VeronicaThe sound of hammering from the kitchen woke Veronica the next morning. Groggily, she glanced at the clock on her nightstand and saw it was only a little after seven. She rose from her bed and grabbed the robe she'd thrown on the chair near the door. She flung it on, slipped into her slippers, and opened her bedroom door.The intoxicating aroma of brewing coffee immediately infiltrated her nose, and she took an even deeper breath, enjoying it. The hammering stopped as she turned the corner and saw Noah on his knees next to the window in the breakfast nook. He wore a playful expression. "Morning, Roni."Veronica wasn't sure what to think. Obviously, he'd gone through some of her things if he knew her mother's pet name for her. Thankfully, before she could accuse him of anything, he pointed to a picture on the wall. "Took me a minute to figure out that was you in that graduation picture since it said 'Roni Cruz's graduation.' Then I remembered your friend calling you 'Roni' y

After packing all his stuff up onto the back of the truck, Noah walked around it. "Are we all gonna fit in your truck?" "Hector's not," Abel said, walking to the cab of the truck."Hey! Why me?" Hector stalked around the truck toward Abel. "I helped too. I wanna check out Noah's new place!""Then jump in the back if you wanna be nosey." Abel opened the driver's side door. "'Cause you don't fit in the front."Hector thought about it for a moment then grudgingly jumped in the back. Great. Noah was hoping he'd pass on the possible soaking he'd be getting if the clouds burst as they seemed to be threatening to any minute now. None of his friends were known for being reserved or shy around women, but Hector, being the youngest and especially immature, was known to be the loudest. The last thing he wanted was for him to say anything that would make Veronica any more uneasy about their arrangement than he suspected she already was.Fortunately for Hector, the clouds had mercy on him. Th

NoahJust a couple of weeks after moving in with Roni, Noah thought her place was really beginning to feel like home. This was a new feeling for Noah since he'd never really felt like he was home anywhere, even when he lived with the Fuentes. Though that had been his longest stay of all the foster homes he'd lived in, he always knew it was just a matter of time before he had to leave.Even now with Roni, he knew he shouldn't be feeling this way. This would eventually come to an end too. The agreement was he'd stay there until he was able to fix the roof on the Fuentes' garage. But the long cold season was just getting started. He still had months to look forward to living with her, so he wouldn't even worry about it until then.Noah walked in the back door. His hands were a grimy mess. He'd been working on Roni's car for most of the morning. Roni was on her phone in the front room."I know it's your family, Nellie, but it'll feel weird without you there. I'm telling you I'll be fin

Noah was seriously going to have to go out and get laid soon. He couldn't believe he'd gone this long, but wanting to be home spending his time with Roni had won out each time he'd had the opportunity these last few weeks.What he'd done in the shower today had been happening too often now that he was around her so much. It wasn't going to be enough soon even if he visualized Roni the entire time. It only made him crave the real thing more, especially if things like what happened in the kitchen earlier kept happening.It was odd to say the least. When he first met her, out of shape, in baggy sweats, the last thing he would've figured her for was a girlie girl. Then watching her work out week after week without a trace of makeup on and her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, he assumed he was right. He'd worked out with girls before, but sweaty or not there was always a telltale sign of girlishness—the manicured nails, cute earrings, or perfectly matched workout outfits.Roni had n

VeronicaAfter only one glass of champagne, Noah switched to beer. He said he wasn't much of a champagne drinker and only ever had a glass or two when he was in a celebratory mood. Veronica's insides had warmed when he said that today he was celebrating his new friendship. Given the little speech he'd just made about how he felt about his friends, it was even more heartwarming that he now considered her a friend. That of course only made her reasoning even more pertinent about why she shouldn't get caught up in anything like what happened that morning.They now sat on her porch. There'd been a break in the weather, and the sun had actually made an appearance, so they'd gone out to enjoy the beauty of the sunrays that sliced through the clouds. Though there was a chill in the air, the champagne helped warm Veronica.She sat on the swinging bench while Noah sat on the porch stairs, leaning back, his elbows supporting him on either side as he stared up at the clouds. "This break ain't