Page 100 of All of Him
Instead, Claude spoke first.
“If the right reasons presented themselves, sure. But not forever. Is Noah okay?”
I looked between the two of them, surprised they knew who I was talking about. Oscar rolled his eyes, as if I was an idiot to assume they had no idea. “Come on, Amanda.” Claude laughed. “I see you two. There’s magic there. So, what’s the problem?”
“If he loves you too,” Oscar said, not letting me answer Claude’s question, “then it’s worth the wait. Love is patient, just like that damn Bible quote people like.”
I took another sip of the scotch, trying to digest what he’d said, though I was relieved that he agreed with what I was doing, even without knowing the story.
“So, what do I do with the doubters?” I asked, referring to Teel and Delia.
“Fuck ’em,” Claude said, shrugging.
“And what if the doubters are important to me?” I pressed.
Claude looked to Oscar, who was staring at the ceiling, as if it contained the correct answer. By the way his face remained stoic through the thought process, I knew there was going to be a good nugget of wisdom for me.
After a minute or so, his eyes found mine, and he spoke slowly.
“If this love you’re waiting for is as important as your relationship with the people doubting it, you need to follow your heart. Keep waiting until you can’t wait anymore. When the time comes, you show them that love you’ve been waiting for. Be happy in front of them. Let them know you’re okay. You need to make decisions for yourself. And even if it doesn’t work out in the end, you need to make mistakes to grow up. Is this love real for you?”
“Very,” I responded, feeling as if I could tell them anything. “I have never felt like this before. I’ve never even said those words to a man before.”
“Then, you wait,” Oscar finished, nodding. “And when the time comes, you show off the happiness you feel. People who love you will let you love who you want. The other people don’t matter.”
56
Noah
I SHOULD HAVE KNOWNthat Teel’s reaction to Amanda being at my house wouldn’t be subtle. I just didn’t think she’d pound on my door for the entire thirty seconds it took me to reach it.
“Hey,” I said, exasperated from rushing, but also not sure how to react.
I held the door open for her, and she basically stomped in, totally ignoring the fact that I was wearing pajama pants.
“Hey?” she asked, folding her arms. “Hey?! What thefuck, Noah?”
I opened my mouth but couldn’t find any words. I had no idea what she wanted me to say. Instead, I walked into the living room, gesturing for her to sit on the couch. She shook her head, so I just stood there, looking at her, unsure of how the conversation would even start.
“Teel, I really don’t know—”
“You broke my sister’s heart and then led her on last night?! What the hell is wrong with you, Noah? That girl is crazy about you, and she’s never been crazy about anyone, and you’re just asking her to wait so that you get your fling?”
“Whoa!” I yelled back. I wasn’t trying to be nasty toward her, but she had raised her voice at me, accusing me of something that I was absolutely not doing. Clearly, Amanda had kept things to herself. “Hold on!”
Teel moved her hands to her hips, breathing heavily through her nose.
“Listen,” I started again, calm, “I get that you’re angry. And with what you’re saying, I also get that Manda has told younothing. That’s probably my fault.” I paused, trying to gauge her reaction, but she was still fuming.
“Teel,” I continued, “did I ask your sister to wait for me? Yes. Did I start something with her prematurely? Yes. But you have to understand that if I didn’t feel the way I do about her, I never would have asked her to wait.”
Teel’s face softened but only slightly.
“So, you love her,” she said flatly. “Amanda didn’t tell me that.”
“I didn’t think she would,” I responded. “But, yes, I love her. So much. And I’ve got some kinks to work out with myself. But I promise you that I am still there for her right now and want nothing more than to be with her in the future—near and far.”
“Why wait?” she whispered. “If you love each other that much, shouldn’t some kinks be your first challenge together? She’s seen you at your worst, yes?”
