“Tough shit,” I growled, giving his arm a yank. “We’re talking about it. I pursued him, and I wasn’t going to stop until I wore him down and he eventually gave in, because I love him.”
“Love?” Noel sneered and shook his head. “You have no idea, little girl. I’ve seen what you thought love was, and it ain’t even close.”
Sucking in a pained breath from that jab, I closed my eyes briefly, but then I looked up at him, steeling my resolve. “I know you totally lost faith in me a year ago. I know you thought I became something that couldn’t be trusted with my own heart, but believe it or not, I actually learned from my experience with Sander. And Oren is nothing like him.”
Noel snorted and shook his head, not believing me. I yanked on his arm again. “I’m serious,” I said. “He may not have taken me on a conventional date, but he was more considerate and attentive than I ever could’ve imagined a boyfriend could be. I never started a day without some kind of message from him, letting me know he was thinking about me. He took me to Rainly Park and even showed me a hidden waterfall there.”
When my brother shot me a startled glance, I nodded. “We did all kinds of things in the apartment with Quinn and Zoey. He even introduced me to his parents.”
Noel glanced around the yard, probably to send Quinn a scowl of betrayal, but all our friends had left, respecting his wishes.
“Honestly, the only person we didn’t tell was you.” As Noel fumed, I lifted an eyebrow. “Why do you think that was?”
Shaking my head, I left him in the backyard to stew. Then I hiked to Oren’s apartment. But when I didn’t find him there, Zoey let me borrow her car to drive to his hometown. I wasn’t sure how I knew he’d go to his place, but I just knew.
When I reached it at dusk, he was sitting by himself, his arms wrapped around his knees as he watched the colorful sunset.
He didn’t acknowledge me as I sat beside him, so I didn’t say anything either.
“Did you listen in on the conversation I had with your brother in the front yard?” he finally asked, turning his face to consult me.
I shook my head. “No. They kept me in the back while you two were supposed to iron it out. But you didn’t iron it out, did you?”