The Summer Girlfriend (Heart Beach, #1)(89)
Noelle felt the pounding of her heart in her hands and her throat. She didn’t speak. She couldn’t.
Percy crossed his arms over his chest. “Does my brother know that you’re lying to him?”
Even though Noelle was in the hot seat, she refused to throw Jeremiah under the bus, especially without warning. The truth about their initially fabricated relationship was for Jeremiah to share with his family if he so chose. But now that their relationship was no longer a lie, she didn’t know if he’d ever say anything.
And as she stared at Percy, she realized he hadn’t asked, Why did you lie to us? He’d asked if Jeremiah knew that she was lying to him. He was regarding her with suspicion because he was being a protective older brother who didn’t want his sibling to get played. In that moment, she saw Percy’s love for Jeremiah, even if he struggled to express it in words.
“Jeremiah knows that I don’t work at the library,” she replied. “I said I was a librarian because I wanted to impress you and the rest of your family. I’m in between jobs, and I’m going back to college next month. For the record, I’ve only ever been honest with Jeremiah.”
Percy squinted. Noelle held her breath and waited for whatever he said next. But, be it exhaustion or maybe that he was satisfied with her answer, he didn’t press for more.
“All right,” he said. He backed up toward the hallway. “I haven’t told anyone else about your librarian lie, by the way.” He shrugged. “I guess we both have our secrets now. Good night.”
“Good night,” she said quietly.
Percy turned to leave, and Noelle waited until she heard his bedroom door close upstairs before she let her shoulders relax. She didn’t want the cookies anymore. She’d lost her appetite. Between forgetting to schedule her meeting with Professor Mathis and now her conversation with Percy, she was too rattled.
She hurried back upstairs to the safety of Jeremiah’s bedroom. He didn’t stir when she slipped back into bed. Instinctively, he reached for her in his sleep, and she let herself be enfolded in his embrace.
She hoped that Percy and Celeste would tell him about what they were considering for the company soon. If they didn’t tell him over the next few days, she would tell him herself. And she hoped that would be the right move.
And she hoped that Professor Mathis would email her back in the morning.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
When Jeremiah woke up, Noelle wasn’t beside him in bed, which was unusual. With the exception of the first weekend she’d spent in Heart Beach, she’d been trying to take advantage of the freedom to sleep late. Most mornings, she even covered her face with a pillow when the sun shined too brightly. Before he fully cracked his eyes open, he reached across the bed, seeking her out, but her side of the bed was empty. He sat up slowly and looked around the room. He heard people moving around downstairs. Noelle’s voice in conversation with his nieces.
Twenty minutes later, he stepped outside into the backyard and found her watching his nieces and their friends as they practiced their routine. A hurricane of fierce emotions stirred in his chest at the sight of her. Their decision to give their relationship real legs was more than he could have asked for. He was glad that they were on the same page. With Noelle, he saw potential for them to have the kind of enduring bond that his grandparents had shared. Pop had always said that falling for Grandma Minnie had been the easiest thing he’d done in his life. That was how Jeremiah felt about Noelle.
The realization caused his steps to falter as he walked across the grass. But his feelings weren’t something to fear. They were something to embrace. And after what Noelle had experienced in relationships before, she deserved to be adored loudly and without question. He wanted to do that for her. He wanted to take her to the Oceanfront for an early dinner tonight before they drove home. He’d buy her a brilliant bouquet of red roses too.
“Wow, y’all started practice without me?” he joked. He came behind Noelle and wrapped his arms around her waist. He kissed her temple, and she angled her face up to look at him. Her smile was less open than usual. He realized that the difference lay in her eyes. They looked strained, like she hadn’t gotten much sleep. Or like there was something weighing heavily on her mind.
“You okay?” he asked.
She nodded first but then changed course and shook her head. “No. I realized that I forgot to schedule a meeting with my advisor yesterday. Now there aren’t any slots left and I’m afraid that I’m gonna have to wait until the middle of the semester to meet with her.”
“Damn.” He pulled back and looked at her head on. A few days ago, she’d told him about how much she wanted to make sure that she scheduled her advisor meeting during the first week of classes. Now her fraught expression made sense. “Is there any way that she can fit you in?”
Noelle shrugged, shoulders tense. “Maybe, I don’t know. I emailed her. She still hasn’t responded.”
“I’m sorry. Hopefully you’ll hear back soon.” He kissed her cheek, and that seemed to relax her somewhat but not much. He wanted to help take her mind off her stress. Maybe they could go for a long drive around Heart Beach or he’d take her to the spa. “How long are you gonna be practicing?”
“Probably most of the day,” she said. She nodded at the girls and lowered her voice so that only Jeremiah could hear her. “They’re a little nervous because the talent show is next week.”