Let Love In

Noah stood from the bed, ignoring last nights clothing scattered across the floor and walking straight to the dresser to find something clean to wear. She grabbed the first t-shirt she could find in the open drawer and slipped on a pair of pajama shorts before walking out the door into the hallway. The clock on the wall in the kitchen said it was 11:30, everyone crowded in the kitchen in search of food. Garrett sat on a bar stool drinking a glass of orange juice, still only dressed in the basketball shorts he adorned earlier. Others were similarly dressed from how they had slept, and Noah wasn’t the least surprised when John and Riley were nowhere to be found in this group. She was, however, surprised to see Sarah to be the one cooking up a large batch of eggs and toast for the group. Colin was nowhere to be found, and Noah only assumed he chose not to stay the night.

Kennedy smiled at her and a few of the others gave her the nod, meaning they knew something she didn’t know. She looked straight at Garrett who avoided her stare, fighting the smile on his lips as he took another sip of his juice.

“I can only imagine what I just walked into…” Noah folded her arms across her chest with a sigh. “Do you need any help with breakfast, Sarah?”

“That would be great, actually. I came downstairs to Pat almost setting the stove on fire, so I kicked everyone out and took over.” She handed Noah the whisk for the eggs, focusing her attention to the french toast. Kennedy and Jared volunteered to set the table while a few others cleaned up the aftermath of the backyard. Sarah had announced no food was to be served until the place was clean, and the boys were quick to oblige.

Colin walked into the kitchen holding a few shopping bags as Noah finished frying up the last few eggs. Her heart sank slightly as she tried to ignore him, turning back to the stove and looking down at her shirt, only to realize it was one of her many ACM shirts. Normally, she would be happy to be wearing this shirt. It was one of her favorites, but with Garrett here, it felt off. Colin ignored her completely as he and Sarah unloaded the bags, adding other things to the table for breakfast and putting the rest in the fridge or pantry.

Everyone sat down at the table, anxiously waiting to enjoy the food set before them. Noah noticed two empty chairs, and a lack of John and Riley as everyone dished up.

“Hold on a sec, we’re missing people. Surprise surprise on who it is, nose goes on who gets to track them down.” Everyone paused for a moment, and then continued on dishing up with a shrug or two. Noah signed when she realized it would be her, and pushed her chair back from the table.

She walked out of the dining room and through the house toward the guest bedroom. As the room drew nearer, she slowed her pace, debating whether or not to change directions and change her shirt before summoning the missing pair.

“Noah.” A voice she knew all too well called out her name from a few feet away. He kept his voice low as he walked toward her. “What are you doing? Are they not going to join us?” He pointed to the door a few feet in front of them down the hallway, bringing Noah’s attention back to what she had originally come to do.

“Oh, right. Uhh, I haven’t asked them yet.”

“Everyone’s waiting…” He stood there awkwardly, his eyes darting from the door to Noah to her shirt and back again. He took a few steps closer to her and Noah didn’t know how to react.

“I like your shirt. It looks good on you.” He smiled as he reached around her to bang on the door. “BREAKFAST. Clothing required. We’re waiting on you two.”

The door swung open with John in his boxers and disheveled hair, smiling his lopsided grin as he took a deep breath in through his nose. “Mmmm smells good. We’ll be out in a bit.” He winked as he shut the door in their faces a little too quickly, and Noah could hear muffled whispering and giggling from behind the door before Riley poked her head out. She too was not dressed for breakfast, John’s shirt thrown on still inside out completed her equally disheveled appearance. Riley looked between the two still standing so close together with a confused look on her face before she shut the door behind her, leaving the two alone in the hallway again.

“Colin—” He cut her off with a quick kiss, pulling her close to him for a brief moment before turning and walking away like nothing happened. Noah stood motionless for a moment or two before the door opened behind her and the couple emerged, still dressed the same.

Riley looked at Noah and Noah looked back at Riley, neither speaking a word.

“Go ahead and tell everyone to eat without us John, we’ll be right back.” Noah grabbed Riley by the wrist and drug her the opposite direction toward her room, slamming the door behind them and leaving John abandoned in the hallway.

She threw herself onto the bed, burying herself in the pillows, taking a deep breath.

“It smells like sex in here. And looks like sex in here. Jesus, Noah. You better’ve wrapped that before you tapped that.” She smirked at her joke, surveying the clothes on the floor and the disheveled bed in front of her.

“Colin just fucking kissed me, okay. Right there. In the hallway. In the ten seconds it took you two to emerge after you stuck your head out. He leaned in, kissed me, pulled me close, and then left like it didn’t happen. And it was more perfect than it should have been. Like it is every time. Dammit Riley, why is he doing this? AND GARRETT’S HERE. What the fuck.”

“Bastard. Why does he keep doing this?” Riley plopped herself down on the bed next to Noah.

“I don’t know, but it’s killing me. You know how it’s killing me? It’s because it’s Colin. Plain and simple.”

“I’m going to talk to him. This is not okay. He can’t keep fucking with you like this. Not ever, but especially not when Garrett’s around. That’s just fucked up.”

Noah let out a frustrated sob into the pillow, not knowing what to do. Riley stared at her for a moment before she spoke quietly.

“Did you tell Garrett about any of this yet?”

“Nope.”

“Shit girl. That sucks. I don’t know what to tell you.”

“I know.”

Riley let out a sigh, standing up from the bed. “Let’s get some food before it’s all gone, and we can deal with this afterward. Just cold shoulder Colin until we get a chance to have a talk with him, the three of us, and definitely hold off on dropping the bomb on Garrett until later. I’m too hungry to think straight otherwise, and now’s not a good time for any of this.”

“I have a bad feeling about all of this.” Noah whispered as she let out a sigh of defeat, knowing that it was going to end badly, no matter what happened.