Chapter 4

The last time I had seen Noah was at the fall dance.

That day,he had worn a black suit and smiled like he owned the room,standing by the drink station as he asked for my contact.

He said a friend of his wanted to know me,and I thought that friend was Ethan.

Thinking about it now,everything had started with that sentence.

Noah stood from his chair and held out his hand.

"I told you we were meant to run into each other."

The teacher beside us looked at me,then at him.

"You two know each other?"

"We've met once."I set the documents on the table."We're not close."

Noah looked wounded.

"That's cold."

I ignored him.

Once the teacher stepped out to answer a call,Noah immediately leaned closer.

"I heard about you and Ethan."

My heart sank.

"What did you hear?"

"He said I gave him the wrong account that day,so he mistook you for someone else."Noah frowned."But I never gave him the wrong account."

I froze.

"What do you mean?"

Noah looked at me.

"At the fall dance,the person I wanted to know was you."

"I saved your account on my phone so I could add you later.Then I went to the bathroom for a few minutes,and he took my phone and added you himself."

For a moment,I could not speak.

The more Noah talked,the angrier he got.

"By the time I found out,the two of you were already together.I asked him what the hell happened,and he said he thought you were Ava.Like I'd believe that."

So Noah had not given him the wrong account.Ethan had been lying from the start.

He had taken my account,then later pushed the entire mistake onto one sentence:his friend had given him the wrong account.

I was about to speak when a voice suddenly came from the door.

"Noah."

Ethan stood there,his face cold."What are you doing here?"

Noah leaned back in his chair,smiling in that obnoxious way of his.

"Talking sponsorship.Catching up with Lily.Is that a problem?"

Ethan looked at me,his voice clearly holding back anger.

"Since when are you two so close?"

Before I could answer,Noah cut in first.

"Earlier than you think.Closer than you want."

Ethan's face darkened.

"Lily,stay away from him."

That sentence was directed at me.

I suddenly almost wanted to laugh.

"What right do you have to tell me what to do?"

Ethan stopped.

"I'm only warning you.Noah doesn't take relationships seriously."

The smile on Noah's face faded too.

"And you do?You're so serious you have a girlfriend and still run around telling another girl who she can talk to."

The air froze.

Footsteps sounded outside the door,and Ava walked over with a folder in her arms,just in time to see the three of us standing together.

Her gaze landed on Noah first,then shifted to me.

"Lily,I didn't realize you and Noah were this close."

I explained,"We've only met a few times.I'm just here to deliver documents today."

Noah grinned."I'm still working on it.Maybe someday I'll be her boyfriend."

Ethan shot him a cold look."Nobody asked about later."

Ava's smile became a little strained.She linked her arm through Ethan's.

"Let's go."

Ethan made a sound of agreement.Before leaving,he looked at me again.

There was something complicated in his eyes that made me uncomfortable.

I lowered my head and sorted the documents,pretending not to see it.