Shy Love [#wattys2016]

Chapter Forty

Jamie

I find myself laughing as I watch Noah in the water with Sammie and Josh, just having fun with them and completely treating them as if they were his own siblings. It's part of why I love Noah. He has completely accepted my family. He doesn't act nervous or awkward around them, he is totally comfortable around them, as he should be.

It is also comforting how fast my family took to him. My dad has always been an accepting person but he has always been quite wary of people, especially people that try to get close to me.

It took my dad a long time to see that Maggie was a true friend to me. But now that he sees she is always there for me, especially when I need her most, he loves her like his own daughter.

My mom, however, is quite opposite. She is very fast to accept people and maybe that is one of her faults. All through her life she has let people in so easily and they always end up hurting her. Everyone excpet for my dad, that is. He has stayed with her forever. She gave him her trust, and he gave her his love. That is part of the reason his sudden news makes me so sad. Yes, we are losing not just a father, a husband, and a great person. But my mom is loosing the only person who she could ever fully trust.

"Hey." Noah says, swimming up to me.
"Hey." I say back, smiling.

Noah places his arms on either side of the pools ledge, "you okay?" He asks me.

"Yeah of course."

Noah shoots me a skeptical look, "are you sure? You seem sort of down."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about some stuff." I say, and motion my head a little towards my dad.

Noah's face instantly grows sympathetic, "I'm so sorry Jamie."

I shrug it off but on the inside I am screaming in pain.

"It's okay," I lie, "wanna go get a drink?"

"Yeah for sure." He replies, getting fully out of the pool, walking side by side with me.

***

"Two mango smoothies please." Noah tells the server.

"Coming right up." He replies in a thick Italian accent.

Noah turns to me, "what do you think so far?"

"About Italy?"

"Yeah."

"I absolutely love it. I wish we came on better circumstances, but all the same Italy is an incredible gorgeous place."

"It is. Italy is by far the best place I have ever been."

"Italy is the only place you've ever been." I tease, poking him in the ribs.

Noah considers this, "true. I don't have anything to compare it to. Even if I did, this would he my favorite."

"We'll see about that." I say.

Noah raises an eyebrow at my sudden determination.

"I'm going to bring you some place where we can compare this to."

Noah grabs my hand gently and smiles, "I'd like that."

"Me too."

"Two mango smoothies," says the man, interupting our little moment.

"Us, thank you." I say, grabbing both drinks, passing one to Noah, and taking a sip of mine.

"Mmmm." I moan, closing my eyes, "soo good."

When I finally open my eyes again after a few more long sips, I see Noah trying to contain his laughter.

"What?" I ask, my smile growing.

"That definitely didn't sound like you were taking a sip of a smoothie."

I smirk, "what did it sound like Noah?"

He just shakes his head and walks off, sipping his own smoothie, while I watch his retreating back, gobsmacked at what he was implying.

The rest of the day is spent lounging by the pool and drinking more of those delicious mango smoothies. I also tried a coconut one but it wasn't nearly as good.

Noah continued to splash along in the pool with the twins, and eventually even got me to join along in the fun.

"Come on," he urged me.

"Can't," I said, tapping the glass holding my smoothie, "I'm a bit occupied."

"Yes, I could hear." He says smirking at me.

My jaw drops, "oh, you've asked for it."

I rush out of my chair, and slip out of my cover, revealing my black bikini.

I feel exposed, I have always hated wearing minimal clothing, but I guess it is unavoidable when you're swimming.

I walk over to the pool, blushing as Noah's eyes rake over me.

"What?" I ask him.

"I-I-yo-I" he stutters, "I have never seen anyone as gorgeous as you are babe."

I smile, and look down at my manicured toes, avoiding the heat of his gaze on me.

Noah gets out of the water, tilting my chin up with his hand, forcing me to look at him.

"Jamie, you're beautiful. Don't ever get embarrassed when I say that. You know that I don't say things I don't mean. I love you and you're the most stunning girl in the world. You have nothing to be ashamed of." He tells me.

"Okay." I say.

Noah kisses my lips gently, "let's go swimming now."

I nod, and we hop into the water, splashing eachother on the way down. We swim and float about, not having a care in the world as long as we have eachother. And that's exactly the way it should be.

***

"Alright, here's the restaurant. It looks nice right?" My dad asks, as we approach a giant building.

"Nice? This place looks like something Gordon Ramsey would own!" I say.

My dad just laughs, "let's go in then."

***

I sit down at the table, looking at the pile of food on my plate in front of me. Wondering how I am possible going to eat that.

I decide to dive right in, not caring about manners.

The food is absolutely delicious. By far the best thing I have ever tasted.

"Mmmm." I let out.

Noah laughs, "not again."

I shoot him a look and we both just start laughing.

Halfway through the meal I get a thought, and begin to furrow my eyebrows.

Noticing my sudden mood change my mom asks, "what's wrong sweetie?"

I sigh, "I don't know how I am ever going to go back to the food in Canada after we leave."

The whole table erupts in laughter, as do I and that is how the rest of the night goes, full of laughter, good food, and family.
***

Thank you to AceParkerJ for my amazing cover!

Hope you all liked this chapter!

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-Maxine