“I see it,” I tell him, feeling excited.
“We’re going on it.”
“You like insane rides?”
“I live for them,” he says.
“I do too.” I pull him this time, moving faster toward the carnival because my excitement is raging through me.
What an adequately placed distraction this carnival is … it’s almost as if this is a total coincidence.
Almost.
Chapter 13
In hindsightisthe worst saying in the world. Basically, if we could put ourselves back in time, we would have done something differently. Like, I would have read the fine print on those damn papers Bradley sent me.
I have a suspicion that I will be saying the words “In hindsight” again. I should have been more intuitive when it comes to the desire Noah seems to have to be my friend. He doesn’t know a whole lot about me, certainly not enough to risk his reputation at the restaurant. He has a way with his words, and I was smoothed over quickly enough to get excited about a carnival of all things, but as we walk closer to the entrance gates, I replay his response about possibly living in one of the villas.
“Noah,” I say, stopping him before we purchase tickets. “I need to know if you live in one of those villas.”
“Why does it matter?” he asks, giving me an endearing glance.
“It matters to me. I’ve been living there just a few days, and I—”Tenants are prohibited from discussing any part of the social research occurring within the community.“I think it’s too soon to be spending time like this with a neighbor. I still need to figure things out with the men living in the community.” But, not too soon to be getting dinner and a tour from my new boss. I totally sound like an idiot.
“I want to level with you,” Noah says, gently tugging me to the side of the gate. “I’m a firm believer in connecting with like-minded people. Therefore, I don’t see the harm in wanting to learn more about you.” I’m not sure how we’re like-minded, but I’ll take that as a compliment since he’s twenty times more successful than I am. However, I can’t forget why I’m apprehensive about this situation.
“I’m currently undergoing some trust issues, and on top of that, I’m starting over down here in Georgia.”
“How about this ... I have no expectations. If I bore you, you can end the tour early. Fair?”
“I wasn’t insinuating that you might bore me,” I correct him.
“Just putting it out there,” he says, smirking for good measure. “Let me be a friend. Friends can go on rides together, right?”
“Is this really how a friendship starts?” I question him.
“Only the best kind, Miss Ashley.”
I’m not surprised when Noah assumes my mind is at ease. I might be good at hiding what I’m feeling inside. However, I’m not exactly sure what I’m feeling. There are so many things occurring at once, and I feel overwhelmed.
Before I can gather any more thoughts on the situation, Noah is pulling me through the gates and toward the roller coaster. “You’re not going to chicken out on me now, are you?” he asks.
“No way, let’s do it.” This ride looks monstrous, and I haven’t been to an amusement park or a carnival in years.
The line is short, but as we wait between the metal rails, Noah leans back, resting his elbows along the side. “Favorite hobby?” he asks.
The way he looks at me makes me feel like he’s genuinely interested to hear what I have to say. Most of the men I’ve dated or hung around with have made me feel like they’re asking questions just to set up their turn to talk about themselves after I finish responding. Noah isn’t the same way.
“Running. I suck at it, so I keep trying to challenge myself,” I tell Noah.
He seems surprised by the way his dark eyebrows knit together. “How can you suck at running?”
I flap my hand into the air. “Eh, I’ve had asthma my whole life. It kept me from participating in activities when I was a kid, so I’ve spent most of my adult life trying to combat it.”
“That’s incredible. How fast are your miles?” Maybe he runs too. Usually, only runners will ask that question, although he’s a Marine, so he probably has spent time running miles.
“For the most part, I hover between seven and seven-and-a-half minutes.”
