Pushing You Away - Noah & Katie (Ex-Con Duet 3)

She snorts and nods. “Whenever we move, we definitely will. Just for you, brother.”

Tyler strolls in after his shower and cups Gemma’s face before kissing her. She clings to him, and it lasts for a solid thirty seconds.

I clear my throat loudly. “Can we keep it G-rated, please? I don’t need a visual on how you knocked up my sister.”

Gemma glares, and Tyler laughs. “Sorry, man.”

“If you need a tutorial, there are plenty of websites I can show you,” Gemma taunts.

“Nah, just send him to PornHub. Plenty of…educational videos there.” Tyler chuckles as he brews a pot of coffee.

“Yeah, watching that while at Katie’s house is really gonna make things less awkward,” I say, groaning. “Are you certain she’s okay with this?”

“No, but oh well…” Gemma smirks. “Just stay out of her way, and she won’t even know you’re there.”

“Sounds easy enough. She’s dodged and ignored me every time we’ve run into each other, so it shouldn’t be an issue.” I sigh, walking around the counter for a mug since the coffee’s ready.

“Or use the opportunity to help her. She’ll never admit it, but she doesn’t really know what she’s doing,” Gemma says, grinning. “She watches videos and reads up on it, but it slows her down.”

“She won’t speak to me, so I doubt she’ll let me near her tools.”

“Wait…is that a euphemism for something?” Gemma waggles her brows.

“Hormones,” Tyler mouths with wide eyes, signaling for me not to challenge her.

I suck in a breath. “I’m gonna take a shower and get ready to go…”

“We’re leaving in thirty minutes,” Gemma announces as I walk down the short hallway to the bathroom.

Once I’m under the stream of hot water, it doesn’t take long before visions of Katie surface. I’ve thought about her every single day of my life, so today’s not any different. My cock gets hard as I picture her heart-shaped face and ruby lips. I always adored her spitfire attitude. It’s why I fell for her in the first place.

Before Gabe showed up, we used to have movie nights every weekend. We’d sit on my bed, share a large bowl of popcorn mixed with M&Ms, then fall asleep together. I almost had the courage to kiss her one night, but then something in the movie had her bursting out with laughter, and Coke spewed out of her mouth. It sprayed all over my chest, and she couldn’t stop giggling.

Of course, I laughed with her, but as soon as I took off my shirt to wipe off the mess, I saw the way her eyes stared at my chest. Katie licked her lips and quickly averted her gaze when she realized I’d caught her.

That was when I should’ve made my move, but I fucking chickened out. The self-conscious part of me took over, so instead of kissing her, I created more space between us.

Didn’t stop my fantasies every time I took a shower.

“You ready?” Gemma asks as I stroll into the kitchen with my duffel bag and air mattress.

“Ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.”

“Eh, don’t worry,” Tyler says. “What’s the worst that can happen? She poisons you and feeds you to the gators?” He chuckles, patting me on the back.

“Just promise me you’ll at least look for my body…” I groan.

To be on the safe side, we walk through the backyards to Katie’s. It’s just down the block, so it’s not far. The asshole harassing me might be watching my dad’s place, so it’s best if they don’t see where I go.

“If you need anything, just call, okay? I don’t want you out of work for long, so I promise you we’ll find whoever it is,” Tyler reassures me.

“Yes, and let me know if you need me to bring you anything to eat. Katie’s a good cook and all, but she doesn’t have a fridge yet, so I think your choices will be limited,” Gemma tells me.

“I’m sure I’ll manage.”

Gemma walks with me, and soon, we’re at Katie’s back door. I knock and nervously wait.

Chapter Eleven

KATIE

Noah’s the last person I want to be around, but I’d do anything to keep him safe regardless of how mad I am or how awkward it will be. He desperately needs somewhere to disappear to, and I agree that my house is the perfect haven, even if it’s inconvenient for me.

My focus will still be on finishing the house so Owen and I can move in. I haven’t gotten used to Noah being back in town, and it's been harder than I ever imagined. Working on the house has been my escape for the past year. I've lost myself within those walls on more than one occasion, and now Noah will be in my safe space.

I'm not sure how to feel.

He’ll undoubtedly use this opportunity to talk to me about everything, and honestly, I have nothing more to say, nor do I want to hear his excuses. After I put on my remodeling clothes, I cook Owen and me some eggs and bacon. After we eat, I pack the car, and we head out.