The Next Door Boys (21 page)

“I'm sorry, did that make you uncomfortable?” He leaned forward, almost a tease in his voice, trying to see my face.

“I don't know.” I let myself look back toward him. “I guess I like being around you too.”

“There you are guessing again.” He laughed. “Just like you guessed we'd run into each other back at school.”

I smiled with him; he was referencing our conversation on Christmas. “Yep, I'm guessing again, just like that. And here we are, running into each other.”

“Well, you can't call it running into each other when I drove to your house for the express purpose of seeing you.” His eyes quickly looked my way before returning to the road, watching my reaction.

“I guess you can't.” He'd come to me, my first day back at school. Did that say what I thought it did? That Noah liked me?

Noah walked me to the door after our cocoa and drive. It was past midnight, and both houses sat dark. Just like at my parents’, he gave me a soft hug and turned away. I wasn't ready for him to go.

I watched him walk back to his car as I slid my key in the lock. Noah had this quality about him that made him seem like he was floating. He walked and moved with confidence, but he was so relaxed and smooth that it didn't come across as anything but genuinely happy and comfortable. Throughout our night, I looked around and saw that people noticed him. Watched him. I generally blended into the crowd. I wondered what people thought of me, standing next to him? Or if I was making something out of nothing?

It was addictive, the happy floating feeling he seemed to carry with him. I couldn't wait to run into him again.

twenty-two

I sat down at my machine in the costume shop in the theater building. I immediately slid on my headphones. It made it easier to tune out whatever was happening around me. I started on one of the long tunics for “A Man for All Seasons,” a period play about Thomas Moore. The costumes were boring, with natural colors and long robes. It made me even more thankful for the music.

My costume class turned out to be my favorite, and not just because I always seemed to run into Noah in the theater building. I finally felt in my element and had something to contribute. In the two weeks since classes started, I'd been a teacher's aide more than anything else, and it made me realize how much I knew about garment construction. I'd taken my skills for granted because it came so easily.

Noah's face came into my line of sight, startling me. I almost ran over my fingers before I remembered to take my foot off the pedal to stop the machine.

I jumped back in my chair and had to take a few slow breaths to slow down my heart. “Hey.”

“Hey.” He laughed. “A little overfocused, are we?”

I shrugged. It was embarrassing to be caught like that, so absorbed in what I worked on. Noah had invited me out every evening last week. We'd gone to the bookstore, out to eat. We'd done nothing of consequence, and while he made me laugh, I had no idea what to expect from him. Was he interested? Not interested?

“Leigh?” He leaned over the table, smiling at me. He looked at me more intently than he ever had.

“Yeah?” I swallowed. My nerves suddenly made it hard to breathe.

“I just wanted to tell you something before I head off to class.”

I stared into his eyes that always seemed to be wrinkled at the outer edges from his smile. I waited for him to continue. He leaned over the desk and motioned for me to come forward. Apparently he didn't want anyone else to hear.

“I like you, Leigh,” he whispered. Our faces nearly touched. So close I could feel the warmth from his cheek. We both supported our weight with our elbows on the sewing table.

“Thanks. I like you too,” I whispered. My heart raced.

He stopped smiling and touched my chin with his hand, immediately sending butterflies into flight. He leaned in just enough to kiss me softly on the lips. I closed my eyes and didn't move. He kissed me again. It had been close to two years since I'd kissed someone, and I suddenly felt as though I couldn't get enough. Noah just kissed me. It hit me again. I kept my face next to his, waiting to feel his lips again.

“I have to get to class,” he whispered. “I hope to see you later today.” He touched his lips to my cheek, stood up, and disappeared up the stairs.

I sat still and stunned before my face broke out into a smile. I realized I'd been holding my breath when I nearly had to gasp for air. The room was silent. When I glanced around, two girls sitting at sewing machines stared at me. My cheeks went red, embarrassed that our moment had been watched. I stuck my headphones back on. I looked down at the seam I was in the middle of and continued. His kiss played over and over in my head—the smell of him, the warmth of his face, his soft lips so careful against mine.

The basement of the theater felt quiet. I'd been sewing all afternoon.

“Good.” Noah smiled. “You're still here. I was worried you'd take off.”

“Still here.” I stood up. The excitement of our first kiss was still the only thought running through my head.

“I want to show you something. Will you come with me?” He leaned toward me, sending my insides into another flurry of butterflies.

“Yeah.” As exciting as it felt to be getting that kind of attention from him, I also felt nervous.

I followed him up the stairs. The hallways were dark.

“In here.” He held open one of the back stage doors for me to go through.

I stepped in, and everything went black. I stopped. “Is this some sort of trust exercise or something?” I laughed a short nervous laugh. My heart hammered. I was alone, in the dark, with Noah.

“That wasn't my intention, no.” I felt his hand on my arm. “Follow me.”

“Can you see?” I tried to tease.

“I'm backstage in the dark a lot. I can see.” His voice was calm and sounded sure. He slid his hand down my arm and laced our fingers together.

I followed him and took a deep breath in an attempt to relax. I was only partially successful, but it felt so fun and adventurous that I didn't mind the nerves. I enjoyed them.

“Just a sec.” Noah touched my shoulder as an invitation to remain where I was. He walked away.

I stood in the dark for what felt like an eternity. “You're not just leaving me out here, are you?” I teased. I tried to take a few relaxing breaths before he came back to me.

“Definitely not.” His voice came from somewhere behind me.

Suddenly I stood in a pool of soft, warm light.

“Wow.” I breathed out. The whole theater was dimly lit by the yellow light surrounding me. I was in the middle of the stage, looking out at the rows of seats.

“I just wanted you to understand this part of me a little.” I jumped when I felt his hand touch my back.

“Sorry,” I apologized. “I didn't hear you.”

“It's fine.” He stood next to me, facing me. “All I can think about is kissing you again.”

I stepped forward and put my nose on his cheek. “Me too,” I whispered. It felt safer to say something like that when I couldn't see his face.

His head turned, putting our lips together again. His arms came around me, pulling me toward him and deepening our kiss. I was very close to new territory for me, and I stepped back. I didn't want to break contact, just lessen it.

Noah picked up on my movement. “I bought a huge salad for myself for dinner, would you like to share it?”

“Love to.”

He sat us both down on the edge of the stage where a bag sat, waiting for us. “Thank you for trusting me to come out here.”

“So it was a trust exercise?”

“Not intentionally, no.” He opened the bag and pulled out a large salad and two forks. “I just wanted you to know how much I like you, how much I want to spend time with you. That's all.”

I felt flattered beyond words, but a bit overwhelmed. He scooted toward me and slowly put his arms around me. I didn't feel as if I deserved the look of admiration on his face.

“Too much, Noah.” I shook my head.

“Am I making you uncomfortable?” He leaned his head away from me and tried to look in my eyes.

“I don't know.” I let myself look at him. Could I let myself believe he felt that way?

He leaned toward me and just as softly as earlier, he kissed me. I felt every small movement as his lips slowly slid against mine. “I'm so glad you followed me out here in the dark.” His hand reached out and rested on the back of my neck. He pulled us together again.

Races of electricity shot through me at every touch. His lips, his hands. After a year of sickness and seriousness and the kind of intensity that someone my age shouldn't have to deal with, I found myself in yet another amazing evening with Noah, and he'd done it all for me. I leaned toward him as he pulled away. I rested my hands on his sides, and then I put our lips together. What I really wanted to do was throw my arms around him and thank him for giving me a happy place of excitement, nerves, and butterflies to escape to. But I settled for another kiss.

Megan walked in the front door just as I turned on the TV and slumped into the couch.

“What's with you?” Her expression was one of amusement.

“Noah's gone all weekend. His brother just got home from his mission.” I didn't know what to do with myself without Noah. We'd been spending all of our spare time together.

“Leigh, you two have been nearly inseparable for a month. I'm sure you'll survive a weekend. Maybe we can have an actual Relief Society presidency meeting!”

“What?” I looked over the back of the couch at her.

“I've been trying to get us all together for over a month.”

“You have? A month?” Had it been that long? Noah and I had been together that long? It seemed impossible. Time was flying.

“Yes!” She laughed a little as she wandered into the kitchen. “Maybe Sunday after church?”

“Sure,” I nodded. Megan was right, she and I had sat and talked about church stuff a few times, but I couldn't remember the last time the whole presidency had gotten together.

“I'll see when I can get the other two together. I know Vanessa is pretty busy, but June is usually free. She's the secretary. We need her.” Megan was simply thinking out loud.

“Okay,” I responded anyway, turning back toward the TV. Wow, a month.