Noelle giggled and agreed that it did sound a little grade school when I put it in that context. We wandered out to the great room and curled up in front of the TV. Noelle put on a cooking show and we chatted about various wolves in the pack. Well, Noelle chatted. I listened. Honestly, I liked Noelle, but the only time I'd been alone lately was when I was sleeping or in the bathroom. And neither Derek nor Noelle seemed to consider that a private area. Both of them had just walked right in whenever they wanted. For someone who had been living alone for the better part of the last ten years, it was getting to be a bit much.
"Hey Noelle, would you mind if I just grabbed a book and hung out on the deck? I'm sure Derek will be home soon. I'm fine here on my own, I promise."
