"Oh my God!" The club members were all over me.
It was overwhelming, in the best way possible. I couldn't contain my happiness, and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face for the next few days.
And yet, amid all this joy, there was Noah—unpredictable as always. One moment, he was warm, almost tender, and the next, he was distant, like a cold wind pushing me away.
I sighed to myself, a soft smile playing on my lips. But even with his mood swings, he never fails to make me smile. What did all this mean? Why did he act this way with me? Did it even mean anything, or was I just reading too much into it?
Should I try to find answers? Maybe not. Maybe I shouldn't.
Don't expect anything, I reminded myself. After all, Noah had always been like this—confusing, infuriating, and utterly unreadable. If he wanted me to believe in something more, he'd have to stop being so misleading. As it stood, it was impossible to think his actions carried any real meaning.
But then again, why did he always seem to show up when I least expected it?
Take prom night, for example. When he showed up at my house to drive me to the venue, I couldn't help but smile. A big smile.
I told Yuri that my "dad" would be the one to drop me off. Of course, that wasn't true. I couldn't tell him it was a Vander who would be driving me. Yuri would ask questions, and Noah wouldn't like that, so I chose the easy way out.
Besides, I actually wanted Noah to do this. In fact, I was more excited about the ride than arriving at the prom itself.
Noah didn't even glance at me twice when I got into his car.
He sat there in the driver's seat, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. He was dressed in a black tee and matching black pants—a simple outfit, but he somehow made it look like a statement. Meanwhile, I was wearing a long violet gown that Yuri had given me. He offered to pick me up, but I'd declined, thinking this would be better.
"Is my dress okay, Noah?" I asked, hoping to catch his attention.
For a moment, I thought he might not answer. But then he spoke, his tone clipped and matter-of-fact.
"I'm going to pick you up at ten. Be sure your ass is outside by nine thirty."
"What?" I frowned. "That's so early!"
He finally turned to look at me, his eyes narrowing slightly, and then, he rolled his eyes. That's it, Noah? God, he's so cold!
"Do you plan to spend the whole night with him, Serena?" he asked suddenly, his voice quieter but tinged with something I couldn't quite place.
"Well, he's my date," I said with a shrug. "It's my obligation as his date."
He muttered something under his breath. I couldn't catch it.
"What was that?" I asked, frowning. I placed a hand on his arm, hoping to get his attention.
He pulled away from my touch, clearly irritated. "I said I'll gate crash if you're not outside by nine thirty."
I blinked at him, surprised. "Gate crash? I didn't know you had that in you, Noah." I smiled teasingly.
"My brother is inside that hall, Sar. I'll know," he replied, his tone sharp.
I shook my head, laughing softly. "Why are you so... jealous?" I teased again, though my voice wavered slightly. "I thought you didn't like me. You've always been so hard on me, Noah."
The words tumbled out of me, unfiltered, like water rushing over a broken dam. My heart pounded as I realized how much I was rambling. My cheeks flushed, the heat crawling up my neck.
"You can't just be possessive over someone, you know," I added, turning to look at him, my tone more defensive than I intended.
I needed to deflect—to take control of the situation before he noticed how flustered I was. "It's not fair. You don't even—"
And then I froze.
Noah was staring at me. Not just looking, but staring—his gaze was sharp, intense, and unrelenting. It felt like it was peeling back my layers, exposing parts of me I wasn't ready to share.
He had his elbow resting on the back of my seat as he leaned forward, the subtle proximity pulling the air from the space between us. His chin was propped up on his hand, his fingers brushing his jawline in a way that seemed almost absentminded.
His eyes—those deep, piercing eyes—locked onto mine like magnets.
"There are some things you need to possess, Sar," he said quietly, his voice low and steady, each word hitting me with a deliberate weight. "Some people you need to possess."
I felt my breath hitch, the rise and fall of my chest slowing as my body responded to the shift in the atmosphere. His words settled into my chest, sparking something that felt both thrilling and terrifying.
"Some people," he repeated, softer this time, almost like a confession, "and I'm one of those people."
For a moment, time seemed to stop. The way he said it—it wasn't just a statement. It was a challenge, a dare, as if he was giving me a choice I hadn't even realized I had to make.
His lower lip, which he had been biting, slowly relaxed as his hand fell to rest on the edge of my seat. His thumb traced an idle pattern against the fabric, the subtle movement drawing my attention like a beacon.
I swallowed hard, feeling the walls I'd carefully built around myself tremble. He didn't break eye contact, and the silence stretched between us like a taut string, threatening to snap.
"Why?" The word escaped before I could think it through, barely above a whisper. "Why would you say something like that?"
He tilted his head slightly, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face—vulnerability? Amusement? His lips curved, just barely, into a ghost of a smile.
"Because it's true," he murmured, his voice so soft it felt like it was meant for me alone. "And I think you know it, too."
The weight of his words pressed against my chest, leaving me unable to look away.
The silence returned, heavier now, as though we were standing on the edge of something we couldn't undo. Something inevitable.
And I wasn't sure if I was ready to fall—or if I even had a choice anymore.
I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. My heart was racing. I didn't even notice the car had stopped until my phone buzzed in my hand.
Yuri was calling.
I clenched my eyes shut for a moment, frustrated. Why now? I wanted to stay in this moment, to hear more of what Noah had to say.
But reality was pulling me away.
I sighed, glancing at Noah one last time before answering the call. "I think Yuri's looking for me. I should go," I muttered, trying to sound casual, though the tension between us hung in the air like a storm cloud.
Noah didn't respond right away. He leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. But then, as my phone buzzed persistently in my hand, his eyes flicked toward the screen.
He stared at the caller ID—Yuri—for a second too long, his jaw tightening almost imperceptibly. The light from the screen reflected in his dark eyes, but it didn't soften his sharp features. If anything, it made him look even more brooding.
Then, with an exaggerated slowness that could only be described as theatrical, he rolled his eyes and turned his head away, his lips pressing into a tight line.
Sassy Noah.
I raised an eyebrow at him, my lips twitching as I fought the urge to laugh. "Seriously?" I asked, lowering the phone slightly. "What's with the attitude?"
He didn't look at me. Instead, he folded his arms across his chest, leaning back further as if he couldn't be bothered. His entire demeanor screamed indifference, but the sharpness in his movements betrayed him.
"What attitude?" he said finally, his voice low and deceptively calm.
"Oh, come on," I said, gesturing toward him with my phone. "The eye roll? The whole 'too cool to care' act? You're not exactly subtle, you know."
He let out a short, dry laugh, shaking his head slightly. "I just think it's cute," he said, the words dripping with sarcasm.
"Cute?" I echoed, crossing my arms now. "What's cute?"
Noah finally turned his head to look at me, his gaze locking onto mine with that same intensity he always seemed to carry. "Nothing," he said, but the smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth said otherwise. "You and a senior, huh, going on a prom."
"So?" I asked, my tone defensive.
He shrugged, the smirk growing into something more smug. "Nothing. It's just... you're so quick to accept invitations, huh. It's cute, really."
I stared at him, my mouth opening and closing as I tried to come up with a retort. But before I could say anything, the phone buzzed again, breaking the silence.
Noah's gaze darted to the screen once more, his smirk faltering for a split second. Then, as if catching himself, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
"Better not keep your date waiting," he said, his voice quieter now, though there was an edge to it I couldn't quite place.
I hesitated, my thumb hovering over the answer button. Something about the way he said it made my chest tighten. It wasn't just the words—it was the way he looked at me, like he was daring me to stay, to prove him wrong.
But the phone buzzed again, insistent, and I sighed.
"I'll see you later," I said softly.
As I walked away, I couldn't shake the feeling of his gaze burning into my back.
What a jealous boy. I smirked.