Page 136 of The Addict

I was finding it more and more difficult to ignore my attraction to Noah. Although I hadn’t labeled it before, I was aware of what it was and that it was always present. Whenever I was near him, it took me twice as long to try and divert my thoughts from his confidence and his appearance.

And now, his lips.

If I leaned in, I could taste them. Did he move closer?

“Hey LOSERS!”

Somebody kill me now.

I relinquished my hand from Noah’s as Chelsea approached our table.

Chelsea was as pleasant and regular as a damn period. Always popping up at the wrong times. Never wanted but always there. A physical pain in my gut.

Noah didn’t even try to hide his cringe. His shoulders slumped, and he reached into his pocket, pulling out and taking a drag from his vape pen.

His reaction made me buzz a little inside. Maybe what I had just felt was real and we were about to kiss after all?

Naturally, Chelsea dragged a chair up and wedged it between Noah and me. Not that there was any space to begin with for another seat, or body, but she made due. She flicked her hair in my direction and gave me a cutesy wave, leaving her freshly manicured, pink nails in my face a little too long. I swatted at her.

“Hey, so I hate to be the bearer of bad news but,” she dodged my hand and gave Noah an exaggerated pout. “Your boyfriend is in love with my TA.”

I had to work very hard not to roll my eyes. Chelsea was still under the impression that Noah and Alex were dating.

“Alex isn’t my boyfriend,” Noah said flatly, taking another puff from his vape.

“Perrrfect,” Chelsea said, nudging me with her elbow like Noah couldn’t see her acting an absolute fool. “So when are you free for me?“ she asked seductively, practically crawling into his lap.

I sucked in a breath. This bitch knows no bounds.

Noah paused, his eyes half lidded and his expression unimpressed. He rotated his body so that he was looking directly into Chelsea’s eyes. Given how intimately they were positioned, I would have assumed that I was interrupting a private moment between two lovers if I hadn’t known them.

“Chelsea, I lied about Alex being my boyfriend,” Noah stated, slowly.

I was stunned. Why would he tell her that?

“Oh, I see.” She batted her eyelashes. Unaware of the intensity I could see emanating from him, Chelsea urged, “Tell me more.” Her hand found Noah’s thigh.

“I lied about it so you’d leave me the fuck alone,” Noah kept a perfect smile on his face and spoke the words so delicately, that I nearly missed them.

Chelsea’s mouth dropped. Mine did too.

“I wasn’t interested in you then, and I’m not interested in you now.” He scooted back a bit, pressed the vape to his lips, and blew out the smoke. “Got it?”

I looked at Chelsea. She was absolutely gagged. “I–”

Ever so slowly, Noah pried her hand off his thigh. He stood, pushing his chair in, and then his eyes came back to me. I froze. As if she didn’t exist, his hand extended past Chelsea’s face and caressed my cheek.

I erupted from his touch.

“Let me know when you’d like to finish studying, Delane,” he murmured, before turning and walking away.

I couldn’t hear Chelsea’s shrieks, but I could see her hands thrown into the air, her hands shaking my shoulders and her mouth moving. Her tone might have been excited or terrified or both. I didn’t bother to decipher what she was saying. I just watched in amazement as Noah departed.

After the night I met Noah, I hadn’t even had a sip of alcohol, yet I felt drunk right now. Beyond buzzed. Shit, I was soaring. I’d never seen Chelsea turned down before, and certainly not for me.

Noah’s display left my whole body rippling for more.

And I wanted to indulge the need.