"Are you always this slow?", Asher asks as I slowly pack my bag.
I had just finished tutoring him and I had no idea why he was waiting for me. Isn't our business over?.
"I don't remember saying I needed a ride", I say then walk past him. He follows me outside the restaurant.
"I didn't say I was going to give you a ride", he says with a scoff and I watch him walk to his car with his hands deep inside his pockets. Jerk.
When I get home I'm surprised to see a wrangler parked on our driveway. What is he doing here? I rush up the steps and get into the house.
"Abby, you're finally here", my mum says in a chirpy tone and so I narrow my eyes at her but I narrow them even more when I see Noah with an apron. What in coach's trunks is going on here?.
"At the right time, we just finished cooking dinner", Noah says ever so casually like he's meant to be here and like this is the most normal thing ever.
"Where have you been honey?", my mum asks but I just stand there speechless.
"Yeah, where have you been?", Noah joins in with suspicious eyes.
"W.. we'll be in my room", I sharply say then walk across the room, grab Noah's hand and take him upstairs.
I close the door behind me then turn to face Noah. "What in coach's.. okay no, what are you doing here?", I ask.
"Why weren't you picking my calls?", he asks and I sigh.
"I was tutoring", I say and he nods.
"Okay.. I wanted to take you somewhere", he says then adds, "And you can't say no this time".
I nod with a smile, "Okay-", the sound of my phone ringing cuts me off so I put up a finger then pick it up.
"Hey Ginger", I look at Noah and he rolls his eyes so I move away from him but only for him to follow. Why is he so nosy?.
"Hey", I say covering the speaker with my hand so Noah won't hear.
"Um I just thought we'd um- I mean, I thought you'd tutor me today", he says and I sigh then slightly glare at Noah for breathing down my neck.
"I'm sorry, I should have told you I wouldn't be available today", I say walking back to my bed.
"Oh, well.. it's okay. Um, so how are you?", he asks as I take a seat on my bed. Noah crosses his arms watching me. Oh God.
"I'm okay", I say.
"Just okay?.. Not super duper okay?", he teases and I chuckle but it dies down quickly because of the look on Noah's face.
"I'm just okay I guess", I say with a small shrug.
"Okay then Ginger, talk later?", he asks.
"Yeah sure", I say with a small smile. "Bye buzz".
I put the phone down and look up at Noah's disapproving face. I roll my eyes.
"You weren't available.. so who'd you tutor?", he asks and I pause. I can't tell him I tutored Asher. He warned me not to tell anyone and I don't think I'd even want to blab it to anyone.
"I.. I tutor a lot of people", I say.
"Fine, let's go", he says and I raise a brow. He sighs, "I'm taking you out, remember?".
Holy cow!, Did he just say he's taking me out?. DID NOAH JUST SAY HE'S TAKING ME OUT?! I thought he'd never ask again after I turned him down.
I nod almost eagerly and we head downstairs. "Mum I'm not staying for dinner", I inform and she walks out of the kitchen wiping her hands with a napkin.
"Oh..", she trails looking between Noah and I, "Well take good care of her Noah", she says and Noah nods. I blush. I guess he's won her over then.
Noah opens the car door for me and I get in. He walks around and gets into the car as well then starts it up. He pulls out of the driveway and into the road.
My heart beats fast against my chest for absolutely no reason.. okay maybe there's a reason because I'm really anxious to know where he's taking me. I fiddle with my hands in an attempt to calm down.
"Your seatbelt princess", Noah says and my heart only beats faster at the word princess. Even if he calls me that every time it still gives me butterflies.
"Oh", I say moving to get my seatbelt. The car slows down so I look at Noah, "Why'd we..",
"Let me", he says and I let him. I watch as he pulls the belt over me then clutches it. Noah's eyes meet mine and it holds me in place. Why are they always so compelling?.
I gulp then look away blinking, it all seems too much for me. I'm surprised when he's hand's placed on my chin and then he pulls my face back to his.
"I win", he says then asks, "And you know what that means?".
"What?", I ask confusedly as he lets go. I almost frown at the loss of his touch.
"You'll give me whatever I want", he slowly says and I blink. Friggin shit, we actually made a bet on that. Why the hell did I blink?. Okay calm down Abby whatever he wants can't be that bad.
"What'd you want?", I ask with a groan and he smirks. Oh no.
"I want you..", he trails looking down at my lips and I swear I almost pass out, "To wear that pink outfit to a party with me this Friday".
I pause... "What?!", I nearly scream.
"Yup", he nods.
"Noah no, I can't", I say and he shrugs as he starts driving again.
"Those are the rules of the game Abby, I'm sorry", he says like we aren't the ones who made them.
"Noah please, I can't wear that outfit anywhere, much less to a party", I say and he sighs dramatically.
"Look, wish I could help you but.. those are the rules", he says with a knowing smile and I hit his arm so he laughs. This is why you don't make agreements with Noah.
I remember back in fifth grade when we made a bet on whoever could do a cartwheel, obviously I lost and I ended up giving my favorite lollipop to him. It's so funny how I cried so he had to share the lollipop with me. I guess no one lost at that point.
"Nostalgia", he says breaking me away from my thoughts.
"Hmm?", I ask.
"You've got that memory face on", he says and I raise a brow with a smile.
"What memory face?", I ask with a small chuckle.
"Like you're remembering a core memory", he says then glances at me. "What did you remember?", he asks.
"Nothing", I say looking away. It'll be so weird if he knew I was thinking about us.
He sighs, "Okay, but I can bet it was about us though", he says and my cheeks redden. I close my eyes then plant my face on the window.
Noah parks the car a little far from the water and we get down. He brought me to the beach. I've never been here at night time and I can't even remember the last time I came here. It's been so long.
"No one's here", I say noticing we're the only ones here and he nods.
"Yeah, you said it's been so long you went to the beach..", he trails looking at me and I like that he remembered, "And I know you'd never come here during the day", he says and I watch as he takes his shoes off.
"So..", he trails taking his shirt off, what is he doing? "Last one to reach the shore is a princess", he says then runs off. What?!.
I take my shoes off and run after him. When I get to the shore I'm completely out of breath.
"Guess who's a princess?", he asks with a smile and I laugh. He knew I'd lose.
"I dunno, aren't you?", I tease with a small pant.
"No, I'm the princesses prince", he says then pulls me closer by the hand.
"Oh", I say at the unexpected pull. His eyes search my face and I gulp. I wish he'd look at me this way all the time. Noah slowly shrugs down my jacket from my shoulders and I'm holding my breath.
"Don't you think it's unfair?", he asks, his voice raspy and low.
"W..what?", I stutter.
"That you have so much clothes on.. and I don't", he says as my jacket falls on the sand.
"I..", I trail unable to speak as he moves my hair to one shoulder. Noah lowers his face to my neck and places a kiss on it.
A low gasp escapes my lips and my eyes shut close. I don't care to know what's going on.. I just don't want it to stop.
Noah continues trailing kisses from my neck to my earlobe. My legs start to get weak so I hold onto him. His hands move up my back and it gets to the zip of my dress.
When he tugs at it my eyes open, "Noah", I call out.
"It's okay", he softly says kissing my cheek. The zip goes down and there's a rush of wind hitting my bare back.
"It's just us", he says calmly, looking deep into my eyes. I slowly nod, trusting him.
The dress falls down to the ground and my arms wrap around me instinctively. He pulls my hands away and wraps them around his neck.
"That's wrong", he says looking down at me.
"What?",
"You don't get to hide things from your prince", he says and then picks me up. I yelp, my eyes widening. "I hope all the thoughts of me not being able to carry you dies tonight", he says then slowly carries me into the water.