Noel loved him too. She hadn’t admitted it out loud, but this playlist proved she did.
And just like that, he was back in the game.
Chapter 28
NOEL
On Tuesday morning, Noel rolled over in bed and stared at the empty space beside her. Nick stayed with her all day yesterday, working at the kitchen table while she slept on the couch. He’d kept her fed, medicated, and hydrated, even when she grumpily told him she could take care of herself. He’d ignored her, of course, and when he’d tucked her into her own bed last night, she’d asked him to stay with her. He hadn’t even hesitated. He’d climbed beneath the covers and held her until she’d fallen asleep on his chest.
They hadn’t talked about Saturday night or the playlist at all yesterday. They hadn’t talked much at all, although his presence was comforting. Yesterday, when he’d sat down on the couch with her feet in his lap, kneading them beneath the blanket, she’d almost blurted out her feelings for him, but part of her didn’t feel like she deserved him. He was so sure of himself and who he was, and made no apologies for it. He was kind and understanding and she could be a difficult pain in the ass. In what universe did they work as a couple?
She climbed out of bed, heading for the bathroom to relieve the copious amount of tea, orange juice, and water Nick insisted she ingest before bed. Once she’d finished brushing her teeth and taming the bird’s nest on her head, she sniffed at her pits. Noel wrinkled her nose and decided a shower was most definitely in order.
Feeling refreshed, she put some Neosporin on her raw nostrils and came out of the bedroom to find Nick at the kitchen table with his back to her, his headphones in place. Noel rested a hand on his shoulder and he jumped under her touch. He took off the headphones and set them next to his laptop.
“Good morning. You look better?”
“Better than the snot troll I was yesterday?”
“Absolutely. You were a disgusting creature. I didn’t want to tell you but every time you turned my way, I quaked with fear.”
“Gee thanks,” she laughed, warmed that his arm had gone around her waist, pulling her close.
“Wait.” Nick squinted at her. “What’s the stuff on your nose?”
“It hurt, so I put some Neosporin on it.”
Nick blinked. “That’s genius.”
“My mom always did it for me. Didn’t yours?”
“No. Epic failure. I’ll have to tell her.”
Noel pushed his shoulder gently. “Don’t tell your mom she failed!”
Nick chuckled as he stood. “No promises. You hungry? I made bacon and eggs earlier, but saved you some. I can warm it up. Add some toast and orange juice to go along with it.”
“I’d love some.”
“I’ll get right on it.”
“I’ll help.” Noel pulled the orange juice out of the fridge while Nick toasted the bread.
“What were you doing before I walked in?” she asked.
“Shooting an email off to my boss.”
“Oh, I saw the headphones on and thought you might be—” she held up her arms like she was carrying a gun, making high pitched pachoo pachoo noises.
Nick shook his head. “First of all, the guns in our games do not pachoo. They boom. And no, I found a flash drive in my dryer. Turns out it was your playlist.”
Noel almost dropped the glass in her hand. “Oh, you remember that? I thought you may have blacked it out.”
“Oh, I did completely. I had no idea what it was for, but the song ‘I Told You So’ and you repeating how sorry you were while doped up on cold meds gave me a small clue that it could be a makeup playlist?”
“Yes.”
“The question is…are we making up as friends or more?”
Noel’s gaze dropped as she whispered, “I’d like to be more.”
She heard the pad of his feet across the linoleum before his bare feet came into view in front of hers. He slid his hand under her chin and raised her gaze to him. His smile sweet. Brown eyes filled with tenderness.
“Me too.”
Noel threw her arms around Nick, holding him tight. “I am so sorry. I was such a jerk.”
“Yeah, but so was I. You were right. I should have said no.”
“I don’t want to change anything about you. Just maybe we agree to avoid Amber at all costs?”
“Deal.” Nick kissed the side of her neck, cuddling her close. “You want to go back to bed and I’ll bring your food into you?”