Chapter 5
Shawn is taking aback by her abruptness and slowly and surprisedly drops the sandwich he's holding to his mouth.
He keeps his eyes on Noel and has no idea what it is that his offence is.
"I appreciate every single thing you did for me since yesterday, and the one you've done just now. I appreciate it all but I'm not a needy woman. I can handle what I need myself, clothes, lawyers, getting my house back and every other thing."
Noel makes her point and turns to leave. Shawn stands up hurriedly from his seat and grabs her hands
Noel stops and turns around slightly, just enough to let Shawn know that he should let go of her hands.
Shawn holds on a few seconds more and resigns. He let go of her hands.
"As you like it then. It was nice, really nice to meet you." Shawn replies and turns back to his breakfast.
Noel pauses, a look of sadness and regret crossing her face for a second. She ends up turning her back on Shawn and leaves.
Shawn keeps his head down and pretends to eat until he heard the front door close. He looks up, sadness etched into the corners of his face. Sadness that he ended up letting her go.
No other woman got to him so much as Noel does since his first wife.
"..." Shawn sighs and takes all the plates to the sink and drops it all in, not in the mood to wash them yet.
He leaves the kitchen and walks over to the sofa and collapsed into it, not tired but lost in thought while trying to figure out what he did or said wrong.
Noel closes the door behind her and stands at the porch, looking as people pass her by.
"They all have places to go or things to do..." Noel mutters to herself.
She regrets storming out of Shawn's place and leaving him thinking she's an ingrate.
She grips her hair hard and thought back to everything Shawn did for her. The least she could've done was deny the offer quietly like she denied the offer for new clothes.
He was so nice, so nice that she found fault in it. He reminded her in a way of her Mum. Her Mum who was always nice to people until she died from being so nice.
She leaves the shadow of the porch and walks into the street while looking out for a lawyer sign or ad.
She pulls out her bag, and from the bag, she pulls out her phone. Dry but with a low battery, she dials a number.
"Hello Avery?"
"NOEL, Gosh. You finally called me. Where have you been? I dropped in your place yesterday evening and Harvey and that witch all but threw me out. I was so worried and I also couldn't reach you. Where are you?"
"Slow down. I'm by East gardens."
"What are you doing that far away?"
"It's a long story. Wanna meet over a cup of coffee?"
"Sure. We'll meet at that small one near your place. Your old place rather." Avery quickly corrects herself.
"It's fine. See you in an hour" Noel says into the phone and clicks the call off.
Noel stands by the road and hails a taxi.
***
Carla takes a tray of tea and bread to Harvey on the chair he's reclining on that morning. She leans down and drops the tray on the chair beside him and straightens up to leave when Harvey grabs her hands and slam his lips on hers.
Shocked, Carla tries to pull away.
She hasn't been exactly been feeling comfortable around Harvey, seeing how he threw his ex girlfriend, Noel, out of her own house when they broke up. Or rather, when he broke up with her.
Carla isn't trying to exonerate herself from it all but she was kept in the dark up to an extent. Like she didn't know the house actually belonged to Noel, she thought it was Harvey's since he and Noel lived together while they were in a relationship.
Harvey slams his lips on Carla's and reaches for her bra strap. Carla shuffles out of his grip with a bruise forming on her upper lip.
Harvey is surprised and looks at her as she straightens her clothes.
"What was that?"
"What was what?" Carla asks back
"You just pulled out."
"Yes I did. You didn't even ask if I was willing" Carla shoots back
"When did i start to need your permission for a romantic time with you?" Harvey asks starting to look pissed
"You can't just start something like that so early in the morning. Do something productive." Carla shouts back and heads for the door.
"Where are you going? You're walking out on me?" Harvey asks looking angry now
"Yes. I'm going out to do something productive, unlike someone who starts and ends the day with sex." Carla says without turning around to face him.
Harvey stays in the chair and watched as his girlfriend slammed the door and left the house.
Outside the door, Carla goes down the short stairway and sighs.
"What's wrong with you? You were always happy when he does that." She mutters to herself as she stops at the end of the stairs.
"I'm supposed to go out to do something productive. What should I do?"
She spies an advert and checks it out. It's an ad for a winter sales girl. She tears it off the wall and leaves with it, heading down the road.
***
Noel gets off the taxi and pays the driver. She enters the cafe and takes a seat by the window. Accidentally, the one she sat with Shawn the previous day. She remembers leaving him in there and ends up meeting him again.
Now that she has the time to think, she discovered she met him four times in just one day.
Boston is not exactly that big but meeting someone for four times in a day is not a coincidence is it?
As she was lost in thought, her childhood friend, Avery entered the cafe and sat opposite Noel.
Avery is a woman of moderate height, thin and has a tanned complexion. She is a brunette with back-of-neck length hair. She is quirky and quick to say her mind, even if it is considered a bad habit sometimes.
"Don't ever go out of touch like that ever again ok?" Avery says as she settles down
"I'll try my best." Noel replies with a smile
"What exactly happened? Tell me everything in detail."
Noel recounts the event of the previous day to Avery, deliberately leaving out her Shawn moments.
Mentioning Shawn is unavoidable anyway so she leaves it for the last part.
"So where did you stay overnight?"
"At Shawn's place."
"Shawn? Who is Shawn?"
Noel tells Avery all the Shawn moments and Avery, She never disappoints.
Avery giggles while bursting to say what she wants to say
"Gosh. I'm so happy for you. Where is he now? I mean Shawn?" Avery looks around the cafe, trying to spot any one looking like Shawn as Noel described.
"I left his house this morning, more like I stormed out."
"You what???!" Avery shouts
"I know I know and I regret it already." Noel says and facepalms.