Noah and I met at the university of Plymouth 8 years ago. I was in my first year, a nineteen year old girl ready to experience life. I was studying Events Management, living halls with 12 other people in my block. It was the first time I'd lived away from my parents, and though I was absolutely petrified, I was so excited to be free.
I wasn't a shy girl, I'd always had a lot of friends throughout school and college, I wasn't 'popular' just friendly. I'd been 5'3 since I was 14, I had long chestnut coloured hair which I often wore tied up in a knot on the top of my head. I wore tops that fitted looselyover my slim body, often teamed with a pair of leggings. That's how Noah remember's me to be anyway.
We met in the library 3 months into my first year. The way the computers were set out meant that you were constantly in full few of the person in front of you, no matter how hard you tried you always ended up catching their eye. Normally it was a bit awkward, the people in the library tended to be a bit strange, I'm sure they are all lovely people, just not for me. As it was coming up to the end of the semester, there were different people in the library to normal. They were all cramming for exams or struggling to finish assessments before they were due to be handed in. Usually I would sink down in my chair to avoid eye contact, however due to the change of people, I thought I'd have a good old gaze around before resting my eyes on the person in front of me, locking eyes with a scruffy looking boy, Noah.
I'd never seen eye's so blue, they we're bloody gorgeous! I swear he could hypnotise me with those eyes, they were brighter and bluer then the warmest sea. His hair flopped over his face, a dirty brown colour, if i saw him in the street I'd of said his hair needed a good old wash, but his just complimented his face. It complimented his face even more so when he beamed a smile at me across the computers. My heart melted then and their.
I blushed and looked straight back down to the keyboard to finish my work. I spent the next couple of hours trying to resist staring at him again, I didn't want him to think I was some weird person, so I just carried on writing my assignments until he left. I took another sneaky glance at him as he walked out the room, he was tall, stacked and handsome, I'd definitely just got my first university crush.
*
Once you've smiled at someone and held eye contact for that little bit too long, like Noah and I did in the library that day, you for some reason see them everywhere you go. There is no escaping them. Obviously I didn't see this as much of a problem because I'd locked eyes with a very good looking lad. Every time I went to a lecture I passed him, he flashed that same grin at me each time, making me feel so relaxed inside, I'd instantly smile back and then spend the next 3 hours of my lecture worrying if I had something on my face or the remains of my lunch in my teeth.
It wasn't until about 6 weeks later, when i was out in town with the girls from my halls, that Noah approached me.
"Gracie, that boy you always see is full on staring at you!" My best friend in University, Poppy, delighted in informing me that everything I wanted was about to happen, as Noah made his way over.
"Oh my God, Poppy! He's coming over, I think I might die" I blushed. We'd all been drinking, you'd think this would calm your nerves, but I was nineteen and about to be approached by the boy I'd been lusting over for six weeks, how the hell would you be reacting right now? Exactly.
"Hello, my name is Noah, can I buy you a drink?" His voice was deep and delicious.
In my head I was screaming, of course you can bloody buy me a drink. "Yes" I smiled back at him.
It went from there. We exchanged numbers, met up again on various nights out, he took me for dates, he devoured me in flowers, hugs and kisses. I didn't think university would be this incredible. But it was.
When summer came we had to go our separate ways for a while. I lived in Hampshire and Noah lived in Cornwall, but we made sure we met up over the break, introducing one another to each others families. Our relationship was strong and we we're falling in love.
*
Noah was two years older then me, however due to gap years, we entered our second year of university together, getting a student house with 3 of our friends for the remainder of Uni. We spent nights on the beach, we had house parties, we studied and we stayed together. Of course we had our ups and downs, but university was stressful, and luckily we had our friends to keep us sane and happy.
*
Two years on and we'd both finished at university, we were packed up and ready to say our goodbyes to everyone; but not to one another. We'd found a little house not far from the university to move into, close to the beach where we'd spent much of our student life's having barbeque's with our friends. It was quite perfect i'd say.
OK, so it wasn't a little house at all and we didn't exactly 'find' it. Noah and his Grandpa Joe absolutely adored one another. When Grandpa Joe found out we'd graduated, he sent us on our way to take over his 'Plymouth Getaway'. So there we were, moving into Grandpa Joe's 3 bedroom cottage, 5 minutes from the beach. It had a white picket fence and a garden full of apple trees. I was so grateful and so happy.
Noah got a job as a full time teacher in an infant school which he was totally thrilled about. Myself however, had spent the last few months of university waddling around like a penguin about to explode. Noah said he was so drunk he hadn't realised the condom had broken. Thanks Noah. It was OK, I still got my degree, work could wait, I'd experienced life, I was 22, I could have a baby.
