Connection - Part Seventeen
This episode is part of a larger story, Soft Touch. If you haven’t yet, you can go back and read it from the beginning right here.
“Unbelievable!” Noelle snaps, for what must be the fifth time since this drive began.
I woke up so abruptly – to find Noelle in my car looking like a storm of pure chaos, shouting in my face that we needed to go to the hotel, right now – that I honestly don’t even know what’s going on. I must have started driving completely on autopilot, because it’s only dawning on me now that we pulled out of the Mugshot parking lot, and we’re already headed towards downtown. Or what qualifies as downtown in Ketterbridge, anyways.
“Oh, it is!” I answer, too befuddled and half-conscious to even wonder what I’m agreeing with. “Completely unbelievable!”
“Thank you!” she says emphatically, slapping my arm so hard that it startles me. “It’s so good to talk to someone with some sense!”
I actually have no idea what we’re talking about. At the moment I barely even know who or where I am. But I decide to keep those thoughts internal, and instead focus on waking myself the rest of the way up.
“S-sorry, what happened?” I stammer, rubbing my eyes, wildly searching my brain for some clarity. “I’m trying to keep up, but it’s, um… not exactly clear to me why we’re doing this, or even what exactly we’re doing?”
“We’re going to the hotel to talk to Logan, so I can clear up this bullshit about Martin’s will once and for all!”
Holy shit. Oh, my god.
“Oh! Okay, um – that’s-”
“I refuse to believe this, this is – Noah has always hated Logan!” Noelle is sitting back in the passenger’s seat with her arms folded over her chest, but somehow managing to give off the impression of a hand grenade with the pin already pulled. She turns her flashing eyes on me, an accusatory look coming into them. “Jamie, you said you thought maybe everyone just needed more time with Logan, and then things might click!”
“I know, I’m sorry!” I flip on my blinker, setting us on the actual route to the beach hotel instead of the incorrect one I’d started us on. “I guess it’s just not a fit, him and – us. Noah’s friends. But it’s not – it’s – we all really like you. And I swear that Noah had every intention of starting over with Logan, I swear. We talked about it before you got into town, he told me himself he was going to do his best!”
Noelle stares at me, then out through the windshield. She lapses into silent thought, her eyebrows furrowed.
“I don’t mean to yell at you,” she sighs, after a moment. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it. You’ve been very sweet. And I really like your tattoo, I’ve been meaning to tell you so.”
“Oh, thank you!” I run a hand over the back of my neck, tracing it automatically. “Noah did it for my birthday. I had no idea what to expect, but I was so happy when I finally got to see it.”
Noelle widens her eyes at me. “You let him put it on you without looking at it first?”
“Oh, I’d trust Noah with anything,” I yawn, still trying to blink my eyes more open. “Except a fire extinguisher, anyways.”
Noelle lets out a laugh, catches herself doing it, and scowls furiously again.
“Noah!” she snaps, as if he’s here in the car. “He makes me crazy, sometimes! Oh, I could – I could just-!”
She makes a violent kicking motion, stopping herself just before she can actually land it on my poor old car, thank god. That might’ve been enough to make it fall apart.
Okay. I’m gathering that the talk didn’t go perfectly smooth. But it sounds like Noah told her everything, at least. We’re on our way to go face Logan right now.
That thought finally sinks in, and finally brings me all the way awake.
“Well, I’m glad you two talked, anyways.” I can’t stop myself from trying to put in a good word on Noah’s behalf, so I add - “You know, I’ve had an idea of how much Noah cares about you ever since the thing with the Corvette, and if-”
Noelle looks over at me, frowning. “What thing with the Corvette?”
“What-?” I steal a wide-eyed glance at her, then get my eyes back on the road. “Did that not come up at all when you two talked?”
“No. What are you talking about?”
“I – hang on, now I feel like – if he didn’t tell you-”
“Jamie,” Noelle insists, her eyes blazing so dangerously bright that I cave instantly.
“That’s why Noah broke away from Ralph. What caused the big break before they reconciled. Ralph was doing something that might have gotten you dragged into trouble, and Noah, um – took things into his own hands, and stole Ralph’s Corvette, and returned it to its original owner. To put a stop to the trouble before it could reach you. That’s why Ralph threw Noah out, and when Noah decided not to go back.”
Noelle stares blankly at me.
I’m not sure what sort of reaction to anticipate, but I’m still surprised by the one I get. When an expression suddenly flickers across Noelle’s face, it’s one of distinct pride. Like her little brother did her proud. Even right now, when she’s furious with him, she can’t help that feeling.
It’s a relief to see. I’m nervous about going to see Logan, with all his manipulative tricks. There are two things I’m holding onto at the moment. One: that in the Raunier family, the bonds of loyalty run incredibly deep. Once they’re threaded in, they’re set in place something fierce. And the ones between Noelle and Noah – and between Noelle and Gage – are in a class of their own.
Secondly, I’m holding onto the fact that Maggie called Logan a fool. For some reason I find that comforting.
Thinking of the disdainful little sniff Maggie said it with, like he’s that and nothing more – I can’t help seeing Logan through a less intimidating lens. Good, because it sounds like for some reason I’m the one going with Noelle to confront him.
I nervously catch Kasey’s eye in the rearview. She’s been keeping quiet in the backseat, but she looks much more ready for this than I am. She’s practically bouncing up and down.
Noelle looks angry again, or confused, or – something. She stares out at the orange Halloween lights and illuminated decorations passing by the car windows, not really seeing them.
“I just can’t believe Logan would do that,” she murmurs, talking half to herself. “Noah must have misunderstood. He must have misunderstood, or whoever told him lied.”
She doesn’t know it was Gage, then, or she wouldn’t have said that. Noah must be trying to spare Gage from getting his letter handed over, but unfortunately I think it’s unavoidable.
“He must have,” Noelle repeats again, then unstraps herself as I stop my car in front of the beachside hotel.
She bounds out of my car and into the autumn night, her breath puffing on the cold breeze. Kasey and I hop out, then rush to join her. She’s already headed for the doors of the hotel, going at a pretty good clip for someone wearing boots with heels.
“Wasn’t the hotel too windy?” I ask breathlessly, shivering and zipping up my jacket. “I thought you were staying at your mom’s house instead.”
“It got awkward to stay there with Logan after she said she didn’t want me marrying him!” Noelle bites her lip. “Why is everyone against this?”
She doesn’t ask the question in an angry way this time. More of a worried, anxious way. And it sounds more like she was asking herself, not me.
She strides into the lobby so purposefully, throws open the doors so explosively that the clerk dozing behind the check-in desk startles awake. He leans over the counter to stare at us as Noelle sweeps across to the elevators, with me rushing behind her.
She falls silent in the elevator, staring down at the engagement ring on her finger. I take the opportunity to steal an anxious glance at Kasey, who mouths something at me, then remembers she can speak without Noelle hearing her.
“She’s noticing it’s a pretty small rock, for such a supposedly rich man who totally isn’t broke.”
I raise an eyebrow at Kasey, then look at Noelle again. She’s gazing at the very small diamond and simple silver band with her eyes narrowed, a frown tugging at her lips.
But she straightens up and gives herself a shake, as if trying to cast off a bad thought.
“He must have misunderstood,” she repeats again, then strides out of the elevator doors before they can open all the way.
I squeeze out of them after her, and Kasey goes straight through. We catch up to Noelle right as she reaches one of the hotel room doors and unlocks it.
We follow her into the little room to find Logan sitting at the desk, his feet kicked up on its surface. He’s on the phone with someone, a pleased grin on his face.
“Yeah, we’ll drink a toast to it when I get back,” he says, then glances up and spots Noelle. “Oh – I’ve gotta run. Call you later.”
He gets to his feet, smirking victoriously.
“That was one of my guys at work,” he tells Noelle, tapping a finger on his phone. “We’ve got some foolproof prospects we’re planning to invest in soon. Real moneymakers, once they get the cash to make it off the ground. Which we’ll help them do…” He trails off, noticing me, then gives me a very stiff nod. “Jamie.”
I give him the barest nod back, without smiling. All pretense of peace has broken down, and even I’m not going to pretend otherwise.
“Logan, I…” Noelle goes over to him, twisting her wrist in her hand. “I need to talk to you about something.”
He shrugs his shoulders, not quite managing to look interested. “Alright, but maybe make it fast. Places don’t stay open too late for dinner in this town, do they?”
“I don’t know… Big Belly Deli is open pretty late.”
“Yeah, but-” Logan stops himself, then smiles stiffly again. “Right. Of course. That’s – an option.”
“Might have to be the option, because this is going to take more than a minute.” Noelle draws a deep breath, then shakes her head, trying to laugh. “I’m sure this is going to sound ridiculous, and we’ll clear it right up, but – is there anything in Martin’s will that says you have to be married, or you won’t get any money…?”
Noelle trails off, staring at Logan. He just froze to the spot, blinking very fast, the smirk gone from his face.
“Okay,” Noelle says slowly, in a very different voice. “What’s that reaction?”
It’s instantly clear to me that Logan never really expected Gage to tell. He wasn’t prepared for this. There’s a split second during which he looks like a deer in the headlights, but only that. He recovers right away, letting out a mirthless laugh.
“Oh, I just knew that Gage was going to tell you these lies about me,” he sighs. “That’s just like him, sad as it is to say it.”
Noelle blinks, once. “Gage didn’t tell me anything. It was Noah.”
Logan stops to process that, then nods emphatically, like she’s proving his point.
“Well, there’s your explanation! Noah has been against me since the first moment he laid eyes on me, you know that! I didn’t want to say anything, since I knew you were trying to patch things up, but…” Logan sighs again, shaking his head regretfully at Noelle. “He’s been trying to undermine me since the day we got here. His friends are, too. He’s still trying to mess things up for you, Noelle. I don’t know if you should invite this back into your life, to be quite honest.”
Unable to stop myself, I open my mouth with an angry answer to that all lined up. But Noelle answers before I can say a word.
“That’s not true.” Her eyebrows are slowly furrowing, her eyes narrowing with mistrust as she stares up at Logan. “That’s not true at all. Noah was really nice to you when we first got here. He was trying. So were his friends.”
Logan hesitates, then lifts his eyes to me. “Jamie, can’t you give us some privacy?”
I silently frown at him, then lean my shoulder against the wall to make it clear that I have no intention of going anywhere.
Logan barely contains the scowl he wanted to give me, then turns back to Noelle, lowering his voice.
“Noelle, I can’t believe you’d listen to anything Noah has to say. Can’t you see that he hasn’t changed? He’s as childish as ever, and he wants to bring you down to his level. I wasn’t going to say anything, but I thought he was going to attack me at that lake house. I don’t think he’s completely stable-”
“Don’t talk about my brother that way!” Noelle interrupts.
It’s the snap of a whip in the form of words. She says it so sharply, with such sudden, blazing fury that Logan gives a startled jolt and takes a step back.
“What is this?” Noelle goes on heatedly, staring at him with mounting suspicion in her eyes. “Why are you trying to make Noah sound bad? And what does any of this have to do with Gage?”
Based on how visibly thrown Logan is, this must be the first time Noelle has ever been this angry with him. But he recovers again, carefully getting his expression back under control.
“Of course I’m not trying to make Noah sound bad,” he says soothingly. “I think it’s – admirable that you gave him a second chance, even after everything he’s done, and all the pain he put you through, and all the headaches and heartbreak he’s caused you. But if he said that about the will, then – I’m afraid he’s been scheming with Gage to try and drive us apart.”
“I’m sorry?” Noelle widens her eyes at Logan in incredulous bewilderment. “Why the hell would Gage be trying to drive us apart?”
Logan sighs deeply again, turns to the desk, and opens up the drawer.
“God, I hate to have to do this,” he says regretfully, wincing as if it physically pains him. “I resent Gage for forcing my hand. It’s terrible that I have to be the one to break the truth to you about his real character. I don’t want to ruin your nice rosy idea of who he is.”
“Oh, you won’t do that,” Noelle answers. “So don’t fret too much over it.”
She said it very softly, but with iron, unshakeable firmness in her voice.
Logan pauses, once again thrown off.
“Your faith in him is touching.” He gives her a pitying, sympathetic smile, taking something from the desk drawer. “I really, really hate to have to shatter it. But I don’t think you’ll feel the same, once you read this.”
I straighten up anxiously as Logan turns to face Noelle, holding up Gage’s letter. I have to actively resist the absurd impulse to rush forward and snatch it away and bolt.
Noelle stares at it, then looks at Logan, raising a questioning eyebrow.
“Gage’s true motivations,” he explains, with the air of gently breaking some heartbreaking news. “His real feelings about you are all right here. He wrote it himself. One look at that and you’ll see why he’d lie to drive us apart.”
Noelle blinks hard. Her eyes open very wide, flitting back to the letter. Very slowly, she takes it from Logan’s hand, then gazes down at her name and address on the front of the envelope. Written in Gage’s ungainly, teenaged handwriting. Her expression is hidden by the wing of inky hair escaping her bun, but she’s gone perfectly motionless.
She slowly lifts her eyes to Logan, and asks -
“Why do you have this?”
Logan blinks at her, his eyebrows furrowing. “Hm?”
“If Gage wrote this to me, then why do you have it?”
Logan shrugs his shoulders, as if to say he doesn’t see why that matters. “I caught him walking back from the post office with it. Chickened out on sending it, I guess. I was wondering what he was doing, because I’d seen him go to and from the post office like four times that week, holding the same thing.”
Noelle blinks at Logan a few times.
“So…” she begins softly, “Gage decided he didn’t want me to read it. And you took it from him. Read it yourself. And now. You’re giving it to me? So I can read it?”
Logan hesitates, confused by the unusual tone of her voice.
“I felt I had a responsibility to take it and show you. You should know his true motivations before you believe what he says, or anything he told Noah about our great-uncle’s will-”
“You would do that to your own brother?” Noelle interrupts, her eyes opening very wide. “He’s your brother. Your family.”
“Well – not technically,” Logan answers, taken aback at the expression on her face. “My father threw him out of the family, remember?”
Noelle draws back sharply, her hand tightening around the letter. “I thought you were against that. The only one who still talks to Gage.”
“I talk to him, yeah, but I see why Dad did it,” Logan says, increasingly confused. “Don’t you see it, too? He was contaminating our whole family name. I’m sure you can appreciate that, now that you’re marrying into this family.”
Silence falls over the room.
Noelle just stares at Logan, her eyes gone perfectly round, her mouth dropped slightly open. Like she’s seeing him for the very first time.
And then -
“Ugh!” she says, with such spectacular contempt and disgust that even Logan can’t miss the meaning. “Oh, my god. We are over.”
She crosses to the bed, scoops up an armful of her clothes, and throws them all into her little suitcase.
Logan stares at her blankly for a second, then lets out a forced laugh. “Okay, very funny. Your sense of humor is really so-”
“Ugh!” Noelle interrupts again, with so much venom that Logan backs up a step. She bounds up onto the bed, then goes straight across it to snatch her silky robe from the hook on the wall. “God! Don’t say another word, don’t! You and I are never speaking again!”
Logan blinks a few times, then rushes forward, pulling a shocked, heartbroken expression onto his face.
“Noelle, what-? No, don’t do this! It’s all lies, everything Noah said! We’re getting married, you – you can’t leave me right now! Don’t you know how much pain I’m in already, losing my uncle?”
“Oh, are you?” Noelle asks, with such superb, savage indifference that Logan stops in his tracks.
“Noelle,” he says reproachfully, taken aback. “How cruel and callous can you-?”
Still standing on the bed, she calls him something in French that makes his eyebrows fly up.
“Noelle!” he sputters again, this time very shocked. He blinks at her, and for the first time, a flicker of panic goes across his face. “Wait – seriously, you’re breaking up with me? You’re giving me the ring back?”
“Hell no, I’m not giving it back!” Noelle snaps, flinging more of her clothes into the suitcase. She takes off the engagement ring and stuffs it into her backpack. “I’m not helping you with any of your goddamn financial problems! I’m going to pawn this tiny diamond you gave me, assuming it’s even real, and then I’m going to use the money to – take Gage out to a nice dinner, or buy him a new video camera, or – something! He deserves something nice, after having a brother like you!”
She slips the unopened letter into her backpack, then snaps it decisively closed.
Real panic is coming into Logan’s eyes. “No, but you don’t understand how screwed I am if I don’t get the money – Noelle!”
He makes a grab for her arm. I take an immediate step forward, but Noelle has already darted out of the way.
“Don’t touch me!” she says, so forcefully that Logan backs up until he hits the wall. “Be glad I don’t claw your face off for what you said about my brother! And your own!”
“No, but – listen, Noelle!” Logan’s voice is getting frantic. “No no no, please, listen, think about what’s practical! That’s what you wanted, right, to make smart, practical decisions? I’m your smart decision! You can divorce me as soon as we get the money, you’ll get a nice share of it, we’re both rich, we go our separate ways! You know that’s the wise choice! Are you really going to leave me out in the cold and cost yourself all that money just because that’s what you want to do emotionally, impulsively, in this one moment? Think about it! Really think about it!”
Noelle zips her suitcase closed, drags it off of the bed and onto the floor. She shoulders her backpack, turns to Logan, and says, with sudden calm:
“You should leave town, because Noah is going to kill you.”
Logan goes pale. “What? Don’t joke about-”
“I’m not,” Noelle says simply, taking her bracelet from the nightstand and fastening it onto her wrist. “As soon as he finds out that I don’t care anymore about what happens to you, he’ll be on the hunt. Jamie, text Noah and tell him I don’t care what happens to Logan. Just that, you won’t need to say anything else.”
I obediently slip my phone out of my pocket and start typing. Logan glances at me, then turns back to Noelle, nearly panting with alarm. He’s far more unnerved by Noelle’s calm voice than the shouting one. He spreads his hands, and starts begging.
“Noelle, please – what do you want me to do? I’ll do anything, but don’t – I need you for this, there’s no one else, there’s no time! We can work this out, please, I’m begging you-”
“Ugh!” she snaps again, and strides for the door, her grey eyes on fire.
I trot after her out into the hallway, catching her suitcase so I can carry it for her. Kasey bounds alongside us, grinning from ear to ear. She laughs and does a cartwheel beside Noelle, cheering loudly.
“Yes, bitch!” she shouts in delight, springing back to her feet. “Will Logan chase us?”
I repeat the question for Noelle, choosing to leave off that first part.
“No, he wouldn’t dare.” She’s striding along to the elevator so forcefully that her self-made breeze is undoing her bun. “If there’s one thing Logan hates it’s a scene in public, and I don’t give a damn about making one at the moment.”
“Whoa, Noelle, you’re amazing right now!” I blurt out, beaming at her in wide-eyed admiration. “Amazing!”
“Thank you,” she answers breathlessly, sweeping into the elevator. “God! Fuck him.”
She stands up straight until the elevator doors close, then slumps back against the wall.
“Fuck him,” she repeats softly, her voice and her lower lip suddenly trembling.
Kasey and I both grow serious, watching her with sympathetic eyes.
I drop mine to my phone as it lights up. I thought it would be a response from Noah, but it’s actually Ralph.
Hey, back in town with Calla. I dropped her off at Big Belly Deli. She’s hanging out there, in case there’s need of girl support.
I take a look at Noelle’s face before I text him back.
Good, because I think there is.
~~~~
It’s immediately clear that Calla isn’t used to being called upon for girl support.
Her friends are all guys, except for Melanie, Gabby, and Alix, who have been mostly happy since they all met. In the times I’ve been down about things around Calla, I usually find myself comforted with a hard slap to the back and a few encouraging words about bucking up.
So I can tell she’s somewhat bewildered to have Noelle holding her hand and sadly leaning her cheek against her shoulder while we all wait in line at Big Belly Deli. But she doesn’t seem to mind it, nor did she mind listening to Noelle tearfully tell her about everything that happened tonight.
“What an asshole,” she growls, when Noelle reaches the end of her recounting. “Wow.”
“I know,” Noelle sniffles, tugging at her scarf.
She hasn’t really cried, but she’s seemed on the verge of it ever since we left the hotel. At least Big Belly Deli is still decently busy. The evening farmer’s market was tonight, and a lot of people who went for the live music gravitated over here after, the Deli being the only place still open. The upbeat, only moderately sober crowd is providing some cover for Noelle, with her misty eyes and trembling voice.
“I’m sorry I’m crying on you,” she tells Calla.
“It’s okay. You’re not even crying, really.”
“You’re really Ralph’s girlfriend?” Noelle asks, then takes a second to think about that when Calla nods. “He must have turned himself all the way around to get you. You’re so pretty.”
Calla shoots me a smile over the top of Noelle’s head. “I like doing girl support. None of you boys ever reflect on whether or not I’m pretty.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Calla!” I answer, caught by surprise. “Of course I think you’re pretty! And for the record, Ralph reflects on it all the time.”
“I could kill him,” Noelle chimes in, with another sniffle. “Logan, I mean. Not Ralph. Ralph is – he’s okay. Now. But I could kill Logan.”
“You should,” Calla agrees, instantly and wholeheartedly. “We should, right now. Where does he live? What should we use? My grandma would probably say a SIG-Sauer P228, and she’s very wise about these things.”
“You’re a natural at girl support, Calla,” I laugh helplessly, as Noelle starts giggling. “Not even joking, you’re nailing it.”
“How mean of him, though,” Noelle says, sounding dazed. “To do something like that to me! That’s who he really was, all along? That’s the idiot I cried over, when he broke up with me forever ago?”
Calla nods, her hazel eyes full of sympathetic understanding. “I know. I know just how you feel.”
“How hateful he turned out to be!” Noelle presses her palms to her eyes. “Contaminated, he said! And I dated him, got engaged to him!” She lets out an agonized sigh, tilting her head all the way back. “Noah’s gonna give me the world’s biggest I told you so. And he’s not even wrong.”
“Oh, he won’t do that,” I answer quietly. “No way, Noelle.”
She gives me a grateful look, then drags the sleeve of her chic, oversized coat beneath her nose. “Well, don’t I just feel cured of Logan for life! At least that’s something. But now I do almost wish I’d had the chance to make a big scene in public. He would have hated that.”
“It’s a good thing I wasn’t here for any of this,” Calla answers, moving us up further in the deli line. “I’ve been trying to manage my temper, ‘cause it’s kind of intense? But shitty boyfriends who do shitty things – that sets me off. I would have made a big scene in public-”
She breaks off as Noelle squeezes her arm.
“Oh my god, Calla…” she whispers. “That’s him, right there. Logan.”
Holy shit. There he is, at a table tucked into the corner, speaking agitatedly into his phone. Keeping his head down and glancing around like he expects a bounty hunter to charge in for him any second now.
We all fall silent, straining to hear what he’s saying. He’s whispering heatedly, tapping a finger on the tabletop.
“-took the rental car, so now I’m hanging out in some restaurant until I can get out of town… I had to ditch the hotel, since now her brother is out looking for me, and the man’s a fucking lunatic! Find someone else? Oh what, and get her to marry me? In this timeframe? Where am I gonna find a girl more impulsive than Noelle Raunier-?”
He breaks off, his eyes having fallen on Calla.
I think she’s the only one of us he can see from his table. I’ve got my hood up over my hair, since it was cold outside, and from the angle he’s sitting at I doubt he can see Noelle behind Calla. He’s looking at Calla’s heavily pierced ears, her buzzed hair, and the portions of her tattoo peeking up from her collar.
“Hang on, I’ll call you back,” he murmurs. “Might have something.”
Oh, my god. I can’t believe what’s happening, even as I watch Logan get up, smooth down his expensive dress shirt, and work his way through the crowd towards Calla.
“No way,” I stammer softly.
“Hey,” Logan says to Calla, in a flirty, playful voice. “I hope you don’t mind me saying this out of the blue, but I love all your piercings. You look like someone who likes to have fun.” He gives her his best, handsomest smile, putting a hand to his chest. “I’m Logan.”
Calla stares at him incredulously for a second, then gives him a big smile. A more perceptive man than Logan might have noticed the dangerous sparkle to her eyes, but I practically see it go right over his head.
“Logan?” Calla repeats, in an equally flirty voice. “Not Logan Hollins?”
Logan blinks a few times, then lets out a forced laugh. “This is a small town, isn’t it? You’ve heard of me, somehow?”
“Aren’t you engaged to Noelle Raunier?” Calla asks sweetly.
Logan gives her a sympathetic smile. “Oh, is she still telling people that? Poor thing, I think she’s taking the breakup pretty hard. But it just wasn’t working out, I had to call it. It was what’s best for everyone…”
His voice trails off into silence as Noelle leans around Calla to glare at him, angry tears glittering in her eyes.
He stares at her blankly, but his attention snaps immediately back to Calla as she draws in a huge breath, suddenly trembling with rage. Her hazel eyes begin to simmer, then burn.
“Oh, you little weasel,” she breathes. She leaps gracefully over the rope separating off the line, then slowly advances on Logan like a Fury, her voice beginning to rise. “Are you proud of yourself? Are you? Do you think it’s impressive to have to trick girls into being with you, to have to lie to your woman at every turn, because if she knew the truth she wouldn’t want you? You don’t think it’s pathetic?”
All of a sudden she’s shouting, and Logan is stumbling backwards, staring at her in stunned bewilderment.
“Oooh, someone’s in trouble!” one of the tipsy customers shouts, and a burst of laughter goes up as Logan turns and begins to flee.
Noelle has stopped crying. Suddenly she’s laughing, her eyes round with shock, her hands clasped over her mouth as Calla starts chasing Logan down through the crowd.
“Taking the breakup hard, is she?” Calla shouts, relentlessly running him down. “As if she didn’t pack her bags and leave your ass!”
That gets another burst of laughter and shouted commentary from the tipsier people present. Kasey and I exchange a wide-eyed look, then rush after Noelle as she follows Calla through the crowd.
Logan, now sprinting in a bewildered panic, bolts for the door. Calla follows him right up to it, her hazel eyes practically smoking. He throws himself out looking over his shoulder, opening his mouth like he’s about to scream.
Then he gasps and looks forward again, discovering that he’s stumbled out through the door and right into a headlock.
“Well, lookee here!” Noah laughs cheerfully, wrenching Logan’s head into an even tighter hold against his ribs.
“No!” Logan shouts, panicking.
“Look who it is, and delivered right to me!” Noah lifts his delighted grey eyes to Calla. “How nice! Thank you kindly, Calla!”
“You’re welcome,” she shouts, as Noelle, Kasey, and I come outside to join her on the deli steps.
“Oh, Jesus!” Logan gasps, slapping Noah’s arm.
The rowdy crowd inside of Big Belly Deli is losing interest, but there are some interested parties out here in the parking lot. Ralph is leaning back against his car, staring up at Calla’s flaming, furious self like she’s the best sight that could ever meet his eyes.
Noah is looking at Logan in a similar way.
“Oh, Logan, Logan, Logan,” he sighs happily, tightening his grasp as Logan tries unsuccessfully to wrench himself free. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time. You know how happy I was when I got that text?”
“Assault!” Logan chokes, slapping his arm. “I’ll call the – police-”
“Yeah, you would. I know better than to think that you would give me battle. Fortunately I know someone good at persuading people not to do things like call the police. And as much as I’d love to beat the shit out of you myself, my sister needs me right now. She deserves my attention way more than you. You-” He flings Logan to Ralph, his grey eyes flashing. “Are not worth my time.”
Ralph had opened up the trunk of his car, so when Logan staggers forward all he has to do is trip him, and he falls right in.
“Hey, Logan,” he says, smiling frostily down at him. “Noah’s busy, so I’m gonna show you some parts of Ketterbridge you haven’t seen yet.”
“What – no!” Logan shouts, trying to sit up.
“Oh, don’t worry,” Ralph says reassuringly, shoving him right back down. “You’ll end up at the airport. Sooner or later. Then you can go back to France, and I’m sure you’ll sleep right through the flight. Oh, um – you didn’t need anything from the hotel, did you?”
He closes the trunk before Logan can answer, tosses his cigarette, and turns to Noelle, who’s watching with wide eyes.
“I owe you a million apology favors, Noelle,” he calls. “Consider this the first. I know you think I’m a bad guy, but sometimes it’s fun to have a bad guy in your corner!”
Noelle giggles, shaking her head in disbelief, then widens her eyes further as Calla announces: “Oh, I want in on this.”
She strides down the steps to join Ralph, who watches her adoringly.
“Sounds good,” he answers, reaching for her. “I’ve been wanting some quality time with you, after you being gone for so long.”
“Aw!” Calla brightens up, the fury slipping from her eyes. She kisses his lips once she reaches him. “Romantic!”
“Yeah,” Ralph agrees warmly, ignoring the frantic thumps emanating from his trunk. “Shall we?”
Calla gracefully drops into the car. Ralph gives Noah a salute before he takes the driver’s seat. Noah watches them go, then turns to Noelle.
She’s watching Ralph’s car drive off, staring silently after it as it turns at the end of the block and disappears. Very slowly, she turns around, and finds Noah standing right there. Gazing down at her with a worried, tentative expression on his face.
The tears that have been waiting in Noelle’s eyes ever since we left the hotel suddenly spill over.
“Noah,” she sobs quietly, then sinks into his arms when he opens them for her.
I know how little Noah wants hugs from anyone besides Raj, Mel, or Niki.
But you wouldn’t be able to tell at all, from the way he hugs Noelle back.
~~~~
I’m trying not to fall asleep again by the time we pull up in front of Nik’s house. The night has gotten very dark, and I’ve lost track of what time it is. Noah and Noelle lapsed into a long talk at the Deli, and being their ride I didn’t want to leave them. Besides, I didn’t mind hanging out, not one bit. I was just happy to see them talking like that.
But I am glad that Noah drove us back, because after all the excitement I was tired enough to pass out for a minute in the backseat. Noah’s bomber jacket and Noelle’s scarf make a decent enough pillow for me.
I’m awoken by Noah’s voice softly saying – “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” Noelle murmurs, just as quietly. “Man, though. He really didn’t give a damn about me.”
“Well, fuck him. There’s others who do. Really, really do.”
“That makes me feel better,” Noelle murmurs, with a faint smile in her voice. “I also feel better having watched Calla nearly throw him through the windows of Big Belly Deli.”
Noah breathes out a laugh. Noelle does the same, then lapses into silence for a moment.
“Is it weird that one of the things I’m most upset about is that I didn’t get the encyclopedia? I wanted that project so bad.” She lets out an agonized sigh. “Why the hell did I listen to him? They liked my style. I submitted something that wasn’t even in it.”
There’s a pause before Noah answers. “Well… if you want my opinion, I think you should send them the first version. Worst they can do is say no, right? But maybe once they see that version they’ll change their minds.”
Noelle lets out a heavy exhale.
“I guess it’s at least worth a try.” She falls silent again, then murmurs – “Why weren’t you just honest with me about all this stuff sooner? I prefer it when you are. Like you were before.”
“Just – I was just treading light, I guess. I don’t want us out of touch again… didn’t want you to want that, either.”
When Noelle answers a few seconds later, she sounds half incredulous, half exasperated.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she sniffles. “That’s the last thing I want. You think I preferred things that way? I came here determined to make things work, why would I just give up like that?”
“Oh.” Now it’s Noah’s turn to pause for a long moment. “Guess I thought it was just me determined to make things work, and you – deciding if it was worth it.”
Noelle lets out a watery laugh. “Don’t be stupid. I already knew it was worth it.”
Noah is either unable or unwilling to answer that, but after a moment I hear him draw in a big breath.
“Well, if I can be honest with you again, then I’ll tell you I don’t get these giant coats you wear,” he tells her. “It’s enough fabric for a hot air balloon.”
“My coats are stylishly oversized,” she sniffles. “Everyone gets it but you. I’ve gotten compliments from two separate Mugshot waitresses.”
“Sneaking five kids into the movie theater, that’s what it looks like.”
“I hate you,” Noelle laughs, and Noah laughs softly, too. “I’m surprised you went the route of my coats, if you’re gonna make fun of me for anything. You don’t have anything to say about Logan?”
“Mm. Just that I’m glad he’s gone.” Noah lets out a tired breath, his voice full of earnestness. “But do me a favor. Next time you get a crazy fucking idea, just run with it. Trust me. You’ve been through so much, Noey… you deserve to have some fun.”
Silence falls again.
“Can I stay here tonight?” Noelle murmurs, after a long moment.
“Duh, that’s why I brought us here. Jamie…” Noah reaches into the backseat to shake my shoulder, making me open my half-awake eyes. “You want to stay over, too? You look a little too tired to drive home.”
“Mmm… yeah, sure.” I sit up and unstrap myself, handing Noah his bomber jacket and Noelle her scarf. “Appreciate it.”
One glance at Noah’s face and I can tell I’m not the only one feeling this spent. Only Noelle is still all the way awake, since she took one of those restorative little catnaps in the car on the way here.
We all walk slowly up to the house, quiet in the glow of the Halloween lights, our breaths puffing on the air.
“I’m sorry that any of this happened,” Noah murmurs, as he stops at the front door and unlocks it. “Is there anything you can think of that would make you feel better?”
“Oh, that’s sweet,” Noelle sighs distractedly, her thoughts elsewhere. She follows Noah into the house, hanging her head. “But I-”
She breaks off as she nearly walks into Noah, who just stopped right inside the house, frozen in surprise. Noelle follows his gaze with her own, then stops still, too, staring into the living room.
I join them inside, curious to see what they’re looking at.
There’s someone in the living room. Sitting alone in the armchair, his elbows on his knees, his fingers picking at the sleeve of his threadbare sweater. He was gazing into the low-burning fire, but he turns his face to us when he hears the door, the warm glow of the flames playing across his profile and pooling in his eyes.
Gage.
He’s here. Aiden and Ripley found him. They brought him back, and despite everything that’s happened over the last few days, he’s still wearing the necklace with the chip of blue stone. I can see just the tiniest bit of it, peeking out from under his sweater.
He was clearly expecting just Noah. He goes motionless in surprise when his green and brown eyes land on Noelle.
He slowly rises to his feet, searching her eyes with his, nervously tossing his hair out of his face. His warm, tentative voice breaks the quiet with:
“Hey, Bug.”
For a silent moment, Noelle just stands there, staring at him. Then she lets out a sound that’s half a sob, half laughter. Her grey eyes light up, a genuine smile taking over her face. One so brimmingly full of radiant happiness that it far surpasses any other emotion I’ve seen on her face tonight.
“Gage!” she rasps, glowing through her tears.
She rushes straight to him, flings her arms around his neck, and kisses him.
Gage’s astonished eyes open very wide, blinking hard a few times before he closes them to eagerly kiss her back. His arms fly up to lock around her, a flaming scarlet blush rushing to his cheeks.
He stares down at her when she breaks the kiss off, evidently too stunned to move or speak. Looking like a man so far past the limits of what he’s accustomed to that he’s no longer sure where he is.
“I missed you,” Noelle laughs, sniffling. She stands on her toes to snuggle her face into his neck, taking a handful of his sweater to balance herself. “I’m so happy you’re back.”
“See – see – I can s-see that,” Gage manages, in a very unsteady voice.
Noelle drops down onto her feet, beaming up at him. She swipes her tears onto the sleeve of her coat, then laces her fingers through his.
“Is the guest room here still yours?”
“Far as I know,” Gage answers faintly, dropping his gaze to their intertwined hands.
“Then come with me.” Noelle tugs on his fingers, setting off for the stairs. “I have an idea.”
“Okay,” Gage stammers, his wide, unseeing eyes skating over our faces. He waves at us, looking bewildered. “Hey, Noah. Jamie Keane.”
“Hey, Gage!” I answer affectionately, trying and failing not to laugh. “See you later!”
“Yep, s-sounds good,” he agrees dazedly, letting Noelle pull him upstairs.
I turn to peer down the hallway with the garage door, and find Aiden and Ripley leaning into the house. Noah and I dissolve into laughter at the triumphant expressions on their faces, breaking into exhausted grins to match theirs.
We all huddle up in the living room, slapping each other’s shoulders in quiet, joyful relief.
“Thank you guys,” Noah murmurs, giving all of us a dimpled smile. “Knew you’d come through.”
“For you, man, always,” Aiden yawns.
“Oh, look,” I laugh softly, pointing at the couch. “Raj slept right through that. I didn’t even see him there.”
Noah goes over to him, letting out an affectionate laugh. “Waiting up for me. This is how it usually works out, when he tries that.”
He looks and sounds ready to sink down right next to Raj, and a moment later he does. Too heavy with relief to stay on his feet.
I must be the same way, because I don’t even remember snuggling up on the couch with Aiden. Suddenly I’m just cozied up with my head on his chest, breathing vetiver. Breathing easy. Thinking of the expression on Gage’s face when Noelle kissed him.
Smiling to myself, I close my eyes. I’d tell Aiden how happy I am, but I know he can hear it in my note.
No one needs to hear anything to know how happy Noah is as he tucks himself under Raj’s arm, and promptly falls asleep.
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