[Complete] Noise and Kisses {chicklit}

11

The next day, as I'm singing along to Paramore and cleaning my room, I hear a knock at the front door. Mum answers and I turn down the music and walk to my bedroom door to hear who it is.

"Erm, hi there! I'm Ben, one of Holly's friends. Is she here?"

"Oh! Hi Ben, I'm Sandra. She's upstairs, cleaning her room, hold on - Holly!" Mum shouts up the stairs. I'm still in my pjs and my hair is haphazardly piled on my head. I look a mess!

"Just a minute!" I shout down the stairs, but I hear Mum say, "just go on up dear - it's the room at the end of the hall."

Groaning and with no time to do any damage control, I quickly dash to the mirror to let down my hair and remove any make-up streaks from the night before. I hear a gentle tap on the door and see Ben walk in, looking a little worse for wear.

"Hey..." he says, awkwardly.

My heart squeezes at the sight of him, but after last night, I need him to know that I'm still pretty angry. "So, you're making house calls again, huh? What do you want?"

He takes a seat on my bed and exhales deeply. "I wanted to see if you were ok after last night. You left pretty quickly."

"Yeah, no surprises there. It was difficult to enjoy myself after the shit you pulled. What the hell was that?"

He sighs. "I've been trying to think about how to explain it, but in every way, I come across like an arsehole."

"Well, if the shoe fits..."

Ben shifts uncomfortably and clears his throat. "Fuck, this is uncomfortable... I... think I might've been a bit jealous. Not really been jealous before... didn't take it too well. So, I got drunk and had this grand idea to gate-crash your date." He keeps his eyes focused on his hands as he picks at the skin around his nails.

"But I've already told you, Pete and I are just friends."

"Yeah, but Holly... you don't get it! He's really into you. I knew it at the skate park. It's an unspoken guy rule, you were mine first. I know it sounds fucked up, and it is - but he knows he has to keep his feelings hidden. And he definitely shouldn't be taking you out on dates!"

"It wasn't a date!"

"Not to you, maybe, but it was to him."

I lean against my desk and exhale. "But you don't do girlfriends... so, what? I'm just stuck here, unable to meet someone else or move on? No way!"

Ben begins to trace his finger around the stars on my duvet cover. "I didn't do girlfriends... but, maybe, I could try." I look over at him, stunned by his words but unsure what to say.

"Just give me a chance... don't give up on me yet," He pleads, lifting his eyes to look at me.

As we sit in silence, my mum's Sheffield drawl pulls me out of my thoughts.

"Holly! Just brewed some fresh coffee, would you and your friend like some?"

I look over to Ben, who is nodding with a desperate expression on his face. That hangover must be kicking in big time.

"Please! We'll be down in a minute." I shout back.

"After we've had coffee, I'm taking you out." He says, standing to his feet.

"What? Where?" I ask, unsure whether I should join him.

"You'll see." he says, plodding his way down the stairs.

In the kitchen, he's the perfect gentleman to my mum and I can tell she's charmed by him already.

"Wow, Sandra. This coffee is delicious - what's the secret?"