Chapter 79 Chapter Seventy Nine
"Are you sure about this?"
I was sitting in Noah's car the next morning; his Rolls Royce that had just been flown in yesterday, all sleek black exterior and red leather interior that probably cost more than my house, staring at my reflection in the visor mirror.
The dress I'd chosen was the prettiest thing I owned. A blue fit-and-flare with tiny sparkles woven into the fabric that caught the light and shimmered when I moved.
I found it in my mom’s closet two years ago and begged her to let me have it, and she did, so I decided to save it for a special day. And it didn’t get any more special than this.
It was casual enough for school but elegant enough to feel like a fresh start. A new beginning. Lena 2.0.
I loved it, I thought it was beautiful.
But sitting here, about to walk into school on Noah Dawson's arm, I felt my courage wavering.
Noah turned to look at me, and God, he looked good.
He was wearing a blue button-down that matched my dress almost perfectly, aviator sunglasses pushed up into his artfully messy hair, and that confident smile that made it seem like he owned the world.
"You look beautiful," he said, and the way he said it, like it was just a fact and not a compliment, made my cheeks warm.
I fidgeted with the hem of my dress. "I just… I mean what if this doesn't work? What if everyone thinks—"
"Lena." He reached over and took my hand. "Do you trust me?"
I thought about yesterday again, just like I’d been thinking about it all night, unable to sleep a wink. He’d been so certain… and the way he'd kissed me like he meant it…
"Right. Yeah. Forget about it." I squared my shoulders. "Of course I'm sure."
"That's my girl." Noah's grin widened. He climbed out and came around to my side, opening the door and bowing royally with his arm stretched out. "Ready to make an entrance?"
I took his offered hand and stepped out.
The parking lot was already half-full, students milling around before the first bell. I could feel eyes turning toward us, staring at us curiously.
Noah didn't let go of my hand. Instead, he laced our fingers together and started walking toward the main entrance as if we did this every day.
"Just follow my lead," he murmured.
We made it about ten feet before he stopped abruptly, turning to face me.
"What are you…."
He cupped my face with his free hand and kissed me.
Not a peck. A real kiss, right on the lips. The kind that made it absolutely clear what we were to each other for everyone to see.
When he pulled back, I was breathless and blushing furiously.
"There," he said softly, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "Now everyone knows."
The parking lot had gone quiet.
I could feel dozens of eyes on us, and phones were definitely pointed in our direction, recording everything.
I shuddered to think what would happen if Jace got his eyes on one of those videos.
No, Lena. You can’t think about him anymore, I reminded myself. Besides, he's clearly late for school, as usual. He isn't here yet.
Noah took my hand again and we kept walking, his thumb tracing circles on my palm like this was the most natural thing in the world.
"Oh my God! I can’t believe it!”
Nicole came running up, Jake trailing behind her with an amused expression.
"Are you two going out?" Nicole's eyes were huge, darting between our matching outfits and linked hands. "Your matching outfits are so cute! When did this happen?"
I opened my mouth, not sure what to say. We'd planned this, but actually saying the words out loud..
"Sweetheart." Noah squeezed my hand encouragingly. "Go on, tell them."
“He called her sweetheart… Aww, Jake! Did you hear that?” Nicole squealed.
I swallowed hard. "We're... boyfriend and girlfriend."
Nicole squealed and threw her arms around me. "Oh my God! I'm so happy for you guys! This is amazing!"
Jake clapped Noah on the shoulder. "Damn, man. That was fast."
"When you know, you know." Noah shrugged, but he was smiling.
Around us, the reaction was mixed. Nicole was thrilled, and Jake seemed genuinely happy. But I could hear whispers starting up, out of the corner of my eyes I spotted groups of girls huddled together, their expressions ranging from shocked to outright hostile.
"This is so sudden though," Nicole was saying. "Like, two days ago you barely knew each other and now…"
"Sometimes it just clicks," Noah said smoothly. "Right, Lena?"
"Right," I managed.
We started walking again, Nicole chattering excitedly “We HAVE to go on double dates now, as soon as I find a boyfriend!”
Jake scoffed and said, “Poor guy, I haven’t met him and I pity him already.”
Nicole groaned and rolled her eyes. “You only had one girlfriend in your life and that was in middle school, and she left you for another kid with rollerskates. So shut it!”
Noah started laughing; meanwhile, Jace muttered, “Whatever.”
Nicole whispered to me, “Don’t pay attention to him, he’s just jealous. Anywayyyyy…. I suspected something was up between you two yesterday at Marco's.”
She winked and wiggled her eyebrows at me while I blushed hard. “How did he ask you to be his girlfriend? Was it romantic? Like did he get you flowers and…”
I was just starting to relax when someone stepped directly into my path. One second I was walking and the next, Splash!
Boba tea, bright purple taro milk tea, splashed across the front of my dress. I looked down in horror at my ruined clothes, then looked up to see who had done it.