which matches Noah’s current expression perfectly.
Not the right thing to say, Esme.
