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Grace
"Josh! No, you can't put that in the microwave it's going to-" before Harper could finish her sentence, I heard a loud thud in the microwave.
"You're cleaning it." Harper threw the washcloth in his face and settled beside me on the couch. Another day without Noah and I think I was going stir crazy. I didn't sleep at all last night. I tried to enjoy the party but that didn’t happen. Not even after a messy cake fight ensued.
Today, I started thinking I was crazy mainly because everywhere I turned, I saw Noah. I walked to the coffee shop this morning to get Harper and I some well-deserved chai spice cappuccinos and for a moment I thought the guy who helped me at the counter was Noah. stared at the man I think I must've unsettled him. Poor thing.
Harper studied me and narrowed her gaze, she didn't say anything, instead she grabbed Josh by the arm and dragged him out of the kitchen. Even when she says nothing at all, you could read her like a book. She was scheming something with Josh. I could hear their frantic whispers through the door.
I sat on the couch stewing about what happened yesterday. It felt right to tell Noah that I wasn't ready for the pace we were moving at. He should have respected that. However, I regret saying that. I should've also known that slow isn't the pace we'd go, not with the way we ripped each other's clothes off the first chance we got.
I slumped down into the couch. I started thinking about all the times Noah made me smile, even on the beach when I told he was a strange man. I started smiling at the memory. He was turning twenty-nine in about a week. I had his gift in my closet.
I opened the box that he left me on the counter this morning; it was a bag of brownies and a painting. The painting of me. He explained to me that he didn't know why he painted this, but it basically painted itself. The birthday card that he left in the box made me cry.
It read,
I couldn't sell this and I would not have, even if I still hated you. You crashed into my painting and my world. Your eyes mesmerized me from the first time I saw you, those eyes gave me sleepless nights and I wouldn't change that for the world.
I heard shuffling behind the couch and Harper laughed at Josh. I frowned and suddenly I felt something being thrown over my head. Oh god, "You've got to be kidding me, Harper! What are you doing?" I felt myself being hoisted up and carried through the door with grunts. I tried to fight them off, but they ducked and covered my flailing hands and feet.
"You guys can't do this, it's not funny!" I sighed finally relenting. I'm not even going to continue to fight them.
"You could've just asked if you both wanted some time alone." I tried in vain for them to let me go.
"Grace, you're either going to love me or hate me when I tell you where we're going. Josh and I decided that it would be the best thing for you since you’ve been moping around the house.”
"What?”
"When you're in the car we'll take the bag off and tell you where you are going."
I felt myself being hoisted into the car. The door beside me slammed shut.
The bag was finally lifted off my face and Harper was welcomed by my face which was beaming of annoyance.
"Can you explain to me what on earth you are doing?" I looked around the car and saw my duffel bag beside me. I saw it and rushed to open it. It was full of my clothes.
"It's a shame that you and Noah had a fight and I think I can help." She started slowly.
"I thought you didn't like him," I commented bitterly.
"I don't, but I don't like to see you this heartbroken either. Josh and I have had way worse arguments where we proclaimed to hate each other and yet here we are, you’ll both survive this, I promise. My point is that even if I don't want to admit it, you and Noah must be together. This also means that this distance thing is not going to work so...I packed you a bag and I'm forcing you to spend the week with him.” She proclaimed happily.
"I have a job to do here and responsibilities. You always say that you don't butt into my business." I noted.
"I don't think they'll mind you taking a break, and you can work from home. You know, this time I should butt in because you both are so stubborn. Josh agrees I should intervene." She had a sickly-sweet smile on her face. Josh simply nodded not replying (he knows what is good for him, agree with her and no one gets hurt).
Josh started the car and started the long road to Noah. Harper gave him various directions on the way that caused a few arguments on the way.
After hours of driving, we finally got into town.
Finally, they stopped in front of Noah's house. I could feel the sudden anxiety spread through me. She gave me a comforting squeeze.
"Maybe he doesn't want to see me?" I asked panicked.
"Either way, you have to talk to him." She grabbed my bag and lugged me out of the car.
"You're not turning back now. I have this feeling that you were meant to step into his painting. You were his last grace after everything that has happened to him." She hugged me and got back into the car.
Well, this was one abrupt road trip.
I took a breath and knocked on the door. There was no answer, I knocked again and tried to open the door, but it was locked. I slumped down on the steps. I suddenly heard footsteps coming towards the door and the door opened slightly. It wasn't Noah, it was Adrian. He looked at me and then at the bag.
"Thank goodness you're here. Here's the key, and I’m going," He handed me the key and then jogged down the steps towards the parked Jeep. I slowly opened the door and set down my bag in the hall.
"Noah?" I called out. He emerged from a room, and he stopped at the rod iron rail of the stairs that looked out over the door and living room. His shirt had splattered paint on it and his baggy jeans hung low. He wasn't wearing any shoes and was covered in paint from head to toe.
"Adrian gave me the key and hurried out of here." My voice wavered as I spoke.
"Because he thinks I've lost it, which I haven't." He looked irritated but then his face softened, "So Harper abandoned you here for the week." She probably talked to him to plan this. He jogged down the steps and stopped in front of me.
"I'm sorry. I was afraid. I'm not used to being in a relationship, so everything was moving too fast for me and I kind of lost my footing." I wrung my hands together and tried to avert my gaze from him.
"I'm sorry too. I tried to call. You want to take it slow; I understand that but the last time I took things slow it blew up in my face. I know you're scared to commit so I'm not going to push this. I just want us to be together and the rest we can figure out as we go.”
He kissed me and smiled.
"Shortest breakup ever," I smiled.
"Why does Adrian think you're crazy?" He smiled, almost as sweetly as Harper and grabbed my hand. He headed upstairs so I trailed behind him. He opened the door to a room and switched on the lights. It was a room that looked like a guest room. On the wall, there were sketches that he started drawing and the floor was covered with newspapers and cans of paint he seemed to be mixing.
I tilted my head to the side, it looked like me and him on the beach. That’s the memory I thought about earlier.
He turned to me, "This is where it all began; the fact that I said sorry to you in the first place was a miracle that day but that led us here."
"You're still a strange man, but thankfully now you're my strange man."