Chapter 476) Moves

The Bachelor Pad
Newcrest

Noah leaned back in his chair, Nolan and Connor’s eyes fixed on him, both waiting for an answer. A decision.
An answer he didn’t have. A decision he couldn’t seem to make, one that seemed too hard.

The offer on the table was simple. Connor was moving out and in with Keira into some Brindleton Bay home she bought which was still part construction site due to unfinished remodeling efforts by the previous owner. Connor had been spending a lot of time with her working on the house, and with her and his parents’ help they were getting things done. Keira had already moved into the already livable part; Connor was planning to join her permanently soon.
Again.
Lord knows how long that would last this time.
Once Connor was gone it would leave just Nolan in a 3-story industrial home, 4 stories if you counted the build-out basement, even though only the home office, bar and home gym were down there. Either way, too much for one person. As much in love as Nolan was, he felt it was way too early to ask Alessa to move in with him. He was convinced too much too fast would jinx the good thing they two had going. And doubtful Alessa was in such a rush to move in with him just yet. Eventually, sure, but not now.

So Noah was asked if he wanted to move in with his twin brother, since he spent most of his time here anyway.
Gulp.
Technically, he would love to. For one, he really liked the house, he liked living with his brother, he liked being near his parents, he liked not being all alone in the huge house.
And he liked the idea of living just a few hundred yards away from Holly’s home.

But …

But, first of all was Noah still not over Nolan’s refusal to move into his way too big for one mansion in Del Sol Valley, leaving his brother to spend many a crushingly lonely days and nights there. Then again, Noah had originally been meant to move into this home with Connor and Nolan when they all first moved in together over a year ago, but Noah backed out at the very last minute to try to become this famous wealthy guy irresistible to his ex-girlfriend Emilee hoping to win her back that way. Some foolish move that made sense then, which not only didn’t work, but something he had regretted plenty over the past months.

After hating his home for so long, Noah had grown to really love it, because Holly and Alessa REALLY liked hanging out there, meaning his brother came by a lot more, fun to be around but not too much in Noah’s face as he was usually plenty busy with Alessa, and Noah got a lot of one-on-one time with Holly. Despite several close encounters, and despite the fact that Noah knew as well as Holly that there was something brewing between them, taking the step to making the first move seemed incredibly hard. And every single time he felt confident enough to kiss her, someone T-boned the effort. Never on purpose, since everyone Noah knew was basically pushing him onto Holly. Yet, every time he felt the time was right, someone interrupted.
Every. Single. Goddamn. Time.
Every time he and Holly got this close to crossing that pesky line from friendship into more someone showed up and the mood was gone, leaving only mild humiliation and self-doubts lasting for days. Ugh. How could this be SO hard?!

“Noah? Hello?” Nolan demanded a reaction by snapping his fingers.

“Uh, yeah, I dunno. I gotta think about that for a minute.” Noah said, while shaking his head.

With arched eyebrows, Connor looked at him.

“What’s there to think about? You sat here dozens of times whining about how you hate living in your own home. You are more here than there. Not to mention the thing I know you don’t want to talk about with Nolan and me. Don’t drag your feet with Holly so long that she gets the impression that you don’t want her like that and moves on.” he casually stated the painfully obvious yet uncrossable hurdle.

Noah puffed up to immediately say something, but Nolan was faster and with a silly sounding voice imitating his brother he said

“But Holly and I are just freeeeeeeeeeends.”

Grimacing, Noah slapped his brother’s arms a few times which he had raised protectively while he and Connor were laughing hard.

“Asswipes!” he said then went to get himself some coffee, Connor stretched out in the chair, while addressing his cousin.

“Seriously Noah, make a move. It’s obvious that she won’t give you a pass. I get your concerns. You’ve been through the wringer, she’s been through some bad crap, she’s just a regular girl, you’re Blaine Cameron’s grandkid, as am I, so I get it, dude, I do. But especially now that she knows who you are related to, it would be better if you take the first step. I am sure if you were just a regular dude, she might, she seems assertive enough and pretty feisty if need be, but in this case, she might lack the courage, simply so you won’t think she’s a golddigger. As you know first hand, crossing the line isn’t so easy, but fact is, if you want this, it has to be you.”

Nolan had gotten up to to get another cup of coffee, which became another scuffle when his brother purposely blocked the coffeemaker as payback for Nolan’s teasing earlier, so Connor clapped hard into his hands, making his dog Morpheus let out some grumbling sounds, as it had woken him from his slumber somewhere behind Connor.

“Hey, dudes! Don’t make a mess in the kitchen, if you wanna turn this into a pig sty, wait till AFTER I moved out. Just a few more weeks, guys. If I have to come and separate you two toddlers, I will.” Connor told them. He was a lot stronger and much more athletic than his twin cousins, at some point he had been enroute to become a professional football player.

With a deep sigh, Noah put his cup on the counter and headed for the stairs.

“Going for a walk to think about this. I’ll be back later.” he informed the other two young men.

Connor got up and grabbed Noah’s cup, noisily putting it into the dishwater.

“What a lazy pig! If he does move in with you, my advice would be a good talking to or make him pay for a maid!”

---

Walking around Newcrest aimlessly, Noah realized two things: One: Connor was right. Not surprising, considering his cousin was an attested genius. Two: waiting for a kiss to happen naturally as he had hoped, was futile. So many times the mood had been right, it was so close to happening, only to be interrupted by something or someone. A kiss was a great first step towards a new relationship, but it required a real date. Plus, Holly deserved a memorable moment. The SAA gala would have been a great background, but it was Noah’s first as an actual invitee, not someone’s entourage, so he had been pulled this way and that and the evening was mostly a big blur.

“Ah fuck it, I’ll just ask her on a date. If she declines, I have my answer about how serious she is about me. If she accepts, and if the moment doesn’t present itself during the date, there is always the kissing after walking her to her door moment. Yeah, that’s what I will do.”

Noah went to see her, but Alessa told him she wasn’t home.

“Sorry, she went to spend the night at her parents’ place. She does that sometimes, you know they are tight.” she shrugged.

ARGH! Figures.

Walking away from Holly and Alessa’s house, cursing up a storm, Noah looked into a pair of very familiar eyes, the same unusual color of almost purple as his own.

“Dad?” he mumbled.

“Nice mouth on you!” Heath told him, attempting to appear stern, barely able to hide a smile.

“Sorry. What are you doing here?”

Bemused, Heath pointed at the sign near them, which read ‘Grainger Manor’.

“I live here. Remember? On that note, you haven’t been by in a while. When are we going to officially meet your new girlfriend? Nolan has visited with Alessa at least half a dozen times, if not more and that Holly is such a sweetheart!”

“NOT. MY. GIRLFRIEND!!!!!” Noah exploded.

“Oh. Sorry. I thought … well … too bad. Such a sweet girl. Wanna come inside for a little while?”

“Nah, thanks dad not today. I promise I’ll stop by tomorrow or soon, just not today. I know you and mom mean well, but I just can’t deal with being grilled about the Holly thing any more today, your other son and our cousin already worked me over plenty. I gotta go, dad, see ya later.” Noah was in full flight mode now.

He ported away, confused about finding himself near Everett Heights instead of at his Del Sol Valley mansion as originally intended.

With an annoyed huff he realized he probably hadn’t focused enough and had Holly’s whereabouts on his mind.

Windenburg
Taylor Residence
(Holly's parents' house and childhood home)

---

With a shriek Holly dropped the towel she was holding when walking into her room, making Noah wince, who had been looking around the photos and decorations in her room.

“HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE?”

Pointing behind himself at her room door, while staring at her, he told her

“Your mom let me in. Said I could just go into your room.”

“Don’t you knock?!”

“I DID knock!”

“And nobody answered. BIG FAT HINT!”

“Does anyone ever really wait to be asked in? I thought nowadays knocking was more a warning.”

“What are you doing here anyway?”

“I … ahem … wanted to ask you something. Why are you at your parents? Something happen?”

“No. Just felt like staying in my old room for a night, I do that sometimes after a rough day at work. What did you want to ask me? And does it involve more envelopes I need to open for you?” she smirked at him.

“No. By the way, are those the flower panties you were talking about at my house?” Noah shot back, trying to be funny, but instantly regretting it.

Holly looked down on herself, blushing deeply, grabbing the towel off the floor, before running back into her bathroom, slamming the door hard.

“Ah shit!” he said, heading for the door, knocking.

“STAY OUT!” she yelled from inside.

“Holl, I was trying to be funny. I am sorry.”

“LEAVE!”

Her request cut him deeply. That was literally the very last thing he wanted to do. Along with upsetting her so. Panic rose.

“Holly … please, I apologize. Can we talk?”

When she didn’t respond, he brought his head up to the door and heard her cry softly inside, so he knocked again, gently, only using two fingers.

“Holl?”

“Please go. I am embarrassed now. I don’t want to see you tonight. Please go.”

“Why are you embarrassed? I have seen you in a bikini before, which to me is basically the same as a bra and panties. Literally no difference.”

“The bikini was cute. And sexy!”

“Your granny panties are kinda sexy in a retro way.”

“THEY ARE NOT GRANNY PANTIES!!!”

“Okay okay, sorry. I am not up to speed on women’s fashion. Sorry. Either way, they are cute in that carefree ‘I don’t follow rules and don’t give a fuck’ kinda way.”

The door was ripped open and Holly was right in front of Noah, looking upset.

“But I DO care! And I DO give a fuck! That is the problem!!!” she yelled at him.

Both stood frozen for a brief moment, then Noah grabbed her and kissed her.

She squirmed for a moment, before wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing her body against his.

She was breathless when he let go. Noah felt breathless in some weird way.

“Shit. This was supposed to happen during or after a romantic date.” he blurted out.

Holly stared at him as if he had lost his mind, then burst into laughter, it was contageous, then both were laughing hard.

Once they calmed down a little, she looked up at him.

“Why did you kiss me, Noah?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

“No. Not really.”

“Because I … lo… like you. A lot. A lotta lot.” Noah grimaced hearing himself sound idiotic, while backpedaling after almost saying too much. Yikes.

“I like you a … lotta lot …. too.” Holly replied, looking equally appalled at herself.

Uncomfortably, both stared at each other.

“I really do like your … umm … outfit.” Noah tried.

Holly looked down at herself again, blushing again.

“Oh crap!” closing her eyes she muttered “just like a bikini. Just like a bikini.”

Looking back at Noah, she told him.

“Turn around. I need to get dressed.”

“That’s a joke, right?”

“No! Turn!”

“I already saw you in your underwear!”

“Exactly!”

“That makes no sense!”

“It does. Somehow. It’s embarrassing. So – turn!”

“Fuck that!” Noah told her and began pulling his shirt off, dropping it to the floor, unzipping his pants after kicking off his shoes, until he stood in front of her, also only in his boxers.

Holly looked shocked.

“What did you do THAT for?!”

“Now we’re equal. No need to be embarrassed anymore. Look, I am not embarrassed.”

“Of course not! You are clearly buff and I am … flabby.”

“WHAT!? Oh my God, I give up! I will NEVER understand women!”

A brief knock on the door and Holly’s father appeared, his eyes widened, then he backed out, closing the door again.

Holly was deep crimson now, as was Noah.

“Oh my God! This is not my day! I gotta talk to my dad now! Before he has a heart attack or something!”

“Yeah, be sure to tell him we’re just friends too!” Noah’s tone was oozing sarcasm.

“Very funny. I already have no idea how to explain ANY of this!”

“Join the club!”

Holly tore open some drawers and got dressed in record speed, heading for the door, but turned around, then came towards Noah, who expected a kiss. Instead, she quickly grabbed his jeans and ran out her door.

After the initial moment of surprise, Noah ran after her, caught her right outside her room door, grabbing his pants and a brief struggle ensued, Noah being gentle to not hurt her, when both froze after realizing her entire family was watching them.

“Ah shit!” escaped Noah.

“Good evening Noah. Look guys, Jesse and Mia came over to show us their first sonogram, so whenever you are done playing tug-o-war with your male friend’s breeches, come over and take a peek at your new nephew, Holly. You too, Noah, but please, WITH your pants on, I insist, and maybe even a shirt. On that note, I am thrilled to see my daughter found her dresser and isn’t out here in a state of undress as no dad should see his daughter – ever!” Holly’s dad told them, his tone between taken-aback and bemused, Mia looked shocked, Jesse wore a big grin and Holly’s mom’s eyes looked ready to fall from their sockets.

“I swear this is not what it looks like!” Holly blurted out, Noah nodding vehemently, before questioning that reaction and changing it to a vicarious headshake.

“Yeah dad, can’t you see, Noah and Holly were just trying on each other’s clothing, like just friends do.” Jesse said bone-dry, which caused everyone to burst into hysterical laughter.