“Tomorrow if those two can separate long enough for Cole to drive,” I deadpan and glance towards my room, wondering if it’s safe to go back inside yet.
“You gonna be okay being back on campus for a whole day without me?” he asks, his tone teasing but there’s an underlying seriousness behind it too.
My heart warms. I have no idea what I would have done if I didn’t have Noah by my side these past couple of weeks, and I’ll never be able to express how thankful I am to have him.
“I’ll be okay,” I whisper and look out over at the forest. Memories from when we were younger spring to mind and I smile. “You remember growing up here? How much closer we all were back then?”
There’s a smile in his voice when he replies, “How could I forget.”
I feel weirdly emotional as I think back on the past, and I decide it’s probably better for me to get away from the house for a little while before the entire Aston clan descends on me to see what’s wrong if I suddenly start bawling my eyes out for literally no reason whatsoever.
“Thanks for talking with me, I’m gonna go but I’ll see you back on campus, okay?”
“You gonna brave the noises?” he asks with a laugh, and I cringe at the thought.
“Nope, I’m gonna go for a walk and calm my mind a little.”
There are a few seconds of silence on the other end of the line, and I can imagine him sitting there worrying his bottom lip as he thinks of what to say.
“Are you sure that’s safe?”
No, I’m not.
I don’t say that though.
“It’ll be fine. He very informatively texted me when we were driving up here that he’s basically waiting back at campus for me, plus I won’t be going anywhere I don’t know.”
“Gracie…” he starts, his tone conflicted.
“It’ll be fine, Noah. And if it isn’t, you’ll be the first person I call, okay?”
He sighs. “You promise?”
“Promise.”
TWENTY-TWO
NOAH
Ishouldn’t be doing this.
It’s risky—too risky, considering I’m wandering the woods out back of the Aston property in the middle of the damn day wearing the mask and hoping like hell I run into Gracie.
I know this will have been where she was heading, and I have a pretty damn good idea of where I’ll find her.
She sounded nostalgic while we were on the phone, talking about when we were younger, and if there’s one place that sticks out of all the memories I have, it’s the river we used to hang out at, a mile or so from her house.
I slow my pace as I reach the opening in the trees that give me a view of the river, and my anticipation builds as I spot Gracie sitting on a log, staring down at the water.
Her hair blows with the slight breeze, and even though I can’t see her face, I know she’s no doubt wearing a contemplative look on her face. Her entire posture is relaxed, and I love seeing her like this.
She’s wearing leggings and a hoodie, completely at ease sitting out here on her own and it isn’t until I focus more on what she’s wearing that I realize she’s wearingmyhoodie.
It drowns her a little but fuck if it isn’t one of the hottest sights I’ve ever seen.
She’d been cold when I was walking her home from class last week and I all but forced her to wear it, refusing to let her take if off at the door to her building to give me it back and instead insisting that she keep it.
Seeing her in something of mine has my already half hard dick thickening and my need for her growing by the second.
