As Noah leads me through the house I feel my heart racing more and more. We go up the stairs and I unlock the door to Syd's guest bedroom with the key she gave me. Noah gives me a knowing smile before walking in but I ignore him, closing the door behind us. He goes over to sit on the bed and I just stand by the door in silence.

We stay like this for way too long, but my mind is rushing through a thousand thoughts a minute, and my heart racing so fast I feel like if I step any closer he'll be able to hear it leaping out of my chest. "I don't bite, you know? Well, not unless you're into it." He says smirking.

"What was that about Noah?"

"Relax, I'm joking!" He replies, pushing his curls away from his face and falling back onto the bed.

"I didn't mean that. I meant what happened downstairs."

He lets out a long sigh and puts his hands over his face, "You seriously are the most oblivious person in the world." he groans.

"I'm just confused, that's all."

"Confused?" He laughs standing up again. "Okay, let's spell it out shall we? First, I kissed you. Then, I invited you to hangout with me and my friends. Then, I asked you out on a date. After you rejected me, I spent all the time you were away messaging you just so you wouldn't forget about me. And that brings us back to tonight, when I skipped out on the game until I got paired with you." With each sentence he takes a step closer. Now that the space between us is small enough, his signature scent, a mixture of mint and redwood cologne, is delightfully intoxicating me. "I actually can't think of any more ways to make it clearer. I like you Maddie."

I sigh, "No you don't."

"Excuse me?" he asks, taken aback.

"You don't like me, Noah. Look, I don't know what type of weird competition you and Mason have going on, but just leave me out of it."

He takes a step back like I've just slapped him. "What?"

"This is all just a big game to you, isn't it? You're just trying to see how far you can get."

"Wow Maddison, you really do know me better that I know myself. I had no idea I was that shallow," he says sarcastically, furrowing his brows in what appears to be anger.

"Don't do that." I shake my head stepping away from him. "Don't make me doubt what I'm saying. Because if I do, and if I let myself consider the possibility of you being sincere, I risk getting my feelings involved with you. And I can't afford that."

"Why not?" he asks exasperated.

"Because you'll just end up hurting me!"

"Why would I want to hurt you?" His expression softens and so does his tone as he takes a step forward, taking my face in his hands, forcing me to look at him. "What reason have I ever given you not to trust me?" he sounds genuinely confused and it makes a sinking feeling settle in my stomach. "This isn't a game, Maddison. It might be to Mason, but it's not to me. As hard as it may be for you to believe, I actually, genuinely like you. And yes, the fact that you're so resistant does make things more complicated for me.  But that only means that when you do let me in eventually, it will actually mean something. It'll mean that I have proven to be worthy of your trust."

Looking into his tender eyes I start fearing he might actually mean everything he's saying. "I don't know," I say looking down, unable to face him.

"Hey. Look at me," he says hooking his finger under my chin and lifting up my gaze to meet his, "What are you so afraid of?"

"I'm scared of trusting you and making a mistake."

"Look, I've been through a lot, and I can assure you the last thing I would do is waste my time fucking with other people's emotions just for fun. Think about it this way, if things really are how you paint them out to be, and if I can really get any girl I want, then why would I be wasting my time trying to get the attention of the only girl who doesn't seem to be interested? I know trust has to be won Maddie, and I'm willing to do the work for someone who's worth it." He takes both my hands in his, "I just need to know that I'm not the only one who feels like this. I need to hear you say it." His voice is so soft I can barely hear him. "Please."

"You're not." I whisper without meeting his burning gaze.

"Then let me in, Maddison" he pleads, "Let go."

"I can't" I breathe.

"Don't be scared. Just let go, Maddie" he places his hand on my cheek and runs his thumb over my skin. He leans into me and as he speaks, his lips brush against mine.

"I-"

"Let go," he whispers as he finally closes the distance between us. Our lips connect in a soft kiss, which begs me to trust him and stop resisting. He kisses me like he's afraid I'll fall apart in his hands, and I fear I just might. I place my palms on his chest and I can feel his heartbeat going a thousand miles per hour. His lips move delicately and carefully against mine, as if he's waiting for confirmation that I want this as much as he does. I do.

I put my arms around his neck and bring him closer to me, tangling my fingers in his hair. At this confirmation, he deepens the kiss, leaving that restraint behind as he pushes me back into the wall for stability. I slide my hands down to his hips, going just under the hem of his shirt, curious to feel his bare skin against my fingers. His hands go to my hair, and his lips leave my mouth only to trace a trail of open-mouthed kisses down my neck and collarbone. With one of my hands, I ball his shirt in my fist, and with the other one, I cup his cheek leading his lips back up to meet mine. Our kiss starts getting more passionate by the second, and I want him closer to me but there's no space left between us.

As if he could read my thoughts, his hands slide down to my hips and he swiftly picks me up as I wrap my legs around his waist. His strong arms are holding me up from under my thighs and with my body tangled around his, he starts walking backward and sits on the bed. I don't stop him.

I straddle his lap, and my mouth moves down to his neck sucking his tender skin lightly. I can hear him breathing heavily and I feel his pulse beating hard against my lips. I can tell he's uncertain about how comfortable I am with this so, to show him, I grab him by the shoulders and push him backward, my lips never leaving his.

Now he's laying down on his back and I'm fully on top of him. I am in ecstasy as he takes my jacket off and runs his hands down my back, digging his fingers into my skin. His touch is intoxicating and makes me crave him even more. I grab his wrists and I guide his hands to go under my shirt, but he stops.

"What happened? Did I do something wrong?" I ask.

"No, no" he rushes to assure me as he sits up and gives me a quick kiss as he caresses my hair "Of course you didn't. I just...I want to take this slow, if that's okay with you."

"You want to take things slow?"

"Is that so hard to believe?" He laughs, all tousled hair and dimples.

"It's just that...from what I heard, you don't usually take things slow with other girls."

"Well, I just want to do things right with you. Like I told you, trust has to be won, and I want to prove that I'm willing to work for it. I know you don't have much experience when it comes to these kinds of things, and I don't want you to feel like you have to rush into it for me." he says cupping my face with both hands, and this time I'm the one that kisses him. He's right, as much as I want him right now, I need time to cool off and process all this with a clear head.

"And don't worry, we'll get there eventually," he adds, brushing a kiss against my cheek and I blush uncontrollably. "Now come on," he says standing up and taking my hand "I do believe our 15 minutes have been over for quite some time."