Filmed_ An Alpha Bad Boy Romance(38)

“Okay, thanks. I understand.”

“But, I will say that you should cut him some slack. He’s not such a bad guy, underneath all the pot smoke and tattoos.”

I sighed, watching him toss a kernel into the air and catch it in his perfectly formed mouth. Every once in a while, when his guard was down, Noah gave me a glimpse into the person he might actually be. They were small moments, spread far apart, but they were there and they were important. I was pissed at him, but I didn’t hate him. I knew there was something more going on, but I was getting tired of having to work to strip off the extra layers of narrative and image to get at the core of him.

“I will. Thanks, Chelsea.”

She smiled. “Any time.”

I stood up to go, giving her a smile.

“Hey, stop by here more often,” she said before I could walk off. “I’m bored as shit in here.”

I laughed and promised I would. I moved across the lobby, heading toward the projection room to make sure everything was running smoothly. As I walked by, Noah gave me a little half smile, and it didn’t make me want to smack him in the face. That was progress.

The rest of the night flew by. I had plenty to obsess about to keep my mind off of the boredom of work. I kept avoiding Noah, and he kept his distance, but I felt the cold ache of anger begin to subside. As I began to do the final sweep of the theaters, I felt like a teenager, trying to read signs that might not have been there, and hanging on every little thing he said.

Everyone seemed to think that I should cut him a break, but that wasn’t my style. I needed him to live up to my expectations. I didn’t want to have to stoop; I didn’t want to have to settle for half of him. I needed everything, his layers stripped away.

The night ended, and we left as a group, just like last time. I hung with Chuck, joking about some stupid show we’d both watched over the last weekend, and Noah was talking to Chelsea again. We got to the same spot we had all split up at last time, and again I headed out toward my apartment alone while Noah spoke to Chelsea in low tones.

I didn’t get far before I heard him. I knew I’d hear him. My heart began to race, and part of me wanted to run, to get away from whatever he was going to say, to forget him and move on. But I couldn’t. For as much of an asshole Noah Carterson was, I couldn’t seem to force myself away from him.

“Hey, wait up dots,” he called out. I turned and faced him, hands on my hips.

“What do you want?”

He stopped in front of me and frowned. His usual cocky half grin was gone. There was something serious about him, something bare.

“I’m sorry, Linda.”

I blinked. Did he just use my real name? I didn’t even have to hit him.

“You should be,” I said, a little off guard.

“I was a huge asshole earlier. I should have told you what was going on instead of ditching out. I shouldn’t have assumed it would be okay.”

I shook my head. “No, you shouldn’t have assumed.”

“I want to explain myself,” he said. I couldn’t believe how serious he was being. There wasn’t a single joke at my expense, not even a meaningful look at my chest.

“Fine, explain while we walk.” I started off toward my apartment, and he quickly fell in step with me.

“Remember that girl I was with the other week?”

“Stripper Barbie?”

He suppressed a grin. “Yeah, her.”

“What about her?”

“Like I told you, she’s been going through some shit. I can’t really say what, since it’s not my place, but I got a call from her roommate.”

I frowned. That was true, he had told me that he was helping her through something.

“And it was something only you could have helped with?” I asked.

“I know you’re skeptical. I don’t blame you. But it’s the truth, otherwise I wouldn’t have ditched out on you.”

I made a face, confused. “Fine, maybe I can forgive you for leaving to help a friend, but that doesn’t excuse the pot.”

He nodded. “I know. The shit with Ellie, it’s hard to deal with. Smoking weed is better than popping the pills my dad’s been shoving down my throat since I was a kid.”

I furrowed my brow. All of that was hard to believe, but definitely plausible. I had to admit, once he was back, he had been helpful, even if a little slow. The way he spoke seriously, earnestly, and his closeness all made me want to forgive him instantly, but there was something holding me back.

“Okay, fine. All of that’s true. Why didn’t you talk to me about it?”

He sighed, looking away. We crossed the bell tower and headed over toward Broad Street. “I don’t know, honestly. I don’t know where we stand. I wasn’t sure how much you wanted from me.”