Page 73 of All of Him
“About what?” I pressed. “About me?”
Noah shook his head adamantly.
“Aboutmyself.” He shrugged. “I have a lot going on in my head—I always do. Can you just trust me?”
I wanted to keep pushing, to get some kind of real answer out of him. In reality, our friendship had progressed well, andnotpushing him had obviously had a positive impact on that. The last thing I needed was for him to retreat back to where he’d been when we first met right before we crossed the ocean together. I had to trust him, though it wasn’t easy.
I stepped forward again, falling back into Noah’s arms. He didn’t resist, but he also barely embraced me in return. His hands lazily landed on my lower back despite the desperate squeeze I’d offered. Still, I savored the moment.
“I trust you,” I whispered. “And I’m here if you need me. But can you answer one tough question?”
Noah hesitated and swallowed hard, but I only held him more tightly, afraid to see his reaction to my words.
“Try me,” he sighed.
“Am I imagining a change in chemistry here?”
Noah was silent, loosening his grip on the hug yet kissing the top of my head before pulling completely away. One side of his lips turned up into a smile as he turned, taking a few steps back to the apartment.
“No,” he said, his eyes on the ground and his hands in his pockets. He paused, turning to glance at me one more time, his face neutral. “You’re not imagining a thing.”
“So, a new car, huh?” Dad asked after dropping his fork. “Is it a V6?”
“Yeah,” Noah answered. “It runs well and gets decent gas mileage too.” Dad nodded in approval but kept his eye on Noah. I’d just told him earlier that day about Ireland, and I wasn’t so sure what he thought about it. While Iwasan adult, I still felt more comfortable with something if my dad approved of it. He’d been great with Noah, but with the way we had been hanging out more, he was starting to go intooverprotective dadmode.
“So, you’re here for Amanda’s family Christmas Eve dinner,andyou asked her to go to Ireland with you next month. Is there something going on?” Dad asked.
Teel and I looked at Noah in suspense. He looked taken aback by the comment, but not annoyed.
“I’m not trying to grill you,” Dad continued. “I just want to know why you asked her to go.”
“I have to do something difficult while I’m there, and Amanda’s the best support I have,” Noah answered honestly.
Unlucky for him, I got my pushiness from my father. He wasn’t going to let that be.WhywasNoah going to Ireland? Dad would give him a pass on that question. He knew something terrible had happened. Why had he askedme? Dad needed a better answer.
“So…” Dad continued. His face was stern, but not angry. He just wanted the full story.
Still, I felt bad for Noah. I should have seen the conversation coming. “You guys are going to go with thejust friendsthing? You don’t have any intentions of dating my baby girl?”
“Dad…” I protested, holding a hand up.
“No, it’s okay, Amanda,” Noah said. He gave me a quick smile and nudged my foot under the table, as if to tell me to relax. “Tony,” he continued, “Amanda and I are just friends. We’re close, and I can’t promise nothing will ever happen. But as far as I can see right now, there’s nothing going on.”
Except maybe that kiss.
“Is that true, Amanda?” Dad asked, putting me in the hot seat.
Teel and Delia were loving the drilling, trying not to smile. He’d done the same thing with Delia when she and Teel came out as a couple. Noah pleaded with me with his eyes to give the same answer.
“We’re just friends, Dad,” I answered honestly, though I felt in my heart that it wasn’t true. “Noah is a good guy though, in case you ever need to worry about us being more.”
“Okay,” Dad sighed, finally satisfied with the answers we’d given him. “Now, let’s go take a look at that car.”
Teel cornered me in my bedroom later that night after Dad and Noah left. I should have expected it, but I was still thrown off when she closed my door behind her and sat on my bed with intention.
“Spill,” she deadpanned. “I need you to spill everything going on between you and Noah Murphy.”
I looked around the room, as if the correct response lay somewhere but it didn’t.
