Chapter 71 — Needs

Emily's POV

I placed my hands on his chest and pushed him away from me, but his hold on my waist was strong enough to not let that happen.

He hungrily kissed my mouth, and I desperately tried to look for an escape. He caged me in between his body that wasn't budging and his car. His mouth tasted of alcohol and I felt disgusted with myself by letting him kiss me the way he was.

There was no trace of the Aaron I knew at all. He was a completely different person right now. Nothing was sweet about him anymore.

"Kiss me," he growled against my mouth and started sucking the skin of my neck.

"Aaron, stop," I pushed him away with all the strength I had but he still managed to get control of the situation.

"Not today," he groaned and captured my lips once again. He sought for an entrance but I denied and gritted my teeth together, not allowing him to do what he wanted to.

"Tell me you want me. Kiss me back, Emily," he pushed me further towards the car and ground his body against mine.

"Stop, you're drunk," I yelled and kicked him with my knee but he was quick to get a hold of it and press it against his body in a way that I wasn't able to move it anymore.

"That's a plus," he chuckled humorlessly and sucked my collarbone, surely bruising it in the process.

"Aaron, please stop, "I cried and started pounding my fists on his shoulders.

He pulled away and looked at me from underneath his lashes. His eyes were red and dangerous, not even close to the warmth they once spread.

"What huh? You can't kiss me? You can't let me touch you? But you can hang around with the so-called 'best friend' of yours and wear his clothes?" 

"I can do whatever I want," I said slowly, my voice dangerously low and cold.

"Then same goes for me," he smirked and crashed his body against mine once again, knocking my breath out for a moment.

He started unzipping my blouse and I protested against his mouth, mumbling an incoherent series of profanities.

"You're such a tempting bitch," he growled and struggled to unzip my blouse. My hands and my knees were under his weight and I was completely helpless.

"Stop," I cried.

Suddenly the weight was lifted off of my body and I felt my knees give up, making me lean on the car behind me. I sighed and placed my hand on my heart, which was going to explode out of its chest any second now.

I lifted my gaze up to see my savior and was met with a pair of shoulders I could recognize in hundreds of people.

Aaron was lying lifeless on the floor and Noah was kicking him like there was no tomorrow. He was continuously cursing under his breath and his hair was messed up like he had pulled him with all his force.

"You don't come near her EVER. AGAIN" Noah emphasized each word that surprisingly made Aaron chuckle.

"It was you the whole time, wasn't it?" he said in between of fits of coughs and chuckles.

Noah scrunched his face in confusion and took a step closer to him, "Shut the fuck up and get away from here if you don't want me to kill you today." Noah warned in a low voice and resumed kicking him with all that he had.

I knew even if Aaron was a year or two older than us, he had no chance in front of Noah.

I couldn't let this happen to him. Even after what he did today. All those times he was the one who was always by my side and he was the one who made me forget about the reality of life even if it was for a short time.

"Noah enough," I said but Noah didn't seem to have heard me.

"Noah, stop!" I said and he stopped kicking him at once.

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He turned around and came nearer to me. An expression of hurt on his face.

And in a swift motion, I was thrown on his shoulder and he was walking in the direction of his house without bothering to tell me anything.

See I didn't like to be ruled around. But in front of Noah, I had all my guards down and even if I wanted to protest I just couldn't. He always seemed to be the dominant one in our...whatever you call this relationship.

So I didn't protest. I just let him take me wherever he wanted to because I trusted him. I trusted him with all I had and I knew even if he wanted to, he could never intentionally hurt me.

Noah burst open the door of his bedroom and practically threw me on his bed. I wrapped his blankets around my shivering body and immediately felt my senses calm down.

Noah stared at me for some moments before running a hand through his hair in frustration. He took one last look at me and opened the door before stepping outside and slamming it shut behind him. I heard footsteps going down the stairs and then a loud bang of the door.

Then I knew he was out of the house, leaving me all alone in his room.

I laid down on his pillow and wrapped my arms around my body.

How I wished he was here with me to embrace me with the warmth I desperately needed.

I felt so bad that Noah had to come to my rescue again. I was such a pathetic excuse of a friend who couldn't do anything else other than getting herself in trouble or upset everyone.

I didn't know how long I laid there, staring at particularly nothing and filling my senses up with his scent but after what seemed hours, my eyelids started drooping down and before I knew, sleep consumed me, enveloping me in its darkness.

*********

I stared at the clock in front of my eyes and rubbed my hands on my arms for the umpteenth time. I woke up a while ago and now I was contemplating whether to go outside and see Noah myself or wait here for him to come and make things okay with me.

Because I was tired.

Tired of his continuous bipolar attitude. One moment he would act as if he couldn't give two shits about me and the second moment his eyes would give away something that would keep me awake for weeks.

I decided to confront him. Enough was enough. Both of us had tried running from the situation but we both knew that we would eventually come back to the other.

So there was absolutely no point in prolonging the inevitable.

I made up my mind to ask him what the hell was his problem and why was he acting like this.

I stood up from the bed and almost tripped on my own feet. I cursed when I noticed how long my skirt was and how difficult would it be for me to handle the situation wearing something like that.

I sighed and made my way to Noah's walk-in-closet. I knew invading someone's privacy was wrong but hey it wasn't like I had any other choice. And going to my own place meant being bombarded with a lot of questions about my whereabouts that I didn't have time to answer right now.

I went through his clothes and stopped when I saw a grey sweatshirt. I pulled it out and instantly decided to wear it. I was already wearing my black leggings underneath the dress so pants weren't a problem. As I was about to change, my eyes landed on some metallic thing in his cupboard, behind his tee-shirts and me being curious as always, took it out.

My heart stopped beating in my chest when I saw what it was.

It was a photo frame that had a picture of me and William sitting on the couch. I had my hand clutching my stomach and my head was lifted heavenwards. I was laughing with William's hand on my shoulder and his grin bigger than New York. Both of us were seemed so happy, so carefree in this picture.

I remembered the moment but what I didn't remember was when Noah took this picture. It was the day I laughed with William so hard that I had thought I broke my ribs.

I sighed and hugged the picture to my chest, closing my eyes and regaining my composure.

I wouldn't break. 

Not here. Not anymore.

I stripped out of my clothes and pulled his shirt on before running a hand through my hair and untangling the knots.

When I made sure that I looked somewhat presentable, I made my way downstairs and saw William sitting on the couch with a mug of coffee and a magazine in his hands.

He looked up from the magazine and his face lit up when he saw me standing in the doorway.

He smiled knowingly and put the magazine aside, "Hey kid."

"Morning," I smiled and walked closer to him.

"Actually I was looking for Noah...."I trailed off and I swear I saw a hint of amusement in William's expressions but the way he masked it made me doubt it.

"Noah hadn't come home since last night," he sighed sadly and I felt my heart squeeze inside my chest.

Just when I thought I'd make things better again.

"Oh."

"Do you have any idea where he went?" I was even surprised myself how desperate and urgent my voice sounded.

He rubbed his chin and then shook his head no, "I really don't know about his whereabouts since we moved in here." He sighed and I clutched the edge of the couch tighter in my hand.

Then an idea popped up in my mind.

Kyle.

"Do you have Kyle's mobile number?" I asked and crossed my fingers, hoping for luck to be on side.

"I don't but I do know that he isn't with Kyle right now. As far as I know Noah, he would never be with a friend right now," he thoughtfully rubbed his chin and I further sunk back into the couch.

"Coffee?" he tried to cheer me up but I simply smiled and shook my head.

I wanted to see him right now. 

No wait let me correct myself, I needed to see him right now.

I fidgeted with my fingers and thought about anything that would lead me to Noah.

"Don't you know where he would be? You two always hung out together. A place he loved to go, perhaps?" he mused and I fell in deep thoughts again.

Noah and I always hung out either at his place or at schoo—Wait, maybe he could be at the lake?

I knew it was a really stupid thought but maybe, just maybe there was a tiny bit possibility of him going there.

I mean the lake was calm and quiet, a place where you'd want to go whenever you felt low.

Plus he seemed to like it when I took him there for the first time.

I didn't even know when had I stood up from the couch and was making my way towards the door until William called my name and I turned around to look at him.

"Good luck," there was a knowing smile on his face and I nodded before turning back and flying out of the door.

I was going to find him today.