“Noooooo,” I screech, flailing around, desperate for a way out as the smell truly hits me. “Let me out.”
“I thought you were happy here,” he laughs.
Needing to save myself from this horrendous torture, I slam my hands down on his chest and grab hold of his man titties with everything I’ve got.
“Fuck,” he calls out, still resisting letting me out from the confines of his fart, trying to be the big man in the room, but what he forgets is that I grew up with my father. I can handle this shit, in fact, I was born for it. If he wants to Dutch oven me, then he’s going to pay the consequences. “Let go.”
“Let me breathe and I’ll let go.”
“No,” he laughs as his body starts squirming beneath me. “You let go and then I’ll let you breathe.”
I take a deep breath, pretending the smell doesn’t make my eyes water. “I can do this all day.”
I give a little twist and laugh at the squeak that gets ripped out of him. “Fuck. Uncle. Let me go.”
Within the blink of an eye, the darkness from under the blanket disappears and the sunlight streaming through the window assaults my eyes, allowing me to finally gasp for fresh air. I let go of his man titties and laugh at the look of relief that rushes over him.
Both of Noah’s hands come up as he rubs his chest while looking at me in wonder. “That fucking hurt,” he tells me. “Who would have thought? I’ve beaten the shit out of all kinds of guys, but it’s you who finally brings me to my knees.”
I bend down and press my lips to his. “Don’t forget it,” I tell him. “Now, please, can we get out of here? You stunk up my room, dirty birdie.”
I swear, I’ve never seen him look so damn proud.
I haul myself off him and grab hold of his hand before giving a tug and nearly wetting myself when he nearly falls off the edge of my bed. Noah rights himself and grabs his pants off the ground as I search for something to throw on.
He stands patiently in my room as I get myself dressed and as I pull my shirt over my head, he notices the loose floorboard. My eyes widen as he instantly dives for it. “What the hell is this?” he questions, pulling it up and seeing the old jewelry box inside.
I scrunch up my face, not knowing how to explain this as he pulls out my jewelry box and opens it to find my roll of cash. “I… it’s my ‘get the hell out of here’ fund.”
His head snaps up to me as the roll of cash sits in the palm of his hand. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
Shit.
“I, um…you know, back when the whole Kaylah and Jackson thing happened. I just… I wanted to start over. I hated it here, everything I did was a reminder of what I’d lost and reminded me that I had nobody. So, I found cash anywhere I could and saved up. The second I graduated; I was going to get out of here.”
His brows draw down. “Do you still feel that way?”
I shake my head, unable to even imagine a life where I leave Haven Falls anymore. My heart is here. My home is here. He will never quite understand how much he saved me from myself by just being in my life. “No,” I admit. “There might be something keeping me here.”
That cocky confidence rushes over him and I roll my eyes, hating how much I love it. “Don’t be so sure of yourself,” I tease. “It’s not you.”
He places the jewelry box and cash down on my bed before straightening himself out and walking into me. He crowds me until he forces me back a few steps and only stops when my back is flush against the door of my closet. “Yeah,” he tells me. “It is, and just for the record, if you fuck off out of Haven Falls, I’m right there with you.” My eyes widen a fraction as I watch him duck his head. His lips find my neck and I curl my arms around him as he continues. “I’d go anywhere with you, Spitfire, but I’d prefer to stay here.”
“And why’s that?”
He kisses the side of my neck ever so softly. “Lily.”
I hold him a little tighter. Of course. Haven Falls is where his little sister is and always will be. He’ll never leave Haven Falls and right now, I don’t think I ever could either. Not as long as Noah Cage is a part of my life.
Noah releases me, knowing he’s more than made his point about what he wants and allows me to finish getting dressed.
When we’re both decent, he grabs hold of both my shoulders from behind before leading me out of my room and into the kitchen.