Noah (22 page)
Authors: Elizabeth Reyes
Noah threw the phone back in
his bag
and closed the door. “Just keep your mouth shut around her and we should be good.”
They walked back out to the gym. Noah was determined to make it through the rest of the day without obsessing over Roni.
Since Veronica had started working out at
5th Street
the gym seemed to have picked up more members. The place was a lot busier these days. She often had to park out on the street
like she
di
d tonight because the small parking lot that once had plenty of parking was always full now. Noah said it
had everything to do
their boxer friend who once trained here
. He’d been doing a lot
of
plugging
for
the gym lately in
television and radio
interviews.
She hurried in a little earlier than usual. Before last night she hadn’t even planned on getting a Christmas tree but after deciding she needed to get
back
to
her
old self, getting a tree seemed like
a
normal
thing to do.
Something she normally would’ve done weeks ago.
Before her mother got sick,
the holidays had been the best time of the year for her. This was it. She was determined to get back to normal. So tonight, she was cutting her workout short and leaving early to buy a tree.
Her heart sped up when her eyes met Noah’s as she walked in. He smiled but there was something cautious about his smile. She thought about his call. He was probably still worried about last night. She almost called him back but decided that would be making too big a deal about
their little exchange
and that’s the last thing she wanted.
“Hey,” Noah still wore his boxing gloves. “You’re early.”
“Yeah, I need to get out of here early tonight.”
He’d started taking off his gloves but stopped and stared at her. “Oh yeah? You have plans
tonight
?
”
She dropped her gym bag on the floor and began to stretch. “Yep.”
She knew he was probably thinking something social not a pathetic solo
tree-shopping
trip so she let him think that instead of admitting the truth.
Unfortunately,
he kept on.
“With who?”
She came up from her bent position and pulled her leg up from behind her holding her foot with her hand. “I have a date.” She grinned.
Not surprisingly, his eyes opened wide. Of course he’d be shocked but he’d find out the truth soon enough so she added with a shrug, “with a tree.”
His shocked expression turned into a confused one. “A tree?”
“Yeah,”
s
he nodded
smil
ing
. “I’m getting my Christmas tree tonight.
I wanna have enough time to get home and decorate it tonight. Christmas is just around the corner.
”
Noah started working on removing his gloves again but his eyes remained
on
her. “Oh… by yourself?”
She dropped her leg and picked up the other one. “U
h-
huh,” She smiled big trying to appear more excited about it than she really was. The truth was she wasn’t looking forward to it. She’d always had someone to go with her. Before her mom
died,
they went together and took forever to pick out the perfect one.
When her mom got sick
Nellie took her mothers place and Rick helped get it in her house.
The thought of Noah accompanying her had crossed her mind but after last
night,
she wasn’t sure she should be spending so much time with him
.
Obviously,
her feeling
s
for him had grown way past the friendship
or even crush
stage
. She needed to back up and get a hold of the situation. Christmas would be rolling around soon and she was going to have to deal with him and Rita.
“I can go with you.”
She shook her head a little too hard and too quickly, so she caught herself and tried to be a little more subtle about it. “No that’s okay. You don’t have to.”
His eyebrows pinched
as he placed his glove under his arm and pulled his hand out
. “Look, Roni about last night—”
“Can we just forget about last night?
” She shrugged. “They said the holidays would be tough my first year without my mom and I think it’s just been making me a little weird.”
She hated using her mother as an excuse but telling him the truth, that
hearing about him and Rita
had done such a number on her she’d tossed
and turned
all night was
not
an option.
Ridiculous is what it was and
if
she had any intentions of holding on to her
only
friend
these days
then she needed to start getting used to
hearing
things of that nature.
“Okay,” he said pulling the second glove off. “But I wanna go with you tonight to get the tree.
If that’s okay with you.” He lifted his eyebrows playfully. “Never picked out my own tree either and since I live there now, this will sort of be my Christmas tree too. I’ll even pay for it.”
“No you will not.”
“Why not?” He finished tying the strings on his gloves then threw them over his shoulder. “I’ll give you half then. I’m planning on decorating it too you know. I wanna
get the most out of this. Who knows where I’ll be next year.”
Their eyes met.
That last statement put a sudden
damper in
their conversation
.
They were obviously both thi
nking the same thing
.
This arrangement wasn’t forever
. Something she never imagined would be so hard to take. For a split
second,
she thought
about
the possibility
of telling him he could stay for good if he didn’t want to go back to living in a garage. She didn’t mind having a roommate now. But she shook the thought away. The possibility of him inevitably being around other women, bringing them back to his room even was something she knew now she wouldn’t be able to handle. She’d have to cut her losses and be thankful her heart was still in one piece
—hopefully—
when it finally came time for him to leave.
“You can come with me if you want. But you’re not paying for the tree.
”
Noah frowned but agreed, saying he’d be back
for her workout once he put his things away.
Veronica’s breakfast with Nellie hadn’t gone as planned. She was going to let Nellie in
on
how she’d felt the night before when she heard about Rita but she felt so stupid she couldn’t do it. She had absolutely no right to feel angry,
betrayed
even,
and it was embarrassing to admit she had.
She
blamed
Thanksgiving
.
As much as she’d reminded herself repeatedly that she’d only be setting herself
up for
the inevitable heartache if she got caught up with such a young guy Thanksgiving had been so
wonderful.
S
he’d felt a closeness she’d never felt with anyone else. She thought maybe, just maybe he’d felt it too. Then she f
ound
out the very next day he slept with someone.
She sighed as she
concentrated on stretching until she was interrupted by a sweaty guy holding a jump rope. She’d began to familiarize herself with most of the members but since there’d been so many new ones, there were lots she didn’t recognize. This guy was one of them.
“Hello.” He waved at her. “My name is Edward. I’d shake your hand but mine is a little sweaty
right now
.
”
“Hi,” she said, and stopped stretching a bit curious.
“I just started working out here a little over a week ago. I noticed you right away and ha
ve
been meaning to introduce myself.”
Veronica felt
the nerves
immediately. This guy looked around Noah’s age maybe a little older but then
like Noah he was a big guy and that had completely thrown her off about Noah’s age.
It’d been a long time since she’d had anyone hit on her.
“You’re a little early today aren’t you?”
He’d even noticed what time she worked out? Wow. He must’ve really been watching. “Yeah
I’m
leaving early
today so I thought I’d make up for it and
got here early
. I’m Veronica by the way.”
She watched as Noah approached from behind Edward with that hard look he so often had when they worked out.
“Listen part of the reason I hadn’t approached you was because you’re always with that one guy. Are you and him—”
“Yeah
,
we are
,
” Noah said, getting a little too in Edward
’
s face.
Edward backed up with a smirk. Veronica watched
,
her mouth dropping open
.
Abel and Gio walked toward them cautiously.
Edward lifted his hands nodding but the smirk was still there. “I had a feeling that was the case. I’m glad I asked. No harm
,
no foul right? Can’t blame a guy for trying.” He turned and winked at Veronica. “Nice meeting you, Veronica.”
Noah didn’t say another word
.
He
simply stared at Edward until he’d walked away, then turned back to Veronica. “Ready to work
out?”
Veronica
’s mouth really fell open now. She
shook her head and blinked. “First can you explain what that was about?”
“What do you mean?”
She looked at him incredibly. “Me and you
are
what?”
“Workout partners right? Isn’t that what he was asking?” Noah walked pas
t
her but she didn’t miss the corner of his lip lifting as he did. “We should make this a good one since it’s gonna be short.”
“That is
not
what he was asking and you know it.” Veronica followed him feeling secretly thrilled. Had Noah really implied to another possible suitor that she and he were… She wouldn’t even think it. Maybe he
’d just been
just playing, though his body
language
had said anything but.
He stopped so fast she nearly collided
with
him. “Why
?
W
hat do
you
think he was asking?”
She looked up at his eyes that had gone back to hard again like when he’d gotten in Edward’s face. “Well, just based on what he said before you got there
.
”
“What did he say to you?” His brows furrowed looking around the gym then turned back to her
s
earching her eyes.
Great
,
now she felt like a braggart. She
shrugged
trying to make less of it
and
suddenly feeling stupid. “Just that he only started working out here a week ago but he said he noticed me right away.”
“Is that right?” She watched his jaw work as he looked around the gym again.
If she didn’t know any better
unbelievably
her
instincts had been right.
Noah
was
jealous.
His eyes came back to hers and he stared at her hard. “So what? You interested?”
“No but—”
“Good. ‘Cause he looked like an asshole.”
He started toward the treadmill again and she followed glancing around.
Edward
did not
look like an asshole to her. But her instincts once again told her she better just shut it and let it go. It was very reasonable that like her
,
Noah had begun to feel
there was a bit more to t
heir friendship. She couldn’t decide if that was necessarily a good thing.
This
could
be
bad.
Veronica had every intention, especially after last night
,
to go back to work starting the
New Year
. Her old supervisor had already told her to just come in on the second
and they’d work out the formalities. She planned on giving her social life a jumpstart again. The last thing she needed was for Noah to somehow get the idea it was okay for him to play the overprotective friend/roommate. She’d already seen what he
was capable of doing
in the ring.
Incidents like today’s could escalate very quickly.
~*~
Noah was going to have to get a grip when it came to seeing Roni with other guys. He’d known it all along. Everyone had already seen it and now he was
c
e
rtain
she had too. He wasn’t even sure if it mattered anymore.
The moment he saw the guy talking to
her
and got close enough to hear what he was asking her he decided he didn’t care if he was obvious.
If she’d pushed even slightly more he would’ve told her the truth. Admit that, that’s what she did to him and if he ever saw another guy try to make a move on her again especially in
his
gym, that’s how he’d be reacting to every one. He could lie to himself and say it wouldn’t happen. That he could keep his cool. But after today he knew there was no way.
The whole point of getting in the guy
’
s face the way he
had
was so that if any of the other new members watching ever got any stupid ideas about
Roni
they’d now know what they were in for.
The first thing Gio had said to him when he walked into the locker room after Roni’s workout was, “
y
ou still sticking to your story that there’s nothing more going on between you and
Roni
?
Even
she’s
gotta know you were ready to knock that guy out—because of her.”
Noah had just shrugged but didn’t offer an explanation. His actions spoke for themselves. Still what bothered him most now was
that
his actions
didn’t
mean
anyth
ing if she still wanted nothing to do with him. He had to think of a way to convince
her
and do it fast because this was getting out of control. He hadn’t so much as held her hand yet and his carnal instincts were already claiming her as his.
Now m
ore convinced than ever, he was going to have to come up with a way to give him a shot. He had to. If he didn’t the only other option was
to remain friends but he knew now that w
ould never
work. He’d blow up the first time he ever saw her with someone else and it wouldn’t be pretty either. No way could a friendship withstand something like that and no way would he stick around to see it over and over again. The game had suddenly changed and Noah felt the urgency. Either he found a way to make her his or he
’d
have to make a clean break
.
There could be no in between
.
They dropped off his bike at her house
, showered, then
drove to the tree lot in her car. She never brought up the guy at the gym again and Noah was relieved. He needed
more
time to prove himself to her before he told her how he really felt.
They walked around the lot
and Noah watched as
she
scrutinized ever
y
tree, before deciding it wasn’t good enough and moving on. He wondered if metaphorically
this was how
she chose the guys she went out with.
Everything had to be just right. Not just the look of it but the smell
,
and feel of it
too.
S
he
also
said she was looking for that special something and she’d know it when she saw it.
After the sixth or seventh one
, he’d lost count,
he had to laugh.
“What exactly is it you’re looking for?”
“I can’t explain it,” she said standing back taking the next one i
n
from top to bottom. “It’s something about the way it makes me feel when I pass by it every day in my living room. My mom always said you’ll know it when you see it.”
“What if it’s not in this lot? How do you know you’re looking in the right place?”
“Oh no. This is the lot. This is the same lot
where
I always find the perfect one.”
“Well maybe that’s
your
problem. The perfect one for you could be somewhere else this year. Somewhere you’ve never even given a shot.”
She glanced at him and he held her gaze for a moment, hoping she’d picked up on what he was trying to tell her.
She took a deep breath before walking around the group of trees she’d just scrutinized thoroughly.
“This is it,” she announced pointing
to
a tree that didn’t look at all special to him.
“Really? That was fast. Are you sure?”
She nodded but didn’t look away
from
the tree.
Somehow,
he expected her to be more excited about
finally
finding the ‘perfect one.’ She
’d
t
a
k
en
long enough
.
“Alright.” He wa
l
ked over to the tree and picked it up.
“You got it?” she asked as he walked by her. “You sure you don’t need help?”
“Nope. I got it.”
She paid for it while he tied it up on the roof of her car. On the way
home,
he told her about his next fight. “It’s next month. You’ll be there right?”
She winced but nodded. “I hate the thought of watching you get hurt. But of course I’ll be there. As long as
it’s
in the evening because I’ll be back at work by then.”
He remembered her mentioning that. He tried not to frown at the thought of her being around
a bunch
of college guys
.
“So it’s official? I know you said you wanted to but it’s a sure thing now?”
“Yep. I start on the second. Classes don’t start up until
the following
week but the administrative staff goes back first thing after the New Year.
I have no idea what I’ll be doing. But I know the beginning of the year is a very busy time for us so I’m sure they’ll find something
for me
.
”
Noah turned to her when he reached a stop light. Since driving with a tree on the roof made Roni
nervous,
he was driving. Her eye
s
had that twinkle in them he only saw when she got excited or happy.
“I’m just glad to finally get back to living again. I’m
so
grateful for Nellie. If it hadn’t been for her pushing, I m
ight
’ve never stepped foot in that gym.”
“I’m grateful for her, too.” The
ir
eyes met and that twinkle turned into something else. Something like
discomfort
or
worse
f
ear
.
“I mean if you had never gone to the gym I would’ve never met you
right?
I got a great new friend out of it and
even
a
place to stay. You
bet
I’m grateful.”
She smiled and he
step
ped on the gas. The rest of the ride to her house was a quiet one.
Noah
took a deep breath. He was going to have to be careful from here on about the things he said to her, especially about his feelings for her.
