“I know his mother, and I’ve met him a few times. They’re good people.” I want to pepper her with more questions, but I don’t want to seem too interested. Or to make her uncomfortable with the questions that I really want answered.
I can’t ask a staff member of the university if Noble is known as a fuckboy. I’d been so sure he wasn’t after his friends were so surprised that he had a girl in his room, but then I remembered later how he said he doesn’t like people in his space. That must mean he goes to theirs. It has to mean that after what I’d seen. It would add up then why his friends reacted the way they did when they saw me in his place.
“Are there any other job openings?” I ask instead. I need to make sure I have something solid in place. I don’t want a handout from Noble.
“We can only give out one job per student.”
“No, I mean a different one.”
“A different one? This one is now the highest paying on campus, and I’m guessing Noble must think you’re excellent at your job being his room was off the cleaning list until you got personally assigned to it.”
“Okay.” I stand and begin to gather my things, seeing that this isn’t going to go anywhere. “Thanks.”
“I didn’t really do anything, but you’re welcome.” She laughs, standing with me. We walk back out of the office. I pause when I see Noble sitting where Dax had been.
“Hi, Noble. We were just talking about you.”
“Really?” He gives Amy a bright smile. She freaking blushes. I fight not to roll my eyes. “Good things, I hope.”
“Not really,” I say dryly. Amy’s eyes widen, bouncing between the two of us. A moment of silence hovers around us all.
“Did Dax leave?” Amy asks, finally breaking the tension in the room.
“Yeah. He found a job,” Noble responds.
“Thanks again, Amy,” I say before I head out of the building.
I bite the inside of my cheek so that I don’t smile when I hear the quick thud of steps coming up behind me.
“Did you do something to Dax?” I keep walking as Noble comes up beside me.
“I gave him a job.”
“Is that job to stay away from me?”
“Little bit.” I stop walking and turn to glare at him. It’s really hard to stare someone down that towers over you. “You told me to.”
“I told you to?!”
“Your text. You said that no one wants to watch their person cozy up to someone else.” I gape at him. “Before you say I’m not your person, I am.”
“You’re crazy. You know that.”
“Yeah, Kitten. Got hit with a case of it about a week ago.” When we met. I drop my head, a small smile escaping me. He’s persistent. I’ll give him that.
“Noble, I can’t do this.”
“Because you don’t like to be touched?” I shake my head no.
I find I rather enjoy his touches. Growing up in the system, there were always people jammed together. Now since getting away from that, I enjoy my space. In fact, sometimes if there are too many people crammed together, panic starts to rise inside of me. That fear of being sucked back to where I felt like I had no say in my life rises to the surface. It’s irrational, but I can’t stop it.
“Then why can’t you do this? I swear that girl wasn’t anything.” I want to believe him so badly.
“I’ve got trust issues, Noble. Hell, I’ve got all kinds of issues. Why would you want anything to do with this mess?”
He steps in closer. “I don’t think you’re a mess, but if that’s what you want to call it, then fine. But I want everything to do withallyour messiness.” I swallow a lump forming in my throat.
“Noble.” I whisper his name. His hand comes up, his thumb and forefinger gripping my chin gently.