“You’re the dangerous one when it comes to spilling drinks.”
Alicia smiled proudly, holding up the apple on a stick and waving it in front of Cora. “That would be me, so watch it.”
Noah was glad Alicia had her sights set on someone besides him. He almost felt sorry for Cora. Almost.
Chapter 8
Cora turned her nose up and looked at Alana and Noah. Alana thought she looked angry at the way Noah was holding her. Alana had never gotten along with the older woman. When she came into the restaurant, she complained and was rude. Now she knew why. Cora was jealous. That was hard for Alana to understand. Cora was beautiful and blonde. She was thirty years old, closer to Noah’s age, and her family came from money. She didn’t even work like the rest of the townspeople.
“I’m surprised to see you out here. Thought you had become a hermit, scared of her own shadow. That’s what the gossipers are saying,” she gloated in a cold voice.
She looked at Noah and sneered. “Planning on staying faithful this time? Somehow I doubt you have it in you, especially with such a shy, timid child like Alana.”
Alana gasped at Cora’s hurtful words. She tried to pull away from Noah, but he held her tighter.
Before anyone could get over the shock and answer her back, Alicia put her half-eaten caramel apple down Cora’s dress.
“Oops, color me bad. That slipped right out of my hand.” Alicia put her hand over her mouth, but Alana could see the sparkle in her eyes.
Cora screamed and stomped on the grass with her shiny, glittery boots. She glared at Alicia with her frigid blue eyes. “I had to go to Austin to buy this dress, you twit. Do you know how expensive this was? Way more than you can afford being a dumb waitress.”
Alana buried her face in Noah’s chest. A bubble of laughter welled in her throat, but she didn’t want to let it out. She felt Noah’s shoulders shake with laughter. He hugged her tighter and kissed her head. She wanted to laugh out loud but held it in, barely.
“You should put cold water on that,” Liam suggested seriously while biting into his apple. “It could stain.”
“If I ever hear you speak that way again about Alana, I will throw your ass in a jail cell and leave you there to rot,” Noah said coldly before Cora could stomp off.
Alana stayed silent and let Noah handle his ex.
“Do you understand me, Cora? I make a bad enemy.”
Alana was glad she had never heard that tone of voice coming from him. It was a little scary.
She glared at the four of them and flipped them off with her middle finger. She turned and walked away. People had stopped and stared, curious as to what was going on. Cora pushed her way through the crowd yelling at people to mind their own business.
Alana moved out of his arms and hugged her sister.
Alicia was such a good sister. “Thanks, Sis. That was awesome.”
Liam high-fived Alicia, and they started laughing. Alana went to sit on a nearby bench. She had thought the big crowd would be too much to handle, but the noises and the neon lights soothed her. Most people had just waved and smiled at her. A few tried to ask questions, but Alicia would interrupt and pull her away.
Noah sat next to her and patted her leg gently and quickly. His touch was so fast she hardly felt it. “Cora is a bitter bitch. She hates me because I didn’t fall under her spell, and she knows it. I made a mistake in not brushing off her flirting comments like I usually do. My feelings for you were growing, and I panicked like a stupid schoolkid. I never meant for her to pull that stunt at your restaurant. I doubt I would even have kept that stupid date. I had no enthusiasm for it. She knows hurting you hurts me.”
Alana looked at Noah with surprise. “Why? We’re not even friends anymore. She was right when she said she won. It’s too late to go back, Noah. You hurt me and humiliated me. I know where it came from, but I can’t just forget that. People looked at me with such pity that I stopped going places. I can’t do that again.”
“I know,” he said, sounding resigned and so sad it melted her heart. “I hurt you when I never wanted that. I have to live with that, Alana. You can continue to hate me, but I can be stubborn, too. I want another chance to do it right this time, and I am not giving up. I have a lot to make up for, but I am thankful you are alive for me to do it.”
She didn’t know what to say. She loved Noah, but right now her life was a mess. She was a mess. It was too late to turn the clock back. Too late to try again.
“We can be friends, Noah. As for more, I just can’t. I am an emotional wreck.” She had to be honest with him. She was too scared to open up her heart to him again.
“Friends for now,” he agreed. “Just know that I do have feelings for you. I have been a jerk, but I am a reformed jerk, and I intend to take advantage of every opening you give me.”
“Should we play games or go on rides?” Alicia spoke up, standing in front of her and interrupting the moment. She glared at Noah before turning back to her sister. “Ray promised to win you a panda bear.”
Ray walked up to them at the same time. He glared at Noah, and Alana winced. The two had been best friends since high school. She would talk to Ray later, when they were alone. They shouldn’t be enemies. She didn’t want that. Her problems with Noah were between the two of them.
“Is everything okay here?” Ray asked, looking at Noah with an accusing glare.