Unforgettable (Haven Falls 4)

Well, it wasn’t Noah but I’ll certainly accept that.

I push my way out of my Supra and make my way inside. I smile at Aria as she sits up at the table, working on her homework and not complaining about it for a change. I say a quick hello to Eddison and Violet in the kitchen and let Aria know that we’ll get going soon to having dinner with dad before heading down to Tully’s room, knowing that’s where she’s going to be.

I throw open her door to find her staring down at her phone, waiting for my reply. “You really are a jealous bitch,” I tell her.

Tully scurries off her bed and hurries over to me, throwing her arms around me and drawing me into her. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she says, over and over again. “Please tell me you forgive me. I didn’t mean it. It just came out because I was mad and jealous and…and scared. I mean, you went to fucking prison! Do you have any idea how badass that is?”

“Alright, alright,” I tell her. “Shut up already. There’s only so much of your rambling I can handle.”

“You forgive me?” she questions, sheepishly.

“Uh huh, but you realize,” I say, “if you had actually bitch slapped me, I would have hit you straight back and it would have stung for days.”

“I know,” she sighs. “I guess I was kind of hoping for a throwdown. I have so much pent up tension that needs to be worked out and usually, I’d just find someone to screw and work it out that way, but…you know.”

“Yeah, I know,” I tell her. “It’s a good thing Noah stopped you because I have a feeling that would have turned real ugly, real quick.”

“I know, it would have been hot though. You and me throwing down, people would pay for that shit,” she laughs. “Speaking of Noah though, you know the moron is out looking for you? Should I let him know you’re here? He was worried. He said he’s never seen you quite so worked up before.”

“Nah,” I shrug, dropping down onto her bed. “Let him sweat it a bit. He can handle it.”

Just as the words come out of my mouth, the sound of Noah’s Camaro pulling up outside rumbles through the house.

“Speak of the devil…” Tully starts.

“…and the devil shall appear,” I finish.

We burst into laughter and soon enough the sound of Noah tearing through the house to get to me echoes off the walls. “Henley?” he calls, ignoring his mom who hollers for him in the kitchen. “Where the hell are you?”

I roll my eyes and wait patiently for him to find me. I mean, who said I had to make this easy for him? I hear him kick in his bedroom door, double checking that I’m not in there before continuing to Tully’s.

As if knowing that I’m in here, the door opens cautiously, a huge contrast from the way he kicked in his own bedroom door. Noah appears before us and leans in the doorway, simply staring at me with regret heavy in his eyes.

He lets out a sigh. “Are you ok?” he murmurs.

“Depends,” I tell him, making his eyes narrow on me. “Are you ready to admit that you were a mega asshole?”

“Well, that depends if you’re ready to admit that you were wrong.”

“Me? Wrong?”

He nods. “You should have told me where you were going. If not me, at least someone.”

I watch him for a moment, considering his proposal and trying to see things from his point of view. I mean, I probably wouldn’t like the idea of him going somewhere like that alone. “Fine,” I tell him with a groan. “But you need to admit that you’re an asshole first.”

“Fine,” he says. “I’m an asshole.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Tully scoffs.

Noah presses his lips into a thin line, and I can tell he’s working hard to hold something in as a deep frustration takes over him. “Come on,” he tells me, holding his hand out to me. “Let’s talk. You can tell me all about your day.”

I get up off Tully’s bed and take Noah’s hand, letting him pull me along into his bedroom. The second the door closes behind us, he pulls me into his arms and presses his lips against mine. “I’m sorry,” he murmurs, running his fingers down the side of my face. “I really was an asshole. I should have been thinking about how you would be feeling after that, but all I could picture was something happening to you and me not being there to protect you.”

“One of these days you’re going to remember that I can handle myself.”

“I do,” he tells me.

“Outside of teenage girls,” I scoff.

“I don’t think that’s ever going to happen,” he tells me truthfully before dropping down on his bed and pulling me down on his lap. Violet calls out for him again and he promptly ignores her, making me roll my eyes at him. “Now tell me all about this mysterious Gina Rivers.”