to.”
I gripped the sheet in my fists and pulled it up to cover the
fact that I was in my underwear. “We have to stop him, Noah.”
“But how? What can we do without getting caught in the
process?”
“I don’t know. I just feel so powerless. If he wins…we have to
warn people.”
The TV chatter filled the room and we stopped to consider the
possibility. We no longer had a way to communicate with the outside world. Noah
had ditched both of our Communication Rings and neither of us had laptops or
tablets. We were completely without technology.
I began to tremble, and Noah reached for me. This time I didn’t
pull away. I tucked my face into the warmth of his neck and he rested his head
against mine. He gently stroked the flesh of my back in soothing circles, round
and round, stopping suddenly when his fingers reached my bra strap.
I felt so hollow and lonely. Noah was the only person I had
left on the earth. A deep-seeded longing bubbled up from the center of my core.
I remembered how I wanted Noah back in Los Angeles and suddenly I wanted him
now. I needed him. I wanted him to need me.
I found his lips and kissed him hard, desperation erupting from
my soul. I peeled off his jacket and pushed him onto his back on the bed.
“Zoe?” he said.
“It’s okay.” I kissed him across his chin and down the curve of
his neck. “I want this.” I breathed deeply of the scent of his skin and my pulse
raced.
He responded like I knew he would, kissing me in return, my
forehead, my cheeks my lips, deep and urgent. I pulled up on his T-shirt
exposing his bare skin, and ran my fingertips across his abs. He tensed and my
fingers moved slowly, over each ab muscle, one, two, three… A soft moan escaped
his lips. I reached farther down. He clasped my hand with his, stopping me.
“What?” I said, staring at his chiseled face. His brow was
pulled down in a frown, and his eyes were closed tight like he was in pain.
“What’s wrong?”
“We can’t do this.”
“Why?” I leaned up on my elbow. “I don’t understand. Don’t you
want to?”
“It’s not that I don’t want to. I do want to.”
Frustration twisted in my chest and my face reddened with
embarrassment. “Then what’s the problem!”
He looked at me, his eyes kind and pleading. “Zoe, you’re
wearing a pink wig.”
Oh.
I’d forgotten.
I reached for my head, fingered the nylon strands and slowly
pulled it off. I released the hair tie and my blond tresses fell across my bare
back. “Is that better?”
Noah tugged on his T-shirt and swung his legs over the side of
the bed, sitting up.
“I don’t want it to be this way.”
“What way?”
He turned and steadied his eyes on mine. “I want you to love
me.”
“I…”
I wanted to say I did love him, but the truth was I wasn’t
sure. I couldn’t remember. Once upon a time I might’ve loved Noah Brody. A time
before all of…this.
The steam of my passionate explosion fizzled as he waited for
me to say it.
“That’s what I thought,” he said softly. He walked the two
steps to the bathroom and closed the door. I heard him turn the lock.
I fell back onto the bed, my head suddenly pounding with pain.
Noah exited the bathroom and sat in one of the two chairs
without even glancing at me. He turned the TV volume up.
The awkward factor in the small room was at ten, the pressure
threatening to pop the rivets in the walls. I lay still as a mannequin in my
underwear, feeling more naked than if I’d stripped down to nothing. I focused
on the bathroom door and forced myself to move toward it, grabbing my clothes
along the way. I slipped them on and only noticed that I was crying when my
bare arm rubbed against my damp cheek.
I washed my face vigorously, hoping to find some dignity under
the skin. I shook the Tylenol bottle and swore. Empty.
I thrust my shoulders back and left the bathroom. I waved the
bottle in front of Noah and flashed him a calloused look.
“My head is killing me.” My
I gripped the sheet in my fists and pulled it up to cover the
fact that I was in my underwear. “We have to stop him, Noah.”
“But how? What can we do without getting caught in the
process?”
“I don’t know. I just feel so powerless. If he wins…we have to
warn people.”
The TV chatter filled the room and we stopped to consider the
possibility. We no longer had a way to communicate with the outside world. Noah
had ditched both of our Communication Rings and neither of us had laptops or
tablets. We were completely without technology.
I began to tremble, and Noah reached for me. This time I didn’t
pull away. I tucked my face into the warmth of his neck and he rested his head
against mine. He gently stroked the flesh of my back in soothing circles, round
and round, stopping suddenly when his fingers reached my bra strap.
I felt so hollow and lonely. Noah was the only person I had
left on the earth. A deep-seeded longing bubbled up from the center of my core.
I remembered how I wanted Noah back in Los Angeles and suddenly I wanted him
now. I needed him. I wanted him to need me.
I found his lips and kissed him hard, desperation erupting from
my soul. I peeled off his jacket and pushed him onto his back on the bed.
“Zoe?” he said.
“It’s okay.” I kissed him across his chin and down the curve of
his neck. “I want this.” I breathed deeply of the scent of his skin and my pulse
raced.
He responded like I knew he would, kissing me in return, my
forehead, my cheeks my lips, deep and urgent. I pulled up on his T-shirt
exposing his bare skin, and ran my fingertips across his abs. He tensed and my
fingers moved slowly, over each ab muscle, one, two, three… A soft moan escaped
his lips. I reached farther down. He clasped my hand with his, stopping me.
“What?” I said, staring at his chiseled face. His brow was
pulled down in a frown, and his eyes were closed tight like he was in pain.
“What’s wrong?”
“We can’t do this.”
“Why?” I leaned up on my elbow. “I don’t understand. Don’t you
want to?”
“It’s not that I don’t want to. I do want to.”
Frustration twisted in my chest and my face reddened with
embarrassment. “Then what’s the problem!”
He looked at me, his eyes kind and pleading. “Zoe, you’re
wearing a pink wig.”
Oh.
I’d forgotten.
I reached for my head, fingered the nylon strands and slowly
pulled it off. I released the hair tie and my blond tresses fell across my bare
back. “Is that better?”
Noah tugged on his T-shirt and swung his legs over the side of
the bed, sitting up.
“I don’t want it to be this way.”
“What way?”
He turned and steadied his eyes on mine. “I want you to love
me.”
“I…”
I wanted to say I did love him, but the truth was I wasn’t
sure. I couldn’t remember. Once upon a time I might’ve loved Noah Brody. A time
before all of…this.
The steam of my passionate explosion fizzled as he waited for
me to say it.
“That’s what I thought,” he said softly. He walked the two
steps to the bathroom and closed the door. I heard him turn the lock.
I fell back onto the bed, my head suddenly pounding with pain.
Noah exited the bathroom and sat in one of the two chairs
without even glancing at me. He turned the TV volume up.
The awkward factor in the small room was at ten, the pressure
threatening to pop the rivets in the walls. I lay still as a mannequin in my
underwear, feeling more naked than if I’d stripped down to nothing. I focused
on the bathroom door and forced myself to move toward it, grabbing my clothes
along the way. I slipped them on and only noticed that I was crying when my
bare arm rubbed against my damp cheek.
I washed my face vigorously, hoping to find some dignity under
the skin. I shook the Tylenol bottle and swore. Empty.
I thrust my shoulders back and left the bathroom. I waved the
bottle in front of Noah and flashed him a calloused look.
“My head is killing me.” My