“Yeah.”
He tilts his head to the side and studies me again. I shift uncomfortably, avoiding his eyes. He looks amazing tonight, not that I’m surprised by that. He’s always towered over my tiny five-foot frame. His big body is easily six feet tall, and he’s built like a statue. Muscles on every part of his perfect body. His eyes are as intense as they always were, a steel gray that pierces straight into my soul. His hair is longer than I remember, but the dark-brown locks seem even more rebellious now as they fall over his face.
“How have you been?”
I finally get the courage to look him in the eye. “Good, great.”
I’m a liar.
He knows it.
“You look good, Lara.”
I used to love how it sounded when he said my name, the way it rolled off his tongue. The way his husky voice coiled around it and made it his.
I hate it now.
“Thanks,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper.
“I’ve missed you. I’ve been meaning to get in touch since I got back. I was hoping we could talk.”
Noah told me he fell in love with me because I was sweet, sassy, and gorgeous—a rare mixture that was hard to find. He said I was the kind of woman that made a man’s heart melt, that made him want to protect her and love her for as long as he possibly could, yet at the same time wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself and speak her mind. At least that was how I used to be. Until I learned very quickly that doing that, being that kind of woman, would only lead to people getting hurt, or worse. There are times when I miss that version of myself. Maybe I should talk to him. Maybe I’m ready to hear him out. Maybe …
“Noah?”
A gorgeous blond woman sidles up beside him and I look away, unable to witness him with another girl. Even the glance I got of her has my heart ripping to shreds. The exact opposite of me. Tall, blond, confident. Seeing her makes me realize I’m still not ready to talk to him.
“Come on,” Rachel says, tugging my arm and giving Noah a look. “You don’t deserve this.”
Noah glares at her. “This isn’t any of your business, Rachel.”
“She’s my friend, it’s my business.”
“Ah,” the blonde says. “Do we know you?”
“No, you don’t know me,” Rachel throws in her direction. “I wouldn’t bother with the likes of you. Come on, Lara. Let’s go.”
She takes my hand and pulls me toward the crowd that we have to make our way through to get to the door. Noah steps forward and reaches out, grabbing my arm and stopping me before we manage even five steps. Electricity runs through my body at his touch, and I want to scream, hating that it still affects me so heavily. He steps up close and I can feel him, smell him; my entire body becomes alert with his presence.
“Can’t avoid me forever,” he says, his voice low.
“Let me go,” I plead, pulling my arm from his. “Just leave me alone, Noah.”
“If you would’ve answered my calls and heard me out, I might’ve been able to leave you alone, but considering you didn’t, I can’t.”
I spin around and finally, really, look at him. Seeing him knocks the breath from my lungs. I forgot how utterly breathtaking he is. “That’s probably because I don’t want to hear your excuses. I just need you to leave me alone. You’re clearly busy.”
“Lara…”
“No, Noah. Just stop.”
“Lara…”
“Who is the woman?” I say, my voice wavering. “You want to talk to me, but it looks like you’ve already moved on.”
“We’re here meeting a friend. She’s not my date,” he snaps.
“You actually expect me to believe that?”
“I expect you to give me the chance to speak to you. After everything that happened with Nanna—”
His mention of Nanna reminds me of the moment I changed from being a loudmouthed, confident girl to this quiet, damaged woman I am now. Just a few years ago, I was overly confident. I was loud, boisterous, and occasionally a little too much, but I still had a good heart. Noah loved me for me, but my nanna always told me that my mouth would get me into trouble—and she was right. Except it was she who paid the price for my in-your-face attitude. After that day, I slowly lost who I was, my confidence especially. I’m no longer the woman Noah remembers.
Thinking about that night has my heart clenching.
“Maybe we should go the other way,” Nanna says, clutching my hand.
I stare at the group of teenagers laughing and kicking over trash cans up ahead. I scoff and squeeze her hand. “No way. They’re just acting like idiots. We shouldn’t have to move. We’ll just walk past, it’ll be fine.”
“Lara, I have a bad feeling about this. Let’s go the other way,” she pleads.
Nanna always worries. If we turn around, we’re looking at adding another twenty minutes to our trip. There is no reason we shouldn’t be able to walk past this group of kids without problems. I won’t let anything happen to her.
“We’ll be fine. They’re just a bunch of kids, Nanna.”
We walk toward them, paying them no attention, her hesitantly, me not so much. When they notice us, a brown-haired, scruffy teen steps forward. He looks like he’s maybe seventeen, possibly a little older. His face is covered in pimples and his hair is falling over his face. He’s skinny and tall, hardly threatening, but clearly cocky.
“What have we got here? Evening, ladies.”
I ignore them and keep moving.
“What?” the teenager scoffs. “We’re not good enough to say hello to?”
I turn and stare at him. “I wouldn’t say hello to you if you were the last person on the planet and I needed to talk to you to save humanity,” I say, studying him. “Now go home to bed and stop kicking trash cans around like a bunch of idiots.”
“Be careful,” he warns, stepping forward and in my way. “I’m not a very nice person and I don’t like smart-mouthed chicks like you.”
God, who does this dude think he is? I wave a hand in his face casually. “Run along and play with your toys—it’s past your bedtime.”
All the other boys laugh.
His face burns bright and I know I’ve embarrassed him. Well, that’s what you get when you pick on people walking home minding their own business.
“Just stop,” Nanna pleads, tugging my hand. “Just ignore them, Lara. They’re not worth it. Let’s go the other way.”
“I don’t like being spoken to like that,” he says, stepping closer, puffing his chest out. No doubt for the benefit of his friends.
I let Nanna’s hand go and step in front of her, crossing my arms. “Neither do I. Now, we’re walking home and doing nothing, and you’re causing problems where problems don’t exist. Why don’t you move the hell out of the way?”
“Or what?” he challenges. He’s high as a kite, his eyes bloodshot. How did I not notice that before?
“Or I’ll make you,” I snap.
“Lara, please,” Nanna begs.