Nicole

He looked down on the main street of his small town, standing barefoot on the corner edge of his rooftop, smoking a cigarette. Completely lost in the labyrinth of his own thoughts, he didn’t hear her approach until she was right behind him. 



“Hi Noah!” It was Nicole, his neighbor from across the hall. Nicole had grown accustomed to finding her idiosyncratic neighbor standing on the edge of the roof like he was about to jump off. 



Noah took one last drag from his cigarette before flicking off the cherry and pocketing the butt, and smiled “Hello Nicole, how are you?” 



“You know you don’t have to put those out around me just because I don’t smoke.” 



“I know,” Noah shrugged his broad shoulders, “Manners, I suppose.” 



Nicole handed Noah a chocolate bar. She liked having a cohort whenever she cheated on her diet. Not that she needed it; Nicole was one of the most physically fit people Noah had ever met. “It looked like you were pretty lost in the moment up there. Is everything okay?” 



“Yeah… I just ran into someone I haven’t seen since high school and it reminded me of something that happened my junior year. It’s not a happy story.” 



“Few of your stories actually are.” Nicole indicated the lounge chair next to hers, “C’mon, spill! I’ll buy you dinner.” 



Noah couldn’t understand why, but for some reason he had no problem opening up and telling her all of his deepest, darkest secrets. After only being neighbors for two months, Nicole knew more about Noah than most of his closest friends did. Noah smiled in spite of himself and sat down. 



“Well, before I can tell you this story, I need to give you a little back up: When I was 14, I used to play Pop-Warner football. In the championship game, I came in on a blitz and paralyzed the other team’s quarterback when I tackled him. The hit was clean; it was just one of those things that just happen. His head snapped back a little too suddenly and he broke his neck. As soon as I hit him, I knew something terrible had happened so I called for help, signaling his coach and the EMS guys on duty. As they rushed him to the hospital, I took off my jersey, helmet and pads and dropped them in front of my coach and quit. I haven’t played football since.” 



Nicole was very sympathetic and listened patiently as Noah squirmed and fidgeted while he talked. He usually did whenever he would tell her something about his past. She wasn’t sure what, but something had happened to him a long time ago that made Noah think that everything bad that ever happened to him was his fault. Nicole guessed that his parents had been abusive but never pressed him on the subject. Nicole didn’t know why Noah opened up so easily to her, either, but she was glad he did. Nicole loved to listen to him talk; it was almost as if she were right there as all of those things happened. 



“I’m so sorry.” 



Noah almost smiled, “Thanks. Anyway, one of my old teammates took my leaving as a sign of weakness and made it his life's ambition to get under my skin. He was about 5' 10" with a wiry build, but acted like he was ten feet tall and bullet-proof. One day at school he and his friends corner me at my locker. It starts off with the usual verbal abuse. I'm a fairy, faggot, blah, blah, blah... Then, like clockwork, I pull a book out of my locker and it gets slapped out of my hand to boisterous laughter and high-fives all around. I crouch down to pick it up and I get knocked over and kicked several times. This time, however, a girl sees this and comes over, yelling…” 



“Stop it!” Nicole suddenly, and uncharacteristically, jumped in. It surprised her almost as much as it did him. “That was you?” 



Noah’s face showed no emotion, and Nicole couldn’t read anything in his eyes anymore. Noah’s friend Steve called it ‘going away’. Nicole noticed that whenever Noah was in deep thought, his face would go completely blank and his slate-gray eyes, usually so full of expression, became reflective pools. It always made her uneasy when it happened; it was like looking at a breathing mannequin. Finally, he came back and met Nicole’s stare. 



Noah was smiling broadly, “I thought you looked familiar! Small world, huh?” 



Nicole was completely speechless. After telling those bullies to stop kicking that defenseless boy, the smallest of the three turned around and slapped her, knocking her to the floor. She remembered hearing them laugh at her and she looked to the boy they had been kicking, but he was standing up. Nicole didn’t see what happened next, but she heard the two most grotesque things she ever heard in her life. The first sounded like a combination sick thud/sharp metal bang which was followed by the dull, sloppy thud made by an unconscious body dropping to the floor. 



When Nicole looked up, the boy that had been getting kicked had a mask of pure vengeance and rage looking at the seemingly lifeless body of their assailant, whose friends were running down the hall as fast as they could. The boy looked to her and his features dropped from malicious violence to genuine concern as if a switch was flipped inside his head. It made her a little uneasy as he approached to see if she was alright, but she broke his gaze to look at the deep impression in a locker left by the other boy’s face. Blood was streaked all the way down the severely-dented locker. Nicole’s eyes then met those of the boy that was being kicked. They were grey and completely blank. As if he had totally shut himself off. More than anything else, those lifeless eyes, terrified Nicole and she ran screaming down the halls. A group of her friends found her huddled in a corner of the girl’s room a short time later. Nicole had calmed down enough by then to tell them what happened. Most of them already knew: the story spread through the school like wildfire. Nicole and her friends had tried to tell the principal what had happened, but before they could get to her office, the boy was handcuffed and being escorted to a police car. She remembered the grateful smile he showed her as she and her friends were yelling at and pleading with the officers to let him go. She got the impression that he didn’t smile that way often. 



His smile often found its way into her daydreams through the years since that day. Unfortunately his eyes, more often than not, haunted her nightmares. Nicole looked at Noah again for the first time; his hair was definitely longer than she remembered. Nicole also noted that he was a lot more muscular than he was in high school, but she was most delighted to find that his smile came more easily now. 



Nicole never really heard the full story of what happened that day and she never did get the chance to ask the boy because he never came back to school. Nicole and her friends tried everything to find a friend of his, but it seemed that the only people who knew who he was were the teachers and even then, they weren’t any help. Marcus' family moved away before he was well enough to come back to school, so she couldn’t ask him even if she wanted to. Now that she had finally found her rescuer, she desperately wanted to know what actually happened, and now, she was going to find out from her rescuer himself! 



“So what happened after…” She hesitated. 



“You ran away?” Noah smiled. 



Nicole blushed at her girlhood embarrassment. Noah got up from his lounge chair. He was jittery again and needed to walk off some nervous energy. Nicole had never felt so sorry for him as she did in that moment. “Noah, may I have a cigarette?” 



Normally he would have refused, because he knew she didn’t smoke but he really needed a cigarette. Noah lit two and handed Nicole one. She never took a drag from it, but held it as it burned down to the filter so he would feel better about smoking around her. Noah was still jittery, but he was calming down again continued the story. 



“I walked down to the principal's office and told her everything that happened. She then called the police, paramedics and my parents. My dad had told the principal to ‘Let the cops deal with him!’ and then hung up on her. 



When the police arrived, I was handcuffed and escorted to the cruiser, which you saw, and I was brought to the station. I was asked to sit in a holding cell and wait for the detective. After the officer left, the guy in the cell next to me asked me for a cigarette and what I was in for. I told him that it was self-defense. He laughed and said that that was a good idea and that he was going to try it. Another officer came in and he pleaded: 



‘Officer! I don't belong in here! It was self-defense!’ 



The officer smiled wide and said, ‘Willie, you got caught stealing some lady's purse!’ 



‘Yeah, but did you see that bitch? You'da ran too!’ 



Noah mimicked the voices and mannerisms as he told the story, making them both laugh. Noah loved making Nicole laugh. She just looked so happy and free. Not to mention that whenever he would make her laugh, Nicole would always touch him; just a hand on his arm or shoulder, a friendly/flirty gesture but always innocent. There was something different about this touch, this time. It was innocent, flirty, and friendly; but there was something else too. Noah liked it. 



When they regained their composure he continued, “Other than that, the next several hours passed uneventfully, until the detective came in to pick me up. He took me to an interrogation room, got me a cup of coffee and a sandwich and sat down across from me. He said that all of the witness statements backed up my self-defense story and he wanted to know if I wanted to press charges against Marcus and his cronies. I told him that I thought Marcus had suffered enough and I wasn't going to worry about it. He agreed and asked if I needed a ride. I said that I didn't and thanked him for the coffee and the sandwich. 



I never went home. I just started walking and two days later I collapsed in front of an older couple when the lady asked me if I was okay. They woke me up and took me to a diner for something to eat. Over lunch I told them everything. About football (They were actually at the game that I walked off!), about school and Marcus; they were very sympathetic and listened quietly with growing looks of concern on their face. Then, the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life happened. They asked if I wanted to live with them. I tried to decline at first, but then Walt told me that it wasn't going to be a free ride. I had to help around the house where and when I could and I had to finish school. I thought about it for a long time and finally accepted. I took the rest of the school year off and spent it working on cars and on the farm with Walt. That's where I learned how to ride horses. Millie taught me how to cook, clean, do my own laundry and to mend clothes. That next school year, I enrolled as a junior in a new school and graduated a year later third in my class with a free-ride to Villanova University on an academic and swimming scholarship.” 



Noah’s smile started to fade. Nicole always felt bad for him whenever this would happen, but it never hurt her before. Nicole had the sudden, strong urge to comfort him. Nicole never liked to see Noah torture himself like this, but the ache in her heart at his pain was a new experience. 



“I never went to Villanova, though. Walt had a heart-attack and I stayed with Walt and Millie, running Walt's garage and farm until he finally passed away on my 24th birthday.” 



Nicole put a comforting hand on Noah’s knee, “Oh my God! I’m so sorry!” 



Noah lit another cigarette, “Wait, it gets worse. Millie died the night of the funeral. Millie and Walt never had any children so they left half of their estate to me. I couldn't willingly accept such a generous gift, so I gave my portion of their land to Walt's brother and sold the garage to the mechanic who had started the garage with Walt when he opened it. I moved to a small apartment Marietta and have been doing odd jobs until I landed my current gig at a graduate school. That's pretty much it, really. Outside of my day job, I also coach little league football and the local swim club team. It's not much, but I have fun and I'm happy.” Noah shrugged the untold portion of the story off of his burdened shoulders and managed a weak but genuine smile, “I don't know about you, but that's what life is all about for me.” 



With tears in her eyes, Nicole got up from her seat and pulled Noah in for a tender hug. She didn’t know what to say. Here was her neighbor, a good friend, a tortured soul and she just found out that he was the nameless boy who defended her in high school and then disappeared for twelve years. 



Noah returned the unexpected hug. He and Nicole had hugged a few times before, friendly greetings and such, but this time he let himself enjoy the feel of her body against his. Noah never noticed before how comfortable it felt to have his arms around this beautiful woman. It almost felt right. For the first time in a long time, Noah allowed himself a moment’s peace in the arms of the only one he felt comfortable talking to. 



Nicole felt the change in Noah and the warmth of emotions that overcame the both of them. She had never felt so safe as she did wrapped in his arms at that moment and would have been perfectly content to stay there all night. Nicole looked up and her gaze was met by the warmest smile she had ever seen him smile. Nicole smiled back at her defender and they kissed. The kisses started light and tender. Nicole wrapped her arms around Noah’s neck as he continued to hold her close. The kisses, still light, began increasing in intensity and passion. Their breathing increased, Nicole began to run her fingers through Noah’s curly hair and Noah was caressing Nicole’s back, hips and rear. The kisses, no longer light and tender, were now full of fiery passion and lust. 



Almost simultaneously, they took each other’s face in their hands and broke the kiss. Foreheads together, breathing heavily through their noses, eyes closed they tried to calm down. 



“We should stop.” Nicole panted. 



“Yes. We should.” Noah managed. 



They kissed once more, but this time had to break contact from one another before they took their relationship to a place they weren’t ready for yet. 



Noah was the first to speak. “I’m going to take a very cold shower. Do you still want to go to dinner?” 



Nicole smiled and said, “I think it would probably be best if we called it a night.” 



“You’re probably right.” 



Noah held the roof access door open for Nicole and they walked down the steps and the hallway back to their respective apartments in relative silence, both of them lost in thought. Nicole had opened her door and was half way into her apartment when Noah said, “Nicole?” 



She came back into the hallway, leaving her door open. 



“Thank you.” 



Nicole smiled a sweet smile, “Anytime sweetie.” Then she turned and walked back into her apartment, stealing one last look at Noah before her door completely shut. 



Noah entered his own apartment and started an ice-cold shower, hoping to calm himself down before he exploded. Before stepping into the water, Noah felt like every inch of him was on fire. As the cascading water hammered against him, all he could think about was Nicole. The more he thought about her, the hotter he became until no amount of cold water or ice would calm him down. He decided to get out of the shower and take matters into his own hands. 



Noah didn’t bother toweling off nor did he bother with clothing of any sort. Noah was so worked up that he thought he was imagining the sight that greeted him as he exited the bathroom. Nicole was lying on his bed, completely naked. Nicole’s hair was wet and her body was glistening like she had just finished a shower as well. 



“You should really lock your door. Anyone could just walk in.” 



Nicole was lying on Noah’s bed, stretched out like a cat. Noah took his time admiring her toned arms, her long graceful neck, the way her erect nipples stood atop her perfectly proportioned breasts, her taut stomach and the sultry way her waist curved into her hips that led to her defined legs and strong, yet delicate feet. Noah glanced again at the small, well-kept patch of hair in between her legs. Nicole reached for his hand and pulled him to her embrace on top of the sheets of his full-size bed. 



Noah kissed his way from Nicole’s jaw line down her neck, through her cleavage, up to the nipple of her left breast and then back down and across to the nipple of her right breast. Nicole had balled her hands in his hair; when he started kissing his way down her stomach, she pulled his face to hers and kissed him with fierce passion. 



Noah entered Nicole slowly, her velvety folds expanding to accept him fully. The two had become one and pleasured each other for all they were worth, lost in the throes of passion and slaves to their shared desires until the light of dawn crept into the fourth story window of his apartment. 



As they lay together on his bed watching the sun rise, Nicole laid her head on Noah’s chest completely content. Before nodding off, she noticed something on his stomach and sat up to get a better look. There were two long scars on his lower abdomen and something that could only be an old gunshot wound just below his ribs on the right side. Once again, Nicole’s heart ripped in two in sympathy for the suffering her defender had been through. She lowered her head and kissed each scar. Then she cuddled closer to him and held him tight. 



She fell asleep in the arms of her defender, dreaming peaceful dreams featuring his smile and those eyes.