Page 16 of Noah
Chapter Seven
My arms were crossed, and I watched rain pool in the nook of my elbows, almost missing the movement of Lizzie’s blonde hair against the darkened sky. I felt sick, but in a good way, like my heart jumped into my throat, and the overwhelming feeling of weakness was my body melting because, at one-thirty in the morning, Elizabeth Jacqueline Lewis was absolutely breathtaking.
“Mermaid,” her grin brightened the air, “you’re late.” She spoke without reservation, not giving a damn if her neighbors woke, and I liked it. Lizzie’s toes touched mine before she stood on them, lifting her height to peck my cheek. Lowering with a gentle smile on her pink lips, Lizzie linked her left arm with my right and began talking as though we’d been together for years and I’d just run out for milk.
“Do you want to know why I’m late?” We started to walk, Lizzie’s head on my shoulder as the rain dribbled over us, streaming along our path.
“Is it because you were busy saving lives?”
“No,” I snickered, “I was stuffing my face. You baked me cookies…” I turned to catch her smile. “That’s the sweetest thing anyone’s done for me.”
“If you think that’s sweet…” She laughed into the rain, shaking her head without finishing her statement. “I’m glad you put on your walking shoes. Where are you taking me?”
I wanted to tell her the hopeless, naïve part of me was ready to take her anywhere and everywhere, but I shoved my heart back into my chest and told her we were going downtown. It was only a few blocks, and neither of us cared about the rain. There was something about walking with Lizzie I’d never felt before, and that was totally my heart talking while it wrapped itself back against my sleeve, battling my balls for control.
The bar was overflowing, even minutes from last call, and I quickly took Lizzie’s fingers between mine to guide us through the crowd to a booth in the back corner. Once the exhausted server dropped menus, I shook off my jacket and helped Lizzie from hers, hanging both on a hook next to our table. She slid into the booth, her painted nails tapping along the menu while she studied it.
“What can I get you?” A man stopped at the booth, looking between Lizzie and me. Her eyes shot to mine, not having a chance to decide.
“Fries and,” I looked to Lizzie, my eyes squinting for approval, “two glasses of merlot?” She eagerly nodded her agreement, tossing her menu toward the server before he buzzed away. Her tapping fingernails met as she intertwined her fingers atop the table, pressing her chest against them while leaning toward me.
“I love this place,” she squealed, “but isn’t it going to close soon?”
“Yep, but I needed the walk after your cookies, and I like walking with you, Lizzie,” I told her, watching her blue eyes actually sparkle. “I figured you wouldn’t mind, and perhaps that was assumptive, but considering we’re more than friends…” I couldn’t finish. She scooted out of her seat, quickly squishing me against the wall as her thigh met mine. Lizzie’s cold, wet fingers held my jaw on each side, a cool relief against my skin. She softly tugged down, our foreheads meeting with eyes frantic.
“Do you really know which muscle to pinch so someone goes limp?”
I erupted with laughter, held in her palms. “What!” Of all the things to discuss, of all the ways I wanted to tell her that her perfume was morphine to my pain, how deliriously good it felt as her fingernails mindlessly tickled my stubble, and she wanted to discuss something so ridiculous.
“In the hospital, you told me you knew which muscle to pinch so someone goes limp? I want to know if you were talking about the heart because, Noah, I don’t know you, and you’re making me a pile of mush.” Okay, not ridiculous. Fucking incredible, actually.I was mush.
The server returned with our wine and fries, giving me two seconds to reflect on Lizzie’s words.
“You made me cookies…and you just called me Noah. I don’t know who that guy is, but if he’s got your heart after just a few dates, he’s one lucky bastard.” Her fingers tightened around my chin, pinching me in revenge for my banter. I let my mouth fall into a grin, unable to resist, while staring at Lizzie. “Mermaid’s grown on me. And I’d really like to kiss you now, drink this wine, eat our fries, and take you on another walk.”
I looked away, waiting for her response, and reached for a fry. It was almost to my lips when hers pressed against mine first, challenging my resolve and that poor fry. It dropped into my lap as her fingers climbed from my jaw to the back of my head, kneading against my skull. It wasn’t just that Lizzie’s lip gloss tasted like a damn cupcake, but her lips were so soft, her kiss unbelievably perfect, I lost my breath. I didn’t close my eyes. I couldn’t miss this, miss her.
Lizzie’s lashes fluttered as she opened her eyes. “Better get that fry. You don’t want a grease stain on those pants. I like the way your butt looks in them.”
***
It was difficult to hear my own thoughts once we stepped out of the pub, minutes before closing time to beat the flood of drunks, and into the strengthened storm. Lizzie clung to me beneath the awning while I zipped my jacket.
“Feel like running?” I teased, taking her hand in mine. I watched her scan the Capitol in front of us, the swollen streams of rain swirling past us toward the sewers along Main Street, and finally her stare stopped on our hands. They glistened with rain splashed from the awning, and I knew we’d be drenched before getting back to our street. Our street. She lived just blocks from me…this entire time. Maybe she knew Callie…maybe I need to shut the hell up and start moving.
We made it two blocks around the Square before the sky pulsed a violet flash and Lizzie’s talons pierced through my layers, clawing my latest tattoo and leaving a scar. Maybe that was an exaggeration, but I had no idea the damage those things could do. I didn’t know at what moment I should tell her my dog also hated storms and would, had he not already left his dinner in a warm pile on my pillowcase, panic without me.
I wrapped my left arm around the shaking, and surprisingly quiet, woman clinging to me and started running toward Gilman. Between rumbles of thunder, which caused Lizzie to shriek and tighten her hold around my stomach, I thought I heard someone squeal…or cry…
“What is that?”
“I don’t know,” I hollered back to Lizzie, trying to keep our pace. It was clearly a cry and, as we turned onto our street, I could see in between purple flashes of lightning and the dim streetlights, an animal was running toward us. I squinted in the rain, checking that its wobbling limp wasn’t my imagination.
“Oh, shit,” I groaned, slipping away from Lizzie to collect Muffin. His cry dropped to a pained bellow before my knees met the pavement and he limped into my arms.
“Buddy,” I cooed, half laughing as his cold, wet snout was all over my chin and nose while he kissed the crap out of me.
Lizzie caught up with me and squatted at my side. “Who’s this little guy? He looks terrified!”