Noah stepped out of the Commons, the cool air brushing his face as the warm kissed his face. His mind swirling with confusion and arousal as he processed Rachel’s video.
His phone buzzed in his pocket, but he didn’t bother to check it. He didn’t want to.
Not after what he saw.
He could still see her face. The ecstasy on her lips. Her eyes locked on the camera lighting her from above. Sweat glistening off her skin, Mike’s hand digging into her hip firmly. The moans she made while he pushed himself into her.
It was different this time. Their energy was raw, her cries of pleasure too real to ignore.
Noah swallowed hard, chest tightening. Nothing about this was simple anymore. He wanted it to stop. To end. To pull the plug before Rachel realized what he was slowly starting to understand — that they were never built to last. But his mind wouldn’t let him. No matter how much it twisted his stomach, his mind always returned to it.
Rachel wanted him to see how much she liked it. How good it was with Mike. Like she was warning him.
And Mike… well, he didn’t give a shit who saw. Noah wished he had half of his authenticity. And it made complete sense why Rachel would want him. He was gorgeous, rich, funny, and confident. Those were the qualities that mattered, not tech smarts.
Noah stuffed his hands into his jacket and walked faster.
Ethan’s voice still rang in his head.
Does this mean your girl’s fair game?
Noah clenched his jaw.
Maybe she was fair game. Or maybe it didn’t really matter what he thought. Noah moved down the stone steps two at a time and cut across the quad.
There was a small park on the eastern side of the campus, tucked behind the old art museum. Hardly anyone went there, and it was just the kind of place he needed right now. Soon, the concrete path gave way to a gravel one. The rocks crunched underneath Noah’s sneakers. Birds trilled from the high elms overhead. Somewhere, a fountain trickled, and Noah walked through all of it like a zombie.
His mind lost until a shoulder clipped hard against his chest. Noah let out a gasp of air as he fumbled back.
“Jesus!” a familiar feminine voice snapped. Noah looked down and saw Mel staring back up at him. She was smaller than he remembered; perhaps that had something to do with her attitude. She looked up from her phone, headphones slipping from her ears.
Her brown hair was tied up messily, a red hoodie hanging oversized on her thin frame. Her mascara was smudged, which Noah suspected was intentional.
Noah blinked. “Oh uh… hey Mel.”
“Oh,” she said, staring. “It’s you.” Her voice carried a surprising amount of melancholy.
“Yeah… sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going,” Noah said.
Mel adjusted the wire from her headphones, phone still clutched in her hand. “You almost body-checked me into that tree.”
“I didn’t mean to…”
“I know. Relax.” She sighed, looking away like she regretted saying anything.
Noah stood awkwardly as Mel pulled a piece of gum from her purse and gently placed it in her mouth. He buried his hands in his jacket, standing awkwardly as Mel chewed, examining him.
“How have you been?” He asked nervously.
Mel let out a short laugh. “We’re pretending to be friends now?”
Noah flinched.
“I know your little girlfriend hates my guts,” Mel added with a dry smile.
“I wouldn’t say that,” Noah said, visibly confused. He knew Rachel; it wasn’t in her nature to hate anyone.
Mel rolled her eyes. “Uh-huh. Sure.”
“Well…” Noah scratched the back of his neck. “I don’t hate your guts.”
Mel’s face softened slightly. She turned, stepping toward a nearby bench and sitting down without a word.
Noah hesitated, unsure if Mel wanted him to follow. She glanced up at him, eyes widening in annoyance as she leaned forward expectantly. Noah took the hint, sitting a good distance from her on the bench. They both stared out into the park for a moment. Then, Noah glanced sideways.
“You… coming from class?”
Mel shook her head as she gazed out over the park. “Avoiding it, actually.”
“That’s fair. Cafeteria then?”
“Ugh, no, that crap will take years off your lifespan.”
“Right, yeah… Mike had mentioned you like to eat healthy.”
Mel nodded with pursed lips. “I’m sure he did…”
The two stared at the trees in silence.
“What are you in school for again?” Noah asked.
Mel glanced at him with a raised eyebrow.
“What? I’m just curious,” He said.
“Business,” she said finally. “Technically. But I have no clue what I want to do with it. I’ll probably just end up working for my dad’s firm.”
“Mike said the same thing,” Noah said softly.
“What?”
“Nothing,” he said, then smiled faintly. “I’m just not convinced you don’t have any clue what you want to do.”
“Oh yeah?” Mel replied, a hint of challenge in her voice. Noah nodded.
“You don’t strike me as the ‘fall into whatever life hands me’ kind of person.”
Mel stared at him for a moment longer. “Promise you won’t make fun of me?”
Noah held up a hand. “Promise.”
She rolled her eyes and exhaled.
“I kind of want to… be a health and wellness influencer,” she muttered.
Noah blinked. “Wait, seriously?”
Mel shook her head. “See? I knew you’d think it was stupid…”
“Hey, I didn’t say it was stupid!” he said quickly, holding back a grin. “It’s just… that’s exactly what I expected you to say. It’s a good fit, too. I can definitely see it. Honestly, I was more surprised to hear you say you’d just work for your dad.”
Mel squinted at him, then laughed under her breath. “Sstop…” She pushed his shoulder playfully.
“No, really. It feels like a good fit for you. You’re opinionated, you’re passionate, you already don’t trust half the food in the cafeteria…”
“I have good reasons not to trust that crap,” she said, smirking.
“That could be your first video!” Noah said, laughing with Mel.
“I could make it into a series.”
“You could! Honestly, it’s kind of badass. You’d be fighting big pharma and big food… you’d be great at it.” As Noah spoke, Mel’s face lost the usual guard it wore.
“Are you always this nice?” She asked. Noah squinted in confusion.
“I’m… just talking to you?”
“Hmmmm…”
A soft wind pushed leaves around their shoes as a bike clicked down the far path. Mel leaned in slightly, close enough that Noah could feel her breath. Noah’s eyes flicked down. Her neckline dipped as she drew close, a sliver of skin catching the light. He looked away instantly with flushed cheeks. Mel laughed.
“I mean, you don’t even try to flirt with me,” she paused while looking at him intently. “It’s weird.”
“Well, I’m with Rachel,” Noah said matter-of-factly.
Mel held his gaze. She nodded slowly and looked down at her phone. Then shook her head once and let out a deep sigh.
“I can’t do this. Look… I have to tell you something.” Mel chose her words carefully, shifting on the bench while staring straight ahead.
“Alright?” Noah said.
“You seem really sweet, so it’s only fair that you know.”
“Know what?” Noah turned his head slightly. Her profile was unreadable.
“Rachel… she was fucking Mike in her apartment all day yesterday.”
Noah blinked. “All day?”
Mel nodded, biting her lower lip. “Yeah. God, I’m so sorry. This fucking sucks, and I really didn’t want to tell you, but like… what kind of person would I be, you know?” She rubbed her forearm absently. “Look, I know I can be a bitch, but even I have boundaries. I just thought you should know.”
Noah watched her for a second. He didn’t know what surprised him more. The information, or how earnestly she had shared it.
“Thanks, Mel,” Noah said with a genuine measure of gratitude. But his dread outweighed it. And while Mel’s honesty was commendable, it would have been better if Rachel and Mike hadn’t made honesty necessary in the first place.
“Are you sure? I feel like I’m starting up drama,” Mel said.
“No, really.” He said earnestly, doing his best to minimize the situation. “A lot of people wouldn’t have told me. But you did, I genuinely appreciate it.”
Mel stared in disbelief. “You’re… welcome.”
They sat in silence for a moment. The breeze rustled above them, high in the trees.
“You seem awfully calm about this,” Mel said, narrowing her eyes.
Noah cleared his throat. “Do I?”
“Yeah. Most people would be bawling their eyes out right about now.” Her nails tapped against the bench. “Do you not care?”
“No… I care.” Noah’s voice stayed even. “Of course I care.”
“Then why aren’t you losing your fucking mind? She’s cheating on you, Noah.”
He scoffed. “Well, I wouldn’t call it cheating.”
“How the fuck is it not cheating?” Mel raised her voice, turning toward him fully.
Noah hesitated. This wasn’t going as well as he’d hoped.
“Look, I’m just saying it’s ok…”
Mel stared. “It’s ok?”
“Yes, it’s okay, really.” Noah wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince at this point.
Mel blinked. “What the fuck does that mean? She can fuck other guys?”
Noah exhaled through his nose and shrugged lightly. If this was an attempt to calm Mel down, it was failing miserably.
“Some guys. If we agree to it,” he said.
Mel’s eyes widened. Noah glanced at her uncomfortably. She let out one burst of laughter, turning and staring off into the distance with her mouth wide open.
Mel shook her head slowly and scoffed.
“This is so fucking typical,” She muttered.
Noah frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Nothing,” She said softly before leaning back on the bench and exhaling. “So what, she can fuck whoever she wants?”
“Not exactly. I mean, we talk about it…” Noah trailed off, then rubbed the back of his neck.
“Oh you talk about it, my mistake. That makes it better,” Mel said sarcastically.
Noah laughed uncomfortably. “Saying it out loud makes it sound worse than it is.”
“Does that mean you get to fuck whoever you want to?” she asked, lips curling at the edges. Noah froze.
“We haven’t really talked about that,” he said.
Mel raised a brow. She scooted closer to him.
Noah scooted back.
She laughed in response, then she scooted towards him again. Noah, reaching the bench’s end, tensed as Mel’s smooth, tanned leg touched his. She drifted close and bit her lip, eyes locked on his.
“So you guys only talk when it’s convenient for her, huh?” She said playfully.
Noah swallowed. “We just haven’t gotten around to it yet.”
Mel pulled back, folding her arms.
“God, you’re hopeless. Look, you should be allowed to do whatever you want — but doesn’t this feel a little one-sided?”
“I don’t know,” Noah said quietly. “Maybe.”
The silence that followed wasn’t empty. Heavy with judgment, and he felt every ounce of it. He pulled out his phone, more reflex than reason, hoping the motion might anchor him. It didn’t. If anything, it made the space between them feel even more awkward.
Mel noticed.
She sighed, gathered her bag from the bench, and stood. She looked down at him. Noah glanced up, their eyes locking in a strange swell of passion. The breeze lifted her scent again. Noah’s eyes marveled at her tan skin, messy hair, high cheekbones, and that wolf-like sharpness to her gaze.
Why were they all so beautiful at Godfrey?
“Listen,” she said. “You’re genuinely a sweet guy. Like… to a fault.”
Noah opened his mouth, but she continued.
“So, if you’re ever interested in making things less one-sided…”
She bent down and tucked her hair behind her ear, angling her cleavage towards him deliberately. Noah instinctively glanced down, his cock twitching as Mel pushed her breasts together playfully. He promptly bounced his eyes back to hers, catching the triumphant smile forming on her face.
She gently took his phone, fingers quick and casual as she tapped in her number.
“Message me,” she said. Mel’s face was close enough to make Noah’s heart race.
“T-thanks,” he said, shifting on the bench uncomfortably. He wanted to stand and step away, but the uncomfortable bulge in his pants made that all impossible. He moved a hand to cover it, and Mel noticed.
Of course she did.
She let out a short laugh as she stood upright, amused more than flattered.
“You’re fun. I can see why she likes you. I’ll see you around, Noah,” She said, giving him a playful wave.
“Y-yeah. See you.”
She turned, walking away down the gravel path, steps light, hips swaying in rhythm. After a few moments, Noah called after her.
“Hey, Mel?” He said.
She stopped and glanced back.
“Yeah?”
“Please… don’t tell anyone. About… what I said.”
Mel looked at him for a moment, her gaze growing somber.
“You’re too fucking loyal to that girl, you know that, right?”
Noah didn’t respond. Mel sighed.
“Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.”
She turned and took a few more steps before pausing again.
“It’s fucked up though, you deserve better,” she called over her shoulder. Mel turned her head just enough for him to see the smile on her face. “You’re also pretty cute. For the record.”
And then she was gone, hair bouncing as she vanished down the path.
Noah sat alone, staring at his phone. Her number was still open in the call field. She hadn’t saved it, as if it were a game of temptation.
All Noah had to do to end this drama was delete her number.
His thumb hovered over the delete button.
Rachel had plenty of men’s numbers, including Mike’s. She even let Mike in for an entire day, and apparently didn’t think that detail was worth mentioning to him.
So why couldn’t he have one number? He wasn’t going to sleep with Mel. It was just part of the college experience. He deserved that too… didn’t he?
Noah tapped Add New Contact and saved it.
Then he stared at the screen.
He didn’t know what he was supposed to feel.
His mind swam with a flurry of images. Of Rachel’s full lips wrapped around a pulsing cock, Mike’s grip on her waist, Mel’s scent, her cleavage, her eyes…
Noah imagined her beneath him, moaning softly as he slowly slid into her.
Noah shook his head, closed his phone, and leaned against the bench.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
And for the first time since Rachel sent that video, he didn’t feel good about it.