Page 93 of The Addict

Everything stopped.

It was Serenity Thorne: the most shy, beautiful, and kind girl that I had ever met at school. She wasn’t going to school with me—no way, she was too good for that. Serenity was employed through several of the colleges in the area and worked as a teacher’s assistant in my business management course. I didn’t really know what that job title meant, but I guessed it was her part time job, or maybe something she did for fun. She was so intelligent, especially when it came to running a successful business plan. She was the only reason I was surviving that class, to be honest.

Her family, the Thorne’s, were literally famous for their wealthy businesses. Her dad, Jace Thorne, was on every billboard on the highway. He was “the face of money” as many called him. Her older brother, well, I guess technically cousin, was weird as hell. Silas was constantly hovering over her.

I admired Serenity so much. Not just because she graduated from high school two years early even though we were the same age, but how she treated everyone as equals, even an idiot like me. This mentality and purity of heart drew me to her like a magnet.

Outside of Noah, I didn’t have many friends. I remembered the day I was sitting alone in the food court after class when she came up to me. I was shocked to see her that close, because I never drew attention to myself in her class. I just didn’t want her to know how dumb I actually was.

“May I sit with you?” She asked, her eyes not meeting mine.

I blinked, my fork clattering to the ground as my hand turned to jelly. “S-Sure!” I exclaimed, trying to cover my major slip up with a grin.

She sat down across from me, lunch in hand. She blushed. “Your friends won’t mind me, will they? Sitting with an assistant?”

I laughed and rubbed the back of my head. “I- uh, don’t really sit with...anyone...”

“Oh.” She smiled and I didn’t breathe. “Okay.”

She sat with me almost every day after that.

We never really talked much. Just having her there was special. Just being able to look at her and know that she wanted to sit by me made my heart beat crazy. I had been trying to build up the nerve to ask her out, or something like that, but it just hadn’t happened yet.

She turned and spotted me, waving.

I grinned back at her, preparing to walk over to where she sat and make my move, when I realized something.

I was already on a date.

And holding another man’s hand.

A chill rushed up my whole body when Serenity’s facial expression faltered. She looked from Noah and then back to me, her hand suspended in mid-wave, her eyes lowering.

I desperately tried to jerk my hand away from Noah’s, seeing Serenity smile weakly before turning away.

GREAT. Now she thinks I’m gay and taken. This is what I get for helping my best friend.

“What’s your problem?” Noah asked, finally releasing my hand.

A little too late, I thought sadly.

I clenched my fist, knowing that there was nothing I could do about it now. I figured my chances with Serenity were slim anyway, so this should be no major blow to me. Still, I was upset at how she saw me just then.

“Nothing, but just know,” I pointed a finger in Noah’s face before taking his hand once again. “This movie better be GREAT, and you owe me a lifetime of servitude.”

Noah smirked, completely unaware of my plight. “Whatever you say.”

NOAH

Iwas smiling to myself at Alex’s brazen new mood when Chelsea strutted up and grabbed my hand.

“Come with me. I want you to meet someone.”

Alex frowned but I just pulled him along as well, tagging behind Chelsea as she swiftly weaved in and out through the large crowds of people. She was searching.

“Your friend?” I asked and she nodded.

“Yeah, I can’t wait to see her expression when she sees you. She doesn’t know you’re here. It’s a surprise.” Chelsea laughed and her eyes brightened. “There,” she pointed. “She’s over there.”