Re: [Outside the Rec Center.]
Noah was squinting, which Holly interpreted as failure to unbackpedal, and he totally wasn't buying that skeptical 'okay,' so Noah could just stop trying to sell it. "It's very obvious when you aren't being completely honest," he said. He wasn't sure if that was the case with everything, but it was kinda absolutely the case now, and then even the small smile dampened at the mention of Jack, and Holly hadn't been trying for jealous. He'd just, you know, wanted Noah's opinion. "I mentioned it to get your opinion," he said, but there was bitter in what Noah said just then, and Holly kinda got it, right? That he'd maybe pushed Noah too far or something.
But Noah was smiling again, and Holly just watched. Watched, listened, but he still wasn't sure, right? It showed, and maybe Noah could feel it over there. Holly listened about being good to curl up with, but now he was worried, which, yeah. Noah was talking about ending up on his ass, about Holly's ex, which made Holly roll his eyes. "Jamie isn't my ex." This Jamie absolutely wasn't, right? I mean, they were night and day, and he wouldn't even get together with his version of Jamie. "You have as much opportunity as I do. Look, I told you, I don't get off from being watched normally. You're different. Not that you weren't hot or into me or whatever, but you're different." It was the type of earnest that, yeah, would terrify him after, but right now he was raw with new concern. Like livewire, because Noah was kinda pivoting or something maybe.
"I get it's just body parts, but I kinda don't like the idea of your body parts on anyone else's body parts," he insisted. Okay, no, he was kinda loud about it. It wasn't the motel room screaming, but it was definitely something building and bubbling. Noah's hands were on his nape, and Holly was pretty sure that was the only thing keeping him grounded right now. There was no logic to that feeling, to the assertion in his head that said panic was necessary. Nothing was wrong, right? Nothing had changed. Okay, so Noah had been skeptical or something. It was new, but that was all, and it didn't need to freak him out on some insanely cosmic level.
So, yeah, okay, nah, he was still worried this was about ass, and maybe Noah just didn't know? He was kinda the sappy type, Noah, so maybe he didn't get it... or something. He knew the only reason they hadn't fucked was because he'd slammed on the brakes over and over. "See, it's easier if I take money from you, so you can get it without me putting you off," he said, he went for casual practicality with his tone. Did he want to be contradicted? Yep. As he he pushed back and almost banked his head on the roof of the Jeep, he absolutely wanted to be contradicted. At least he'd kinda managed to leave a new mark on Noah's throat.