Baby I'm A Sinner novel Chapter 53

Liam then changed the channel to MTV and raised the volume to the maximum, so I leaned over to Noah so I could whisper into his ear:

"Thank you for the necklace, but you shouldn't have."

"Do you like it?" he asked and put his free arm around my shoulders.

I felt something warm and fuzzy in the pit of my stomach as I nodded.

"How much was it?"

"Doesn't matter."

"I want to know."

"Why?"

"Because I feel bad-"

"It was nothing, honestly. Just enjoy it."

"Alright. Thanks."

"Sure."

I pressed a kiss to his cheek and then took the joint from his fingers so I could take two long drags. I saw Lucas shooting us innuendo stares but I waved him off because it wasn't what he thought it was. Yes, Noah and I would snog from time to mine, but it was meaningless. Just like when I snogged Lucas. Friends kissing friends. No biggie.

"What are we doing for New Year's?" Eleanor asked and leaned into Lucas, smiling.

"I'll host the party this year." Noah announced and took the joint back.

"Should I make an event on Facebook?" Harry suggested.

"Yeah. Fifty people max."

"Alright."

After that no one really talked about anything interesting; we just smoked and laughed and had a good time with each other.

"Nothing says Christmas spirit more than weed and wine." Lucas said when we were at the door two hours later, saying our goodbyes. Noah's parents hadn't come home yet and his siblings apparently spent the night with their sitter.

"Can you drive me home?" I asked Zack who was just instructing Jake, Carly, Liam, and Emma to get in his car.

"It's fully babe, I'm sorry."

"I can-" Lucas started but Noah caught in, saying that he'll drive Jade and I home tonight.

"Alright then. Take care." Lucas smiled and wiggled his eyebrows as he kissed both my cheeks and then walked away with Eleanor and Harry.

Jade and I got into Noah's Bentley at half past twelve, and we were in front of our house at fifteen to one, just like I'd promised my dad.

"I'll see you in a week then?" Noah asked and turned to look at me in the backseat.

"Sure." I awkwardly answered.

"I'll...go inside." Jade said and got out of the car after telling Noah goodbye.

Then there were two.

"Thanks for the necklace again."

"You're welcome."

"You know that as soon as I get inside I'm going to google how much it cost right?"

"You can't."

"Why not?"

"Because it was custom made."

"What? Those are like, twice as expensive!" I exclaimed.

"So?"

"So...I feel bad. You had no obligation to buy me anything."

"I wanted to though."

"Alright then. I owe you one."

"You don't have to-"

"Yes I do." I said quickly and got out of the car so he couldn't say anything else.

I waved at him and he rolled the window down, telling me to come closer because he wanted to tell me a secret.

"What?" I asked and bent over so I could be at the same eye level.

He didn't say anything; he just leaned over and kissed me for two or three seconds and then pulled away smiling.

"Thank you for that too." I laughed, and I was glad that it was dark so he probably couldn't see me blush.

"See you on Wednesday."

"Why not earlier?" I found myself asking.

"Oh my Gooood!" Emma exclaimed. "You look so good babe!"

She kissed and hugged me, and then Liam did the same. Then Emma passed on to Jake, who was as excited to see Liam and Emma as she was.

"Is she...?" I asked Liam, motioning my hands in a drunk gesture.

He shook his head and put his thumb and index finger together, to let me know that they'd smoked up before they got here.

A few minutes later, people were starting to fill in, so we moved to the crowded living room that was already blasting with club music and happy chatter.

***

It didn't take long for Carly and Emma to get so wasted that Jake and I had to help them throw up in the upstairs bathroom.

"So who's going to be your New Year's kiss?" I asked him as I held Emma's hair. He was currently giving Carly something to drink in order to help her get back on her feet.

"I don't know. I haven't really talked to Harry in a while. I mean, after that night on the trip we haven't said much to each other. Things are weird."

"I'm sorry. Do you want me to be your kiss?"

"Aren't you always?" he asked and smiled, winking.

Once Emma was finished, we gave her the same treatment we gave Carly, and then laid them down on Noah's bed.

"Come back in thirty minutes." Emma said and I nodded.

"Promise! We don't want to miss New Year's." Carly cried.

"Yeah yeah, you won't miss it. It's not even eleven yet."

Jake and I then left the room, and we walked back downstairs. I danced with Liam and Harry for a while after that, until I retrieved into the kitchen to pour myself some Cranberry juice mixed with Vodka.

"Where's Carly?" Jade asked as I mixed my drink.

"Upstairs, taking a short nap."

"Oh. Do you think...she might want to be my New Year's kiss?"

"Yeah. I mean, if that's how you want to come out."

"Oh I'm not worrying about that, girls kiss girls all the time. I just don't know whether she'd be comfortable with everyone seeing."

"I'm sure she will." I assured her and finally took a sip of my first alcoholic drink tonight.

"Underage drinking is not good."

We both turned our heads to see Noah entering a kitchen with red eyes and a big smile on his face. Jesus.