Easy Come, Easy Go

There was something strangely…comfortable about just sitting here with Noah on the couch. His arm was around her shoulders and she leaned into his warmth. The TV was on, some random show playing on the screen.

It was October. It had been two months since they had met, two months since they had started going out.

Jesse had gone back to college since then, a long time ago actually. But he’d been contacting her a lot since then; texting and emailing her. It was a little strange, and Adelaine couldn’t help but wonder why.

Just then the door opened, startling Adelaine from her thoughts. A woman and a young girl walked in.

His mother and sister, Adelaine realized. Puck had made a habit of bringing her over only when his family wasn’t home.

“Noah! I didn’t know you were bringing someone over!” his mother exclaimed. Adelaine was just relieved they hadn’t been making out or something. They’d just been watching TV.

For the first time since she’d met him Noah looked somewhat flustered. He stood up, and Adelaine automatically rose too. “Mom, this is Adelaine St. James. Adelaine, this is my mother.”

Adelaine smiled and shook his mother’s hand.

“Hi! I’m Jessica!” The little girl said, calling Adelaine’s attention to her.

“Jess, please.” Puck sighed, looking embarrassed.

Adelaine smiled and crouched down to the girl’s level. “Hey Jessica. I love your name.”

“Thanks!” She smiled brightly. “Are you my brother’s girlfriend?”

Adelaine straightened up, looking over at Puck, unsure how to answer that. “Yes, she is.” He answered for her.

Adelaine looked away, both blushing and smiling.

His mother smiled as well. “Will you be staying for dinner, Adelaine?”

“I’d love too.” Dinner with Noah’s family seemed so much more pleasant than with her own family.

As his mom hurried off to the kitchen, Jessica caught Adelaine’s attention again. “Do you sing like Noah does?”

Adelaine nodded. “I like singing, yeah. Do you sing?”

“I love to sing!” Jessica exclaimed.

She launched into an enthusiastic rendition of The Little Mermaid’s Part of Your World. She wasn’t bad. Untrained, maybe, but quite good.

Her singing did remind Adelaine, however, that she had never heard Noah sing before. She knew he was in Glee club, so he must be able to. She’d just never heard it.

“That was great!” She said when Jessica had finished, and the girl beamed.

“That was great Jess.” Puck agreed. “Now go help mom in the kitchen.”

She ran off, and Adelaine turned to Noah. “She really is good, you know.” She said. “But it reminds me…I’ve never heard you sing before.”

“Is that a hint?” He smirked, and she smiled.

“Okay, okay.” He said, and walked over to the corner of the room, picking up an acoustic guitar.

She watched silently, smiling as he began a beautiful version of Just the Way You Are.

“That was really good.” She said softly. “I didn’t know you could play guitar too.”

“I’m a man of many talents.” He winked at her suggestively. “Do you play guitar?” He asked a moment later.

She shook her head.

“C’mere.” He patted the couch cushion next to him, and she sat down.

“Here.” She said, scooting next to her, so close they were pressed against one another. He rested the guitar on her lap, still holding the neck of it with his left hand. He wrapped on arm around her, guiding her hand to the strings.

He began showing her some basic chords, and Adelaine found herself smiling. She would never have realized how absolutely sweet Noah Puckerman could be. She was really, really glad she had met him.