Nathan Marsh's State of Being

Chapter Fifteen

transfixed

I tried to forget what Nina said to me. I filled my time the rest of the week with classes, studying, and playing video games with Harley until I almost passed out late at night.

I definitely did not touch Chéri again. I couldn't if I wanted to forget.

And by the end of the week, I was pretty successful.

But then Sunday evening hit and Noel walked through our door. Nina's words rushed back to me with one glance at his face and my gaze instinctively shot across the room at Noel's bed where I'd washed his sheets twice just to make sure they were really clean before putting it back together.

I felt my ears burn and I was glad my messy hair had now gotten long enough on the sides to cover the red tips.

Noel smiled softly at me.

"Hey."

I nodded. "Hi. You seem like you're in a better mood than last week."

Noel didn't answer but he dropped his things on the floor by his wardrobe with his back to me. Then he turned around and he had a teasing smirk on his face. He came over to me where I sat on my own bed and I blinked up at him feeling a little unsettled. He crossed his arms and his lean biceps flexed beneath the sleeves of his shirt.

I brought part of my bottom lip into my mouth to work on it with my teeth while Noel was just staring at me.

"Uhm," I muttered, flicking my gaze around awkwardly. His eyes were shining and intimidating. "You okay?"

Noel's face broke out in a sly grin that had me cringing on the inside. "What did you do on my bed?"

My eyes went wide and I couldn't look at him. Of course he knew. "I didn't mean to. You know Nina, man. She's...I washed everything," I insisted, gesturing at the other side of the room. "Twice. I promise."

Noel laughed beautifully. He looked over his shoulder at his bed, nodding. "I can tell." He looked back at me and I tried not to shrink back out of embarrassment. "I don't mind. Whatever you need, Nat."

Fuck, did he think I got off on that?

I tried to catch up on my breathing when he finally turned away, chuckling. He went back to unpack his things, then his favorite book caught his attention on our shared desk, stopping him. I'd purposely set it on his side, not mine, as I'd been trying to physically avoid anything that was overtly Noel since my conversation with Nina.

"Did you read it?" Noel asked. He picked it up, hand skimming thoughtfully over the cover. He glanced at me through the curls that hung over his eyes due to his head angling down.

I was struck by how sweet he looked and shifted, straightening my back against my pillows. "I started to."

Noel looked fractionally disappointed, but it didn't last long. He came back over to me and held it out. He stared me down until I took it back from him.

"Read it," he insisted, his voice firm. "I know you'll like it. I know it's not the easiest thing to sift through, but it's great, really."

I just nodded, swallowing my nerves. Why did he not even have to try at all to get my heart racing?

"Okay. I'll give it another go. But you owe me," I said playfully, sounding more like my usual self.

"Deal. Tomorrow let's get burgers off campus for lunch. I know a great place." Noel cracked a happy grin and fell back on his bed. "After all, you washed my sheets for me. A man's gotta do something to return the favor."