Chapter 23
Still Noah
All the sex we’d had last night wasn’t enough to keep me from being tense as I turned into my parents’ neighborhood.They hadn’t let me buy them a bigger house, but I had been able to pay off their mortgage.I went with the asking for forgiveness instead of permission route that time.
The knot in my stomach tightened as I parked on the street in front of the house I’d grown up in.The outside could use a new paint job, I noted absently.I’d have to call around and find a place to do it for them.
I was stalling.Honestly, I was scared to go inside.
I jumped as Alice’s phone suddenly rang in the silent cab.
“Sorry,” she muttered as she dug her phone out of her pocket.
“It’s fine.Go ahead and answer it.”
I welcomed the distraction and the opportunity to put off the inevitable.
“No, I’ll just silence it and let it go to voicemail.”
“Just answer it.”I sighed, tipping my head back against the headrest and closing my eyes.
“Hello?”Alice murmured.She paused.“Hello?Is anyone there?Can you hear me?”
Her phone beeped as she ended the call.“Really annoying,” she muttered to herself.
“Have you been getting a lot of hangups?”I rocked my head to the side and looked down at her, concerned.
She shrugged.“Now and then.”
“From unknown numbers?”
She nodded.
“More or less than ten?”
She shrugged again but avoided my eyes.“I haven’t really been keeping track.”
That sounded like more to me.“Maybe you shouldn’t answer any unknown numbers.”
“I have to answer my phone, Noah.I’ve put my phone number out there to book jobs for my band.I don’t want to miss an opportunity.”
“If it’s important, they’ll leave a message.”
“You hope.It’s not like I have a stalker.It’s probably just a delayed robocall or a slow telemarketer.”
“You’ll tell me if you start to get creepy, obscene phone calls?”
“Does that include you calling me?”She gave me a cheeky little grin.
“Not funny, Alice.I’m serious.I’m worried about you.I want to know.”
“Okay, okay.I’ll tell you.”
“Good,” I grunted.
We sat in silence for another minute or so.
“So what’s it going to be like when we go inside?I’ve never met anyone with Alzheimer’s before.”
