Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 86321 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86321 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
“She gets that from me,” Noah interjects. I poke him in the side, causing him to flinch. “What?” he asks innocently.
“What Noah is trying to say is I come from a long line of football fanatics and while I may be female, the men in my life taught me everything they know.” I glance from my professor to Noah, giving him a silent thank you.
“It’s paid off. At the start of the semester, you will continue to represent your class on the sideline of the Bears.”
“Seriously?” Noah pulls me into his arms as I try to process what this means.
“You also came highly recommended by Kyle Zimmerman. He wrote a letter to the department on your behalf. We weren’t sure why until we found out he was the driver of the car you were in. He made a sizable donation that will be used as scholarships for any female who applies and is accepted into the sports journalism program.”
Noah groans, but stops after I tap his stomach. The night after Kyle kissed me, which he says he did only to make Noah jealous, we had a long talk and both agreed we were better off as friends. He told me he was trying to come onto me, hoping to ignite a spark, but felt nothing and I was right to turn him down. This was easily the best rejection ever and instead, I’ve found a friend for life.
“Do you want this assignment?”
“Yeah, she does,” Noah answers for me. He pulls me into his arms again, clearly happy for me. We stay and talk to Professor Fowler for a bit longer until Noah tells me he has a surprise for me.
“You mean other than telling me you’re moving here?”
He puts his arm on my shoulders and pulls me close. Looking around, we’re walking like any other couple, and I like it. We take the path to the edge of campus and cross the street, entering into a non-descript building. Inside, there’s a security guard behind a white marble desk.
Noah comes to a screeching halt as soon as he enters. “Leo?”
“Westbury?”
Noah leaves me standing there as he rushes to the security guard. They hug as if they’re long lost friends. “What are you doing here?” Noah asks him.
“This past winter some nice man was having a real hard time and bought me a cup a coffee. Coffee was nasty, but he also gave me the money in his wallet. Now he probably thought I was going to buy some drugs, but I found me a place to live with some running water and found a job sweeping floors. Just got promoted yesterday to man the front desk.”
Noah shakes his head. “Must’ve been some coffee.”
“Must’ve been some man to help a stranger out like that.”
I stand there watching the both of them and have a sense of deja vu wash over me. I’ve seen Noah and Leo together before, but can’t place where. Noah turns to me and holds out his hand. “Leo, allow me to introduce you to Peyton Powell-James. Peyton, this is my friend Leo.”
“Well, I know all about you, Ms. Peyton. I’m happy to say it’s nice to meet you.” Leo holds onto my hand as if it’s his lifeline. Strangely enough, I don’t want him to let go.
“I’m sorry, but I’m at a loss. I’ll have to make Noah spill about you so we can be friends.”
Noah places his arm around me again and pulls me to his side. “We’re the new tenants in 5A, so you’ll be seeing a lot more of her.”
“Is that so? Well, my day is made.”
“Mine too, Leo. Mine too.” Noah hugs Leo again before directing me toward the elevator. This building isn’t super fancy, and while both of us can afford to live in penthouses and high-rises, we weren’t raised that way.
“How do you know Leo?”
“I met him at the hospital while you were in a coma.” Noah’s statement gives me pause. Since I’ve woken, I’ve remembered random moments that don’t have an explanation. The only person I can talk to them about is my dad. My mom refuses to believe me, but Dad is more open about what happened. Somehow, Leo fits in, but I don’t know how.
Noah opens the door to the apartment and scoops me into his arms to carry me over the threshold. “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of carrying you,” he says, as he kisses my cheek. He carries me through the hallway and into the living room where two large picture windows overlook the city.
“Wow.”
“Yeah, I thought you’d like this. As soon as I saw it online, I saw you curled up on the couch with the fire lit, doing your homework.”
“You see me living here?”
“With me,” he says looking into my eyes.
“As roommates?”
Noah starts walking toward another hall and steps into a bedroom. It’s tastefully decorated in various shades of purple, but it’s the view that has me falling in love. He sets me on the bed and stands in front of me.