“I didn’t say anything.” Gio laughed.

“Whatever it is, dude, I’m not in the mood for it today.”

“Why? Are you in the dog house because of Hector?”

Noah wouldn’t even look at him. Instead opened his locker trying not to frown. “Like I said, in case you didn’t hear me back there, no. I already told you it’s not like that with me and her. We’re just roommates.”

“Noah, come on. Who you kidding? The way you act when she shows up here every night. Ain’t no one gonna confuse her for just your roommate. And you know that’s what you want.”

Still refusing to turn and face him, Noah began wrapping his hands. Gio was damn right that’s what he wanted, but admitting it out loud would be another thing. “Hey, I can’t help what everyone else assumes.”

“Is that right? So is that why your face went white yesterday when Hector brought up Rita?”

Noah clenched his jaw. He’d hoped no one had noticed he’d felt nearly faint when Hector started in on him. He was still thinking about how to respond, when Gio hit him with another surprising observation. “But her reaction was worse than yours.”

That was more than enough to persuade Noah to turn back and face his best friend. “What do you mean?”

Gio straddled the wooden bench between the lockers and leaned his back against the wall. “She seemed shocked at first though I’m pretty sure she was trying to hide it. And then… I don’t know… hurt? She definitely wasn’t happy about it. Why do you think I threw the napkin at Hector and tried to make it sound like he was making that shit up. Of course his dumb ass didn’t catch on until it was too late. Abel saw it too, man. He let Hector have it after you left.”

Noah stared at him. He remembered the change in her tone last night when she mentioned his ‘drive by’ with Rita. Could it be possible that was the cause of her being upset?

When Hector first brought it up in front of her, his fear wasn’t that she’d be upset, but that it would confirm what she was thinking all along. That he was too young and immature and in no way someone she’d ever consider getting involved with.

He hadn’t even been sure until recently if he even wanted to be involved with anyone. Was he really ready for a serious relationship—ready to settle down? One thing he did know was he sure as hell didn’t want her dating anyone else. And the thought of her settling down while he was still living in the same house with her was a thought he wouldn’t even entertain.

Noah’s mind raced replaying last night’s conversation, frowning when he remembered that she hadn’t really seemed upset until he brought up Derek. Was he really such a sore subject for her still? On Thanksgiving, she’d changed the subject admitting she didn’t want to talk about him. After last night, he wasn’t sure if he’d ever be able to bring him up again without making things uncomfortable.

She’d cried. Of that he was almost certain as he’d heard her voice give. Could she have possibly been crying about Rita? It made no sense. That would mean she had feelings for him—actually considered him a possibility. She made certain last night that he knew that wasn’t the case. So her tears were for Derek?

Tightening his jaw, he went back to working on taping his hands. “She never even mentioned Rita, so I don’t know what to tell you about her looking upset. Maybe it just took her by surprise that dumb ass Hector would say something like that in front of her.”

Noah wouldn’t mention the one comment she did make about it because then he’d have to explain that it’d been brought up only after he accused her of being jealous about Gio and the groupie. That alone would confirm what Gio was already insisting. That Noah was looking at her as more than just her roommate. Otherwise, why would he care?

“Oh she was surprised. I’ll give you that. But there was more to it. Ask Abel if you don’t believe me. He even said he wouldn’t be surprised if you ended sleeping here last night.”

Noah looked up at him again. For as much as he was trying to be indifferent about his nosey friend’s observations Gio was making it damn hard. Only he knew Gio wasn’t just being nosey. He was worried and Noah knew exactly why.

The one time Noah had gotten his hopes up about a chick his heart had been crushed. He was younger and a bit more naïve, but truth be told Noah had never truly been young in his life. By the age of eight he’d been through more shit than some adults he knew. But like Jack had said to him once, “the heart is forever inexperienced.” so maybe that was his problem.

Ironically, Tessa, the girl who’d crushed him, was also older as well and while the age difference wasn’t quite as big as the one between him and Roni, the difference between a sixteen-year-old virgin and a nineteen-year-old highly experienced girl is huge.

Having always been big for his age Tessa like Roni, had thought him older when they first met. When she found out that not only was he three years younger than her but he was also a virgin she admitted that being his first would be exciting. Being with a nineteen-year-old who professed to being very experienced had been beyond any fantasy Noah had ever had about his first time. He never imagined the power any sex, much less mind-blowing sex, could have on a hormonally charged sixteen-year-old boy. After they started having it he was like a lovesick puppy following her around, doing whatever she asked, even if she didn’t ask nicely.

The guys called him pu**y-whipped and in hindsight, it’s exactly what it was, but he couldn’t get enough. She became like a drug to him. He needed her and he confused that need for love. When she dumped his ass for an older guy he’d been devastated. Only like now even back then he’d held off from admitting what he really felt. Gio was the only one to this day who knew Noah had actually cried for the bitch. He’d broken down and finally had to let it out and tell someone what he was going through.