Not So Alone (West Coast Campus Book 1)

Chapter 16

Allie

Oh my god. Oh my god. Holy shit.

I'm kissing Noah Carter!

His tongue slips inside my mouth, jolting me a little in surprise.

He chuckles against my lips, the vibration sending tingles down my spine.

I pull away suddenly, the throb getting too intense for just a kiss.

"So-sorry, I just didn't want to go to far."

"I'm glad you stopped us. I want you to be comfortable."

He sits back on the couch, opening his arms wide for me to crawl into, my head resting on his chest.

We turn on Shitts Creek but a few minutes in I break the silence.

"What does us kissing mean? Like, was it just for fun or are you just looking for a hookup because-"

"I hope it means I can take you on a date, like I should have done first."

I sit up, my hands supporting me as I rest them on his shoulders as I stare at him.

"You want to date and then-then become like..."

He grins, knowing what I was trailing off into.

"Become something more? If that's what you want."

Rose creeps onto my cheek as I bite my lip to contain a smile.

"Noah-but-I know when people date they have sex but I can't-won't-not right now anyway just-just its sex and I know people expect that-"

I ramble on and on before Noah cuts me off.

"God, I don't care about the sex at all. I care about you and you healing. I'll wait for you as long as you need and I'll be here for the highs and the lows."

He whispers so low it almost sounds like a breath but those are the most beautiful words anyone has ever said to me.

"Your such a teddy bear, grumpy boy." I whisper back, tracing the bridge of his nose with my finger in fascination of this boy.

"You're not bad yourself, pretty girl."

I grin at the name, my insides melting.

"Why 'pretty girl?"

There's no hesitation as he answers, grinning so big the moons and stars could collide.

"Because you're so god damn pretty. And gorgeous."

He lays down on the couch, his legs hanging off the end but he doesn't seem to care as he pulls me on top of him, his arms becoming a barricades as his head rests on the top of mine.

And I fall into a deep slumber as his hand strokes my arms, his soft voice telling me about what he's planning to do for our first date.

Noah

This girl.

She's curled up on top of me, so tightly tucked into a ball that I should be concerned but she's sleeping peacefully.

Her light breathing the only sound filling the apartment now that I turned off our show so she doesn't miss anything.

She's sleeping.

And I'm so happy she actually is sleeping.

Just a few nights ago, I caught her sipping on some tea on the couch at 4 in the morning instead of sleeping because of her insomnia.

I start to doze off myself before Seth and Kyla burst through the door, immediately freezing when they see Allie dozing on me.

"Wh-she-she's sleeping! Oh my god! She's actually sleeping! Has she had the night terrors yet? Or-"

"She's fine. She's been sleeping for close to an hour." I whisper, hoping Kyla stops jumping up and down with joy before Allie wakes up

Seth is even more shell shocked, his mouth hanging open so wide he could be catching flies.

"Did she take her meds? Did you-"

"She told you, didn't she?" Seth interrupts Kyla, bringing a chair to the other side of the coffee table.

Kyla looks extremely confused as she looks back and fourth between Allie and Seth.

"What did she tell him-" Kyla cuts herself off, her mouth forming an O as understanding dawns on her.

"She told me on the drive back from the hospital after the doctor brought it up."

Seth and Kyla's eyes both widen before they're reactions are interrupted by a slight twitch and whimper from Allie.

Seth and Kyla both freeze, looking panicked.

When she whimpers again, I drag my finger down the bridge of her nose like I did the other night and her face immediately relaxes and she snuggles even deeper into me.

"How? I spent two months sleeping with her, trying to calm her after she woke up screaming bloody murder and nothing worked but all you have to do is rub her nose?"

Kyla's jaw slacked as she whisper-shouts, her hands waving in front of her wildly.

Seth is laughing his ass off in his chair as he watches Kyla freak out.

I shrug.

"I'm freaking out over here and all he does is strug!" Kyla flails her arms in front of her again.

"I asked her out. And she said yes."

Kyla starts jumping up and down, squealing as she tells Seth to pay up.

"Damn it. I really thought you could hold off a little longer, dude." Seth frowns, handing over $100 to Kyla.

"Can you take her knee brace off? It's going to get too swollen if she keeps it on." I ask Seth, nudging my chin down to her right knee.

Seth snorts.

"Dude, you've only had one knee injury in your life. She's had three knee surgeries on the same leg."

Three?

"How'd she do that?"

"It wasn't really her. It was more her parents. Don't get me wrong they were good folks but neither one of them wanted her doing the sport, even when she went to the Olympics. They didn't even try to come and watch, just went to work like their daughter wasn't becoming the best gymnast in the world. She's held that title for five years, since she was only eighteen and her parents couldn't even be bothered to bring her to the hospital when she tore her ACL the first time. The second time, she didn't even bothering telling her parents, just kept training on it until her coach drove her. She was 16 when that tear happened. Her MCL tear was only three years ago, after she won the World Championships."

I stroke Allies nose again as she starts to twitch in my arms but let Kyla continue her ramble.

"You know she still is the best gymnast in the world? You might end up possibly dating the best gymnast in the world. You better treat her like the damn queen she is, Noah Carter because if not, I will end your hockey career and Seth will help."

I glance behind her where Seth is sitting, where he's shaking his head sarcastically.

I hold in my laugh.

"Let's go babe, before you burst a forehead vein." Seth chokes on his laugh as he drags his girlfriend down the hall.

And once they're gone, I kiss Allies head, falling asleep with her, planning our first date all over in my head again.