“Oh, yeah, sure.” He cleared his throat and hastily followed me past the shelves with candy bars and magazines to the tills.
“Coming, Noah?” I prompted him again when he stopped in front of a cover that showed Scotland’s most famous folk export.
“Yeah.” Noah hastened to get his stuff out of the trolley. “I just saw Conall White on that cover.”
“Oh yeah, you like his music?” I asked.
“I’m more of a Juna Lux kind of guy.” Noah shrugged. “But he’s good, of course.”
“You’re into Juna Lux’s music?” Her music was my guilty pleasure.
“I listened to 'Neon Chapel’ about 173 times during my travels here. Her lyrics justgetme.”
“That’s my favourite song of hers,” I admitted.
Noah nudged me with his elbow. “You’re just saying that.”
“No, I’m not. I love it.”
We queued at the checkout and I let Noah only grab a few of the groceries before stopping him.
Seeing tears sparkle in his eyes when he saw his total ended me.
He packed his shopping back into the cart with shaking fingers and averted his eyes. All the way to the car he kept quiet andthen tracked the raindrops running down the car window as if he could will them to stop.
I didn’t start the engine once we’d buckled in but turned to look at him.
“Noah?”
“Yes?” His breathing sped up, and it cost me every single ounce of self-restraint not to pull him into a hug.
“I know we haven’t been, I mean for the last ten years, we haven’t .… But we used to be friends, and I can’t pretend not to notice. Can you tell me what’s going on?”
“What do you mean? Nothing’s going on,” he lied with his gaze fixed on his hands.
“With your family? And your job? Are you struggling financially?”
“Why do you think that? I’m not.” The words tumbled out way too fast to be believable and a dark blush crept up his neck.
“I know I have no right to ask you these questions. I’m sorry. But I know what I saw. You almost bawled when the cashier rang up your shopping. Your parents aren’t around. They let you stay in a shack, and they didn’t even keep warm clothes for you?” My voice had dropped dangerously low until it was barely a snarl. He raised his eyes and something softened in them.
“They’re busy.”And you’re not important enough for them to care?
They weren’t busy; they were fucking assholes!
“I’m an adult. I can manage.” Noah sounded like a child arguing over bedtime, and he must’ve realised because his eyes left me again.
“I never said you couldn’t.” My paw briefly rested on his arm. For a moment I wanted to give in. I wanted to be weak and ask him for a hug, a kiss, or a fuck in the backseat.
I’m not picky. Whatever morsel he wants to give me, I’ll take it.
“It’s just … if you need anything, let me know, will you?” I said.
“Yeah sure. Thanks.” I knew he didn’t mean it and he would call me only if hell froze over, but he had no idea how stubborn this tiger could be.
I contemplated him for a moment, then I started the engine of my truck and palmed the steering wheel. The look I gave him before driving out of the car park was solemn.
Noah wasn’t used to being cared for. I would change that.
