Chapter 22 - Mixed Signals
829 Words
The rest of lunch felt weird.
Not bad.
Just—
Off.
Because Noah had gone quieter after Chloe left.
Not cold.
Not distant.
Just thoughtful.
And somehow that unsettled Lily more than if he’d been angry.
Jason noticed too, unfortunately.
“You’re brooding,” he informed Noah while stealing fries from Ryan’s tray.
“I’m eating.”
“In a brooding way.”
Ryan sighed deeply. “Everything he does looks aggressive to you.”
“That’s because he naturally has the energy of a haunted guard dog.”
Emily nearly choked laughing.
Noah looked exhausted already.
“I’m surrounded by idiots.”
“And yet,” Jason said emotionally, “you love us.”
Noah didn’t answer.
Mostly because Lily accidentally looked at him at the exact same moment.
And there it was again.
That look.
Quiet.
Focused.
Dangerously soft.
Jason physically slammed his forehead against the lunch table.
“I cannot survive another one of those.”
Lily immediately looked away.
Absolutely not.
Noah’s mouth twitched slightly like he was fighting a smile.
Which honestly only made things worse.
Much worse.
By the end of lunch, Lily had come to one deeply unfortunate realization:
She liked Noah Carter entirely too much now.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
—
The problem got worse after school.
Because Lily was at her locker trying to organize papers she absolutely wasn’t reading when Noah appeared beside her again like he’d been summoned by emotional instability.
“You’re avoiding me.”
Lily nearly dropped her notebook.
“I’m not avoiding you.”
“You just jumped six feet.”
“You walk like a ghost.”
“That’s not a denial.”
Lily shut her locker dramatically.
“Why are you interrogating me?”
Noah leaned casually against the locker beside hers.
And somehow—
Even exhausted in a wrinkled hoodie, he still looked unfairly attractive.
Annoying.
“Because,” he said calmly, “you’ve barely looked at me since lunch.”
Lily’s heartbeat immediately betrayed her.
Dangerous topic.
Abort mission.
“I’ve looked at you plenty.”
Noah tilted his head slightly.
“Not really.”
Oh, this was awful.
Because he noticed everything.
Every single thing.
Lily crossed her arms defensively.
“You were being weird.”
His brows lifted slightly. “Weird?”
“After Chloe left.”
For the first time all day—
Noah looked genuinely caught off guard.
Then he sighed quietly.
“I wasn’t upset with you.”
“I didn’t say you were.”
“You thought it.”
Unfortunately—
Accurate.
Lily looked away toward the crowded hallway.
Students moved around them loudly, lockers slamming shut as everyone rushed toward buses and parking lots.
But somehow—
Standing beside Noah still felt like being trapped inside their own separate atmosphere.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Finally, Noah spoke again.
“She dated one of my friends last year.”
Lily blinked, surprised.
“What?”
“Chloe,” he clarified. “It ended badly.”
Something about the way he said it made Lily’s stomach twist slightly.
Not jealousy exactly.
Just curiosity.
Noah rubbed lightly at the back of his neck.
“She likes getting reactions out of people when she’s upset.”
Lily frowned slightly.
“So she was trying to upset me?”
His jaw tightened faintly.
“Yeah.”
Silence settled briefly between them.
Then Lily asked carefully—
“Did she?”
Noah looked at her immediately.
And suddenly—
The hallway noise felt distant again.
Like the dock.
Like the rainstorm.
Like every moment lately where the world narrowed down too much around him.
“She shouldn’t have,” Noah said quietly.
Lily’s pulse stumbled.
Because that answer felt honest.
Completely honest.
Before she could emotionally recover—
Jason appeared out of nowhere carrying a basketball.
Naturally.
“There you are,” he announced dramatically. “Ryan owes me five dollars.”
Lily blinked. “Why?”
Jason looked delighted.
“Because he bet you two would accidentally confess feelings before Wednesday.”
Noah closed his eyes briefly.
“Why are you like this?”
Ryan appeared beside him seconds later.
“In my defense,” Ryan said calmly, “I still think Thursday is more realistic.”
Emily walked up behind them holding iced coffee.
“You’re all weak. They’re one emotional conversation away from disaster already.”
Lily wanted better friends immediately.
Noah looked deeply tired.
“I’m transferring schools.”
“No you’re not,” Jason replied confidently.
“Probably not.”
Jason pointed dramatically between Noah and Lily.
“But for the record? The hallway tension right now is insane.”
Emily nodded solemnly.
“It’s genuinely becoming painful to witness.”
Lily covered her face with both hands.
And beside her—
Noah laughed quietly.
Soft.
Real.
The sound immediately ruined her emotional stability all over again.
Because somehow—
Even after everything—
Being around him still felt easy.
And terrifying.
At the exact same time.
- Writer
