I Hate You Noah

CHAPTER ONE

E L I

How to get rid of a bug?

This was the hundredth time I was asking Google that same question, and I still got the exact same answer.

—Get a bug spray insecticide. Seal every possible entrance. Keep your environment clean. Avoid leaving food around. Call professionals if the infestation gets worse.

Unfortunately, I had tried all those methods on Noah Carter and none of them worked.

“Eli Morgan!!”

Talk about the devil.

I looked up from my phone to see the same bug calling my name from across the College’s swimming pool, chuckling at whatever stupid thing he thought was funny. He lifted a hand and waved me over like I was one of his little minions.

Honestly, If we weren’t at the swim club’s pool, I would’ve probably ignored him or at least rolled my eyes dramatically before walking away.

Unfortunately, we were here. And, Noah Carter was the captain here meaning everyone listened to him for some insane reason.

I pushed myself off the bleachers and walked toward where he stood with one arm hanging lazily over one of his girlfriend’s shoulders.

Okay, I rolled my eyes anyway because this had to be maybe the eighth girl I had seen him smiling around with this week.

Did he ever get tired?

Nah. I don’t think so.

“Did you get the swimming shorts I asked you to bring?” he asked immediately.

Here we go again.

I narrowed my eyes at him flatly. “You have two working legs.”

“Yeah,” he said easily, grinning. “But making my junior brother do things for me is more fun.”

The girl beside him burst out laughing.

“The shorts are in my locker, and I don’t remember my mom giving birth to you, neither did I remember my father having the surname Carter,” I muttered.

Noah hummed thoughtfully, his eyes dragging over my face for way longer than necessary. “Yeah. I just decided I want to be your brother.” He pinched my cheeks.

I swatted his hands away. “Well suit yourself.”

Walking out on him, he slapped my ass.

Yeah. My ass.

At this point, I had gotten used to Noah randomly spanking my ass ever since I turned eighteen. Which was insane because normal people definitely did not do things like that.

A blush I had painfully trained myself to suppress threatened to crawl up my neck, but I ignored it and kept walking.

“See you at home, Eli!”

I flipped him off and kept walking.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t even the worst thing Noah had done to me.

Back when I was still in my last year of high school, Noah had somehow inserted himself into my life like some overgrown parasite. He helped me with assignments whenever I got overwhelmed, explained math problems while making fun of me the entire time, and showed up whenever I got into trouble.

Which sounded nice.

Except Noah Carter never did anything normally.

Whenever I failed a test after he specifically told me to study, he’d call it punishment. And apparently, punishment to Noah meant spanking my ass whenever I did something wrong, pinching my nipples just to hear me complain, or suddenly pinching my lips whenever he thought I was being bratty.

And somehow, every single thing he did always felt too close. For him, it was casual because everything was casual to Noah Carter.

Touching me and teasing me was the funniest thing in the world to him. But for me? I had slowly, stupidly, become addicted to every bit of attention he gave me.

Not that I was ever going to ever admit that out loud. Absolutely not. Now that he had actually stopped with the nipples pinching and the rest, I kind of missed the feeling it had on me.

“Eli.”

“Eli.”

I looked up to see Maya and Wesley jogging toward me from the other side of the pool. Maya immediately narrowed her eyes. “Did Noah annoy you again?”

“No,” I lied.

“Yes, he did,” Wes said instantly. “Your ears are red.”

I slapped a hand over my ears. “Shut up.”

Maya gasped dramatically. “OH MY GOD. He flirted with you again, didn’t he?”

“He does not flirt with me.”

The two of them stared at me. Then simultaneously, “He absolutely does.”

I rolled my eyes and started walking toward the lockers while they followed behind me like two detectives investigating a crime scene.

“He literally slapped your ass just now,” Maya whispered aggressively.

“That means nothing.”

Wes looked horrified. “In what universe does that mean nothing?”

“Any universe duh,” I muttered darkly.

Maya snorted.

We stepped into the cooler hallway leading toward the locker rooms. Practice had ended almost thirty minutes ago, but Noah was still back there probably showing off for girls who thought his stupid grin was attractive.

Which, unfortunately, a lot of people did.

“He’s actually obsessed with you,” Maya said casually.

I almost choked. “Excuse me?”

“Eli,” she deadpanned. “The guy literally remembers your class schedule better than you do.”

“Well, that’s because my brother tells him stuff.”

“He watches you during practice,” Wes added.

I blinked at him. “Nah, he doesn’t.”

Both of them gave me a look.

Okay. Maybe he did sometimes but that didn’t mean anything. Right? Probably.

“Whatever,” I mumbled. “He’s just annoying.”

“Mhmm,” Maya said, sounding unconvinced.

We reached the lockers and I opened mine, immediately spotting Noah’s swimming shorts tossed carelessly inside. I grabbed them aggressively and stuffed them into my bag.

Wes leaned against the locker beside mine. “Are you coming to the team dinner tonight?”

“Oh right,” Maya groaned. “Coach said attendance is mandatory.”

I almost considered pretending to be sick. Then I remembered Noah lived in my house and would absolutely expose me within five seconds.

“Yeah, I’ll come,” I sighed.

“Good,” Maya said brightly. “And wear something decent for once. Last time you looked like a toy in a hoodie.”

“I like my hoodies. But tonight, I’m definitely going to dress up fine.” I smiled then whispered to Maya, “I have to invite my girlfriend now.”

Maya slowly blinked. “Wait.”

I looked away immediately.

Maya’s jaw dropped. “ELI MORGAN.”

“What a good friend you are?! You literally got a girlfriend without letting us know.” Maya grumbled and turned around.

“Hello,” Wes interrupted dryly. “I just want to remind you guys, I’m standing right here.”

Neither of us paid attention to him.

“You have a girlfriend?” Maya whisper yelled, grabbing my arm dramatically. “Since when?!”

“Yesterday.”

“YESTERDAY?” she screeched.

A few people walking past the hallway turned to stare at us.

Maya lowered her voice immediately. “Why didn’t you tell us?!”

I gave her a flat look. “Because every single time I tell you guys I like someone, Noah somehow ends up finding out. And then BOOM,” I deadpanned. “The next day he’s suddenly hanging around her.”

Wes stared at me suspiciously. “Or…”

I narrowed my eyes. “Don’t.”

“Or maybe,” he continued anyway, “he gets weird whenever you like someone because he likes you.”

I almost dropped my bag. “That is literally the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Is it though?” Wes muttered.

“Yes!”

Before either of them could continue bullying me, loud footsteps echoed down the hallway. Noah appeared around the corner with damp hair, his swim bag thrown over one shoulder and his jacket hanging open as always.

His eyes landed on me immediately. “There you are,” he said casually, walking straight over. Noah stopped directly in front of me, way too close as usual. “You taking forever on purpose?”

“At least you noticed.”

He grinned. His gaze dropped briefly to my lips before flicking back up again so quickly I thought I imagined it. “Who’s the girlfriend?” he asked lightly.

Silence.

My eyes widened and then I pretended I haven’t heard  a word.

Maya made a choking sound. “ Eli, catch up later, I and Wes have what to do.” And with that she dragged Eli off.

Noah didn’t seem to care, he tilted his head slightly, smiling in that easy careless way that somehow always made me nervous. “What’s her name?”