Beloved weaknesses

CHAPTER 10- Butter and stalker

Carol's POV—
"I can't believe I'm happy you're sick. The one day that I don't wanna give the test is when you fall sick! You're an angel Noah, you have wings baby!"
"Sadist." He said with the death stare.
"What? I didn't make you fall sick okay. That is your shitty immune system." I defended myself.
"Im staying back and taking care of you until you're perfectly fit and fine."
"I'm missing school until I find another excuse, that sounds better doesn't it?" Mean, mean Noah.
"No seriously. I'm staying." I said with a pretty convincing look.
"Okay so while you stay, make me something to eat? How about tomato soup with a tint of coriander and butter?" He said with a cheery smile.
"Damn I knew it you're gonna be happy that I'm staying. Oh and, coming right up!"

I got downstairs and started to look for all the ingredients and the vessels I needed to make the soup. I thought I'd make him some cookies too, he loves them, the ones with melted chocolate chips.

I took a quick run down to my house, got the cookie mix and a wooden spoon that would help mix the dough. I came back and started heating the tomatoes and onions, put the cookie mix, butter and added a few chocolate chips and realised that he doesn't have more butter, enough for cookies and the soup but not enough for later.
So I decided that until the cookies get baked and the soup is cooked enough, I'd take a small trip to the store to get butter.

I texted Noah saying;
"I'm going to the store to get butter. Be right back, don't die."
He replied with,
"You know I'm an independent man right?"

Okay so here I was standing in front of the refrigerator thinking which brand's butter do they use!? There are end number of butters here, i don't think Noah would know which one. But I'm not going empty handed I just finished their butter. I was trying to smell each slab of butter to see if anything was similar,
when suddenly I heard this really familiar voice,hmm, raspy, like dark chocolate, "Can I help you with anything?"
When I turned around to see the person, I saw his expression change from warm and sweet, to 'what is an alien doing on earth'.
"No you don't wanna help me." Was that only thing that came out of my mouth. I was a little disappointed cause I really needed help, Noah was sick I wasted butter and I needed to go
back before the soup burns.
I think he saw it on my face.
"Umm, how can I help you ma'am?" He asked again, clearing his throat. Wow. Round 2.
"I need to know what butter Noah's mum uses, I borrowed their butter and used it all."
He picked out some barley butter and handed it to me and started to walk away, when I stopped him. "Hey Dylan, thanks."
"Anytime. You can handover the cash to me, im the only one in the store rn."
"Ohh, okay, umm how much is it?"
"7.39 dollars."
"Here you go." I handed over the money to him, and started to walk outside when I heard him say something.
"Hey umm, Carolina, why don't I drop you home yeah? Wait for 5? My shift ends then."
"Thanks, but I can go it's just butter that I've gotta carry..." I hesitated while refusing.
"No, wait please." He said with a tensed face, so I waited.

We left as soon as the next person came.
"So is Noah home?"
"Yeah, he's sick. You're not going to school?"
"I usually don't go on fridays."
"So you get the weekend to yourself?"
"Yeah." He said with a small smile.

On the way, a group of old women were walking towards us, and one of them politely asked us, "Hello kids, we're new in town. Could you tell us where will we get the best antiques, please?"
Dylan gave them a look and hissed,  "At your house."
And I couldn't control my laughter. Oh my god. We walked ahead as the oldies looked at us in disgrace.
I didn't stop laughing, we were at Noah's now. I asked him if he wanted to, but when I turned around he was gone. So, I started putting the soup in the bowl and checking on the cookies.

Noah's POV—
I heard the door close, but what I heard carefully was her adorable laugh. I heard heavy footsteps up the stairs, but she barely weighs an ounce.
I got up immediately and opened to door to see who was it, it was Dylan..?
"You kicked out bro?" I questioned him.
"What? You and Carolina get cracked by the day. You more!"
"Shut up. What's up? You came with Cara?"
"Yeah now I got something to talk to you about."
"Full hands! Open the door please!" Carolina sang from the other side of the door.
Dylan hurried and opened the door, she gave him a confused look but I thought they came together.
"I thought you left Casper the unfriendly ghost." She narrowed her eyes at Dylan.
"No I need to talk to Noah, how about you get out?"
"Wow! You take a second before you turn from 'Dylan the new friend' to 'Dylan the mean bitch'!"
"The new friend?" I asked. "Am I missing something here?"
"He offered to drop me here and now he's acting like I'm his chauffeur!"
"You dropped her?" I asked Dylan again.
"You can say that." He answered with a straight face.
"Okay. Cara could you get out please?" I told her. This was serious Dylan doesn't do this and he wouldn't, not with Carolina out of all people.
"You guys can have fun. I'm going home and I'm not talking to you." She got mad and left.

"Noah Carolina is being followed. I saw this girl coming in the store from the cctv and a man with a hood was following her. I thought she was here to shoplift so I went behind her and to check on her, I asked her if I could help with anything. And when she turned around I saw it was Carolina. I thought she was shoplifting, but then she told me she wanted butter for your house so I told her I'd come with you to see how she reacts but then we came straight to your place. So it's confirmed that she's not a thief. But I saw that man come behind us half way until we met this group of old ladies and I didn't stop staring at him. He saw that I noticed so he went elsewhere."
"Okay now breathe Dylan."
I can't believe him right now. But I have a feeling it's true, I'm not considering the man to be a normal person passing by because of what happened that night when we were baking. But I don't know what to do, if something bad is coming her way i don't know how to stop it.

"We should tell her Dylan."
"Noah have you lost your mind? She's going to start crying with the stupid immature brat that she is."
"This is about her. She has to have a say in how should we handle this. Me sorry me. Not you. Me. No we. Me and her. We."
"What do you mean not me?" He asked as if he was the first saint born in Los Angeles!
"Wouldn't Rachel deny you to help us in anyway?"
"Noah you're being ridiculous."
"No you have been ridiculous this whole time Dylan! You always tell us what's going on! Are you dating her, are you crushing on her, are y'all married? What the hell is going on with you!?" I almost yelled at him but my cough made a fool out of me.
"Enough! You want to assume things, go ahead. I'll let you solve your mystery by yourself. But I'm here if you need anything."
Asshole.
"I need to leave now. I'll call you later."
"Can you go to Cara's and tell her to come back? She won't talk to me." I asked Dylan.

"Me?"
"No I'm talking to my non existent turtle!"
"No."
"Dylan."
"Fine. I'll go. But I'm not begging."