Chapter 66 - Vol. 3: Noah To Haru - 66

Haru

The moment we got into my bedroom, Jess dropped her heavy backpack onto the floor and went over to the queen-sized bed and threw herself onto it. She chuckled as she said, “Wow! This is awesome, Haru. It’s so nice, like in a five-star hotel.” She rolled over to lay on her stomach. “Bet you love sleeping on it, too.”

I nodded. “Definitely.”

She looked around. “Damn, but I love your room. It’s so cozy.”

“Thanks,” I said, since I had worked hard all week during my spare time to make it look and feel nice. “You should see Aiden’s and Noah’s room. They’re even nicer, since they’re master bedrooms.”

Jess got off the bed and went over to a corner where I had set up a leisure area. I had a beanbag and some cushions around, along with soft toys Aiden had bought for me. She plopped herself on the beanbag and grinned. “Nice.” Turning to me, she asked, “When’s everyone coming?”

“I think Tina and Peter are coming around five. And Isaac’s friends will be here in an hour or so.”

“Cool,” she said. “It’s going to be a fun housewarming party.”

I nodded.

A few knocks sounded at the door, and I said, “Come in.”

The door opened to showcase Reo standing there, looking damn handsome and smiling at Jess.

“Hey, Jess,” he said.

Jess blushed profusely the instant she saw Reo. “Hi,” she said and then lapsed into silence.

I flicked my gaze from one to the other and then sighed, knowing these two were just going to dance around each other, patiently waiting for the other to make a move. I said, “Jess, want to go down and have some snacks?”

Jess nodded. “Yeah.”

As we headed out the door and down the stairs, Reo followed us. I whispered to him, “If you’re going to ask Jess out, just do it already.”

My words must have gotten him riled up because Reo said, “What are you? The older brother now?”

Downstairs, there was a hype of activity, and I realized Isaac’s friends had just arrived, earlier than expected. They came barging into the apartment bearing no housewarming gifts—not that we expected any from a bunch of poor students. They then asked to be shown around, which Isaac gladly did, acting like he was the host of the party.

While Reo started with the food preparation for the party, Jess and I took up our positions on the sofa, and Aki came over to greet Jess by making himself comfortable on her lap. She chuckled. “Oh, wow! Hi.”

“He’s Aki,” I said.

“Yes, I know,” she said. “Since you never stop showing off his photos on your phone whenever we meet up.” She ruffled the pup’s head and asked, “Who’s a good boy? Who’s a cute boy?”

The answer was a series of excited barks. Soon, Isaac and his friends Matt, Ryan, and Jason returned from their apartment tour and invaded our space, helped themselves to our snacks, and started playing video games with the TV as the monitor. Jess joined in as well while I sat and watched with Aki on my lap.

“Tadaima.” Aiden’s voice came from the hallway. He and Noah must have returned from their grocery expedition, shopping for our party.

I removed Aki from my lap and laid him on the sofa next to Isaac. Then I headed over to Aiden to help. The two brothers, Aiden and Noah, had two bags each in their hands. I took one from Aiden as I said, “Okaeri.”

In the kitchen, I placed the bag on the countertop and then proceeded to take stuff out. “Are these all? Seems little for the party,” I said.

A strong hand wrapped around my arm, and I felt myself being pulled back. “There’s more in the car.” I was suddenly being dragged backward toward the door as Noah said, “Help me with them.”

“Oh, okay,” I said.

“Don’t forget the soft drinks on the floor in the back seat,” Aiden said as he put packages of meat into the fridge.

Noah said, “Got it.”

At the hallway, I worked on freeing my arm from Noah, but he wouldn’t let me go.

“Noah, let me go, won’t you?”

He finally did, and after I put my sneakers on, I followed him out the door. In the elevator, he stood close to me, his eyes on me.

Nice Noah had turned into demon Noah since that Tuesday morning I had met him along the hallway. As I had expected, I had once again become his target for his stress relief. I had tried to avoid him as much as possible during the weekday, which had worked out great as he wasn’t home a lot. That was until now.

I sighed, feeling just a little bit tense around him. If he kept that pissy attitude up, this party was going to be ruined, and I didn’t want that, especially when everyone was so looking forward to it.

I cleared my throat and said, “So, um...” My brain just kind of went blank when I noticed Noah’s expression turning darker.

Shit. What had gotten into him?

The elevator door dinged open, and I eagerly rushed out into the underground parking lot. I was looking around for Aiden’s car when Noah firmly wrapped his hand around my arm and led me to the left.

“You’re such an airhead. My car is this way,” he said.

That was right. Noah had bought himself a fancy sports car a day ago. He had gotten it for a great deal, forty percent lower compared to the same model on the current market. Even Aiden had asked if Noah could connect him to the dealer guy, and Noah said that he would.

Noah unlocked the doors with a push of a button on the car key. I was about to open the trunk when Noah opened the side door to the back passenger seat and then nudged me into it.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Just get in,” he said.

I shuffled in and then over when I saw that he was coming in as well.

Oh, shit! Was Noah going to give me an earful about something? But what? I didn’t remember what I had done wrong that made him angry.

“Noah?” I began. “Look, I know you’re...upset...stressed out...”

Sitting close to me, he said, “So you do realize I’m upset?”

“It’s hard not to notice. You don’t particularly hide it.” I sighed. “Seriously, what did I do now? And don’t tell me I didn’t do anything wrong again because I won’t believe it. I must have done something to tick you off, and if I did, I’m sorry, okay?”

Noah snorted. “Are you really sorry, Haru?” He wrapped his arms around my waist and roughly hoisted me to him, making me sit on his lap.

What the hell is this position?

He had a firm hand behind my head when he said, “It’s what you didn’t do, you little rascal.”

I asked, “What I didn’t do?”

“You’re not very good at keeping promises, are you?”

I widened my eyes. Oh, shit. Was he referring to me giving him kisses? I had thought he was joking. Or more like I was hoping it was a joke.

I felt my cheeks turn hot. “I didn’t know you were serious.”

“We’ve lived together for over ten years, and you didn’t think I was serious?”

He was right. I knew him to be a very serious person. Noah always meant what he said.

“I’m sorry,” I said, having no idea what else to say.

“I’m not taking it,” he said, his hand firmly on my chin.

“Huh?”

“Fulfill your promise, Haru,” he said. “I want that kiss, and I want it now.”

I widened my eyes. Why was he so demanding?

“Now? But we’re in your car and...”

He leaned his face close to me, his breath hot on my skin. “You want to do it somewhere else? Up at the apartment maybe? In your room?”

“That’s impossible,” I stammered. “Everyone is up there.”

“Then here is fine.” He touched his nose to mine, his lips only an inch away from me. “You fucking smell.”

I frowned at him, my eyes on his. “I just showered this morning.” Fuck, but why did he have to be so close? And this weird position, me being pinned against the seat and my legs straddling on either side of him while my backside was on his lap.

“You still stink,” he said, and then he pressed his lips to mine, which caused me to gasp out in surprise.

He was demanding as he urged my lips to part for him by pressing his tongue on me. Heat rushed over me as I groaned deep in my throat. Weakly, I opened my mouth for him, and he drove his tongue in and hungrily devoured me.

I squirmed and shuddered against him. I felt his hand slip under my sweater, his palm spread out and touching my hot skin.

“Ngh...” I groaned out when I felt his finger and thumb on my nipple. He was teasing me there, molding the little bud, sending waves of sensations through me. I shuddered, my head spinning.

Meanwhile, his tongue was driving me crazy, stroking and intertwining with mine, our lips locked.. When he finally moved back, I was breathless and dazed.