Page 25 of All of Him
I shrugged and leaned my head back against the pole. I needed to sleep—for twelve hours.
“I’ll talk to her tomorrow.” I gave in. “I think I might need a friend now more than ever.”
“I figured,” Tony answered, smiling. “I’m going to head out, but her number is on the fridge if you need it. Take care, kid.”
Having Tony around, even if he was just some guy working on my house, made me feel like I had a father figure watching over me. He was always genuinely curious about my life and concerned when I acted a little bit off. He took care of me, and I had a feeling it had nothing to do with my accident. Tony Bette was simply a nurturing person, and I owed him. So, wanting to show him that I trusted his instinct, I pulled his daughter’s number off the fridge and started something I wasn’t sure I wanted.
But it was, in all likelihood, something that I needed.
15
Amanda
I READ THE TEXTover and over, not believing the one-eighty I’d witnessed.
Noah had texted me the night before.
I need a friend. But you need to promise me that you’ll keep your prying to a minimum. Let me tell you things.
I felt honored that he had reached out to me. His admittance that he needed someone motivated me to be the best friend I’d ever been to anyone. Pushing him had paid off, though I knew I’d need to tread carefully. Noah was breakable, whether he decided to show me that side of him or not.
But he didn’t have to.
I’d already seen it in his eyes.
I sent back a simple,Promise, though there was so much I wanted to say.
I’d fallen asleep early, so I’d missed the text when it arrived. Hopefully, he hadn’t stewed, waiting for an answer the night before. Noah didn’t seem like the type to stew, but he also didn’t seem to be the type to go back on what he’d said. I wondered what had sparked the flip-flop. I couldn’t just ask though, not point-blank. I would have to build trust with him first.
“Thatwasyou who texted me last night, right?” I asked Noah as I set my bag down in his living room.
My dad and I had driven separately for the day, and I’d beaten him to the farmhouse. I’d contemplated waiting in the driveway, but Noah had opened the front door and waved me inside.
“It was,” he answered, standing awkwardly with his hands in his pockets. His smaller-than-usual T-shirt accentuated his pecs, and I had a hard time looking away.
Stop it.
“Your dad pushed me a little.”
Well, that’s embarrassing.
“Not in a bad way,” he elaborated. “But he had a point.”
I stepped closer to Noah but minded the distance, not wanting to spook him.
“Do you want to talk about what happened that made you change your mind?” I asked, remembering the way he’d been the day before.
Noah shook his head.
Figured.
“I won’t pry, like I promised. But I can’t help you very much if you don’t tell me anything.”Smooth.
“I will at some point,” he answered, leaning against the kitchen counter. “It’s just really heavy shit, and I don’t know you well enough to let you in on it just yet. I need someone to make me laugh and distract me.”
“Make you laugh?” I chuckled. “I could tell you stories about all the awkward things that have happened to me. I keep a journal of them all.”You did not have to admit that.
Noah laughed lightly and shook his head. Some “heavy shit” was going on with him at the moment, and the way he tilted his head in defeat made me open to sharing anything.
