Chapter 37 - XXXVII - Fiery Habanero

Chapter 37: Chapter XXXVII - Fiery Habanero

After several minutes—perhaps even a few dozen—of doing absolutely nothing, Noah finally sat up on the couch with a deep, weary groan. His back protested as he stretched, rolling his shoulders before letting his arms fall limply by his sides.

The day had thoroughly worn him down, leaving him with little choice but to accept his exhaustion and resign himself to it.

Beside him, Levy turned his head and flashed him a small smile.

"Already tired?"

Noah scoffed.

"As if you’re not."

Levy gave a low chuckle before resting his head against the back of the couch, his eyes slowly falling shut. Apparently, even he could get tired. Then again, after everything they’d been through in the span of a few short hours, perhaps it was only natural.

Noah glanced across the black wooden table in front of them. Its only contents were the TV remote and a few sports magazines, neither of which held his attention for long. His gaze eventually settled on Sage, who sat on the other sofa, her eyes wandering around the house as though she were quietly taking in every detail.

Eventually, her gaze landed on his.

Noah hesitated for a moment before asking, "You ever planning on taking that scarf off?"

Sage’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Why’re you asking?"

Noah immediately raised both hands, his expression shifting into one of retreat.

"Hey, I’m just saying. It looks a little uncomfortable."

Sage continued to stare at him with those mesmerizing emerald eyes. Noah found himself staring into them before coming back.

He lowered his hands slightly, unknowingly avoiding her gaze. "But if you like wearing it, you know, do whatever you want. Not my business."

She kept her eyes on him for another beat, her expression completely unreadable.

Then the corners of her lips began to curl upward.

"Relax. I’m messing with you."

Noah sighed.

Of course you are.

Sage reached up and began slowly unwinding the black scarf from around her face. Layer by layer, it loosened until the fabric finally slipped free, revealing the rest of her face for the first time since they’d met.

He had already caught a glimpse of her red hair, but seeing it properly now was something else entirely. It cascaded over her shoulders in fiery waves, vibrant strands shifting between crimson and copper whenever they caught the light filtering through the boarded windows.

The color was striking enough on its own, but the way it framed her face made it even harder to look away.

Then there were the freckles, sprinkled beneath her eyes and stretching across the bridge of her nose in an almost perfect horizontal line, as though each one had made an unspoken agreement with the others to settle before she’d even been born.

Her lips were full and naturally shaped, adding another striking feature to an already memorable face, but it was her eyes that completed the combination.

There was something about them that made everything else—the fiery hair, the freckles, even her lips—feel like pieces of a picture that only made sense once they were all together. Noah had to admit it. Sage was a quadruple threat.

She folded the scarf loosely in her hands and glanced back at him.

"Better?"

Noah stared for a second longer before swallowing and suddenly finding the magazines on the table very, very interesting.

"I mean, if you think it’s cool. I think it’s cute."

His eyes widened, shooting up to hers.

"Cool!" he quickly corrected. "I meant cool."

A faint smile remained on Sage’s face. "Thought so."

Beneath the smugness and freckles, however, a faint blush had crept across her cheeks, prompting her to quietly close her eyes and turn away as though she could hide it that way.

"Smooth," Levy drawled, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Real smooth."

A pillow immediately connected with his face.

Whump.

Levy went silent.

For a moment, he sat there with the pillow pressed against his face before slowly pulling it away. His eyes shifted toward Noah, who was already wearing a smile.

"You did that?"

Noah shrugged innocently.

"Reflex."

Levy stared at him for another long second before slowly placing the pillow back over his face and closing his eyes.

His voice came muffled from beneath it. "You’re lucky I’m spent."

Noah chuckled.

The silence returned, though only for a moment before Noah released a heavy breath and pushed himself to his feet. The exhaustion was still evident in the way he moved, but he seemed content to keep himself occupied rather than sink back into the couch.

He walked toward the front door and picked up both his and Levy’s bags before carrying them toward the kitchen.

Sage’s eyes followed him.

She hadn’t really paid much attention to him before, at least not in the same way. Now, however, with Noah’s back turned to her, it was a little harder not to notice the way his shirt stretched across his frame. His shoulders filled it out considerably, his arms carrying noticeable definition beneath the fabric, while the shirt clung to his chest with each movement. Even the faint outline of his abs was visible whenever the fabric shifted.

Then she quickly looked away, suddenly realizing what she was doing. A faint warmth that had barely managed to subside crept back into her cheeks as she shifted her attention elsewhere.

As Noah disappeared into the kitchen, Sage leaned slightly toward Levy and gave him a gentle nudge.

"Where’s the bathroom?"

Levy’s response came muffled from beneath the pillow still covering his face. Whatever he said was completely unintelligible, but he lifted one hand and pointed down the hallway behind him, which seemed to be enough for her.

Sage followed the direction of his finger. "Thanks."

She rose from the sofa and started down the hallway, but not before briefly glancing toward the kitchen.

Noah was already unpacking the loot they had collected, placing the items onto the table one by one as he inspected them. Sage’s eyes lingered on him for a moment. Then she quickly looked forward and continued down the hallway.