Arielle and Mom meet my eyes, which feel red and puffy. I must be crying, but I don’t care. What I care about is the feeling in my heart and how I want to tell Noah that he’s teaching me too.
“Then why didn’t you tell me?” River asks, softer this time. He’s hurt, the angry lashing out hiding the sting of being left out of something so important to his best friend and his sister.
“Because we weren’t sure at first either. We didn’t want to cause all this commotion if it wasn’t worth it. But she’s worth it. We’re worth it. And whether you want to admit it or not, I’m worth it.”
Natalie swallows thickly beside me. She knows how difficult that must’ve been for Noah to say, and I take her hand comfortingly.
River sighs heavily, and I can imagine him running his fingers through his hair the way he does when he knows he’s taken the losing position. Historically, I’ve only seen him do that with Dad when we were kids—begging to take the car or extend his curfew. But it seems fitting now. We don’t need his blessing, but I’d like to have it. Noah’s friendship and my relationship with River are important to us both.
“Don’t you dare fucking hurt her.” It’s his concession, as close to a blessing as we’re going to get. And I’ll take it!
“If I hurt her, you won’t have to do a thing,” Noah says quietly, his voice blurred by the door. “I’d never forgive myself.”
River laughs bitterly. “Goddammit. You know, of all the assholes I know—and let’s face it, I know a lot of assholes—nobody’s been ‘deserving’ of my little sister . . . but I guess you’re as close as it comes.”
Love through insults, such a guy thing.
“Aw, that’s so sweet,” Mom says with a sweet smile. “And we’ll know what to talk about over dinner now, won’t we?” Mom eyes Natalie, and the light shining in both their eyes should have me running for the door in fear. But I can’t leave my guests, especially Noah, to the firing squad. Even if they’re only firing questions.
“You know I still get an open shot anytime I want it, right?” River warns as the door opens, and my happiness turns into worry until Noah grins evilly.
“Sure, just not the jewels. I hear your Mom is hoping for grandkids, and you fire more blanks than a Matrix movie.”
River’s punch is lightning-fast, cracking Noah in the jaw. His head whips back, and I scream in surprise.
But Noah comes back up laughing and then plops on the bed to catch his breath.
“You . . . baiting son of a bitch,” River spits out, pointing at Noah accusingly. “You made me waste it.”
Noah laughs. “I figured you needed to get it out of your system. And that’s your one.”
“I didn’t even punch you that hard,” River growls. “I want a take-back.”
“Felt like that was everything you had,” Noah says, wiggling his jaw with his hand, but he seems totally fine. Which is weird. That’s weird, right? “Arielle punched me harder.”
River shoves Noah in the chest, and Noah lets the momentum carry him back to lie on my bed. From his prone position, he looks over to meet my eyes. His are filled with joy, but I’m sure mine are filled with confusion because guys are weird. “See, Sunshine? I told you everything would be fine. Apparently, I’m sleeping on your side of the bed tonight, though.”
Noah pats the bed like I’m going to join him now, and River throws his hands up. “Food. Now. I have feelings I need to stuff down and deal with later. Where are the biscuits, Mom?”
And with that declaration, River walks through the gathered group of women in the doorway, heading straight to the kitchen. Mom and Natalie give Noah and me a look of understanding before turning to walk down the hall.
Arielle has to get the last word in, though, as always. “Repeat after me, Arielle is always right.”
In unison, we intone flatly, “Arielle is always right.”
“That’s the spirit,” she answers with a smile.
Left alone in my bedroom, I run a finger along Noah’s jaw as he stands up. “Are you okay?”
He shifts his jaw from side to side. “Sure. Not the first or the last time River and I will come to blows. Sometimes, we do our best negotiations that way, and things always end up for the better afterward.”
I blink. “Guys are weird.”
“Yeah, you didn’t know that already?” Noah asks. But his lips are tilted up on the corners, teasing me.
“Let’s get some dinner before River inhales all the biscuits. If you liked my eggs, wait’ll you taste these.”
“I’ll eat your biscuits any time,” Noah says from behind me as we walk down the hall.
“I heard that,” River mumbles around a mouthful of biscuit as he shoves another one into his maw with a challenging look in his eyes.