A/N: Thank you so much for everyone who read and reviewed the story. I've been busy with school but I was finally able to push out 2 chapters! More to come in the coming weeks, I hope. This chapter was particularly difficult for me to write, and I sincerely hope I did Puckleberry, Finchel and Pezberry some justice.
Summer before Senior Year: August
"Seriously, Ray, how much longer are you two going to drag this on?" Santana said in a bored tone.
She and Santana were lying out by her pool, sipping skinny virgin margaritas and working on their tan.
Putting her sunglasses on top of her head, and flipping onto her back, she closed her eyes and said, "I have no idea, San."
"He's driving everyone insane, Rachel. He's more of an asshole than usual."
"Driving you insane? How do you think I feel? You're not the one he's refusing to see, talk to, or even hear about!" she complained to her friend, eyes wide, and heart heavy.
She hadn't spoken to Noah in over a week. Rather, he's been avoiding her like the plague since that night at Matt's party. It's the longest they've gone without speaking to each other. And she missed him so much. Rachel was honest enough to admit that she was the reason why everything fell apart in the first place. She and Noah had been dancing around this thing between them for the better part of the year, and while they've finally addressed the sexual tension, they didn't do quite as well on the emotional front.
"He misses you," came the quick reply, "he really likes you, Rach. For the first time ever, he's in it for more than just a quick lay."
"I like him too…so much that it scares me. I've never felt this way about anyone. It's in the way he makes me feel… like I'm the only girl that's ever mattered to him. The way he shares that secret smile with me, when he's across the room talking to his friends," she told Santana seriously, sitting upright, "and when we kiss—when we kiss…it's like my heart explodes with every feeling he stirs in me."
Santana's eyes were round in shock, mouth hanging slightly open after she was done with her heartfelt confession, "Are you nuts, B?"
"I—what? Nuts? I am insulted by the fact that you would insinuate that I had somehow lost my mind by having feelings for Noah. How…how does that…" she sputtered. Really? She just voiced out the feelings she'd long since kept deep inside her—never to be discovered by anyone. Much less the girl who'd tortured her for years, slept with said subject of affection for even longer, and his female best friend (besides herself, of course!)
"Cut the bullshit, aright?"
"This… it is most definitely not…BS!"
"You're in love with him," her friend stated, plainly like she was telling Rachel that the sky was blue, and the sun was out, "so tell him, you bitch. Put yourself out of this funk and tell him!"
"I'm scared," she admitted, marveling at the fact that Santana was breaking through many emotional barriers she'd put up around herself a long time ago.
"It's normal to be afraid, Rachel. When you've been alone for so long, or hurt so many times in your life, and you meet someone who changes the game for you, the possibility of losing him or her… it's crippling. You, me, Brittany and Puck, we're all in the same boat. But look at him, Ray. He's making a leap of faith. For you."
Rachel's heart clenched at Santana's words. What Santana really meant was, you need to be strong enough to make the same leap of faith for him, Rachel, or you're going to lose him forever.
Nodding solemnly at her friend, she made a quick decision. One that could change both her and Noah's lives forever. She got up from the lounge chair, flashing her friend a smile before throwing a shirt and skirt over her bikini.
"I need to find him," she told Santana, rummaging her purse for her keys, "lock up, okay?"
Santana didn't say anything, throwing Rachel a shit-eating grin, before closing her eyes.
But Rachel wasn't so lucky that afternoon. First, she tried calling Noah's cellphone, but as has been the norm lately, it kept going straight to voicemail. Then, she drove to his house, but his truck wasn't there. As a third and final ditch effort, she sent a text message to all the boys, in an attempt to locate him. Nothing.
The next morning, Rachel decided to try her luck at the football field, because she was sure that the team would start August practice by now. But by the time she got there, the players were already streaming out and leaving. Worse, she couldn't spot number 20 anywhere. She didn't miss the looks on Sam and Mike's faces as they gave her a small wave. But what surprised her was the tall boy wearing a number 5 jersey that was making a beeline toward her.
"Hello, Finn," she said, steeling herself for whatever he had to say.
"He's not here, Rachel," he told her quietly, a half-smile on his face.
"Noah is part of the team Finn, how can he not be at practice?" she asked voice trembling, fingers playing with the hem of her shorts.
"He's leaving."
"Leaving?" she repeated. It was like she was having an out of body experience. How can he be leaving? This is his home.
"He's going on a road trip. He's headed for Memphis, Rach," Finn told her, sympathetically, placing a large hand on her shoulder.
"Memphis?" she parroted, "what's in Memphis?"
"His father called him two days ago, Rachel, and his band is in Memphis until the middle of next week."
Finn didn't need to explain any more than that. Eli Puckerman was trying to make amends with his son. And the little boy in her Noah decided to extend a proverbial olive branch, by going out there to see him.
"Why didn't anyone tell me he was leaving, Finn?" she asked, sadness evident in her voice, "Why didn't he tell me? Doesn't he know that despite what's happening between us, I'd be there for him? That I'd understand?"
"This thing with Mr. Puckerman, he came to me because that's one of our strongest bonds, Rachel, being without a father. My dad's never coming back because he's dead. But Puck, he has a chance to make things right," Finn started, looking her squarely in the eyes.
When Rachel didn't say anything in response, Finn put a finger under her chin, and gently forced the tiny girl to look up at him, "And as for the other thing, look, I'm not going to pretend I understand what's going on between you and Puck, okay? He's a jerk most of the time, but he seems to really care about you. And whatever's been happening between you guys—it really hurt him, Rach. So he figured, instead of sticking around, he'd head to Memphis for a bit and see his Pops."
Rachel looked up at him, eyes wide, brimming with tears, "When is he leaving, Finn?"
"He's leaving today, actually, if you're lucky, maybe he hasn't left yet," he told her, "if you can make this right… you should…"
"Is this—I mean, are you—you're okay, with Noah and I?" she ventured, with pleading eyes, "you're his best friend, Finn. He may be abrasive and needlessly vicious, but I know that he's been missing you and your friendship."
The quarterback gave his ex-girlfriend a half smile, cocking his head to one side, inspecting her, "Yeah, I guess so."
Rachel beamed at him, "Thank you, Finn. For all of this, and I sincerely hope, that yours and Quinn's relationship is much better than what you had previously told me."
"We're working on it." Finn said smiling at her, "you should get going, Rachel."
She nodded, racing towards her red Prius, "Wish me luck, Finn!"
"Go get him, A-Rach!"
"Thanks, F-Rod" she said, throwing a smile over her shoulder before she pulled out of the parking lot.
Please, please be there, she prayed silently. It took Rachel approximately 5 minutes and 23 seconds to turn into Noah's street. And thank goodness his truck was still there. She spotted him loading things in the back of his truck. Turning off her engine, she smoothed her skirt and took a deep relaxing breath. It's now or never, Rachel.
She walked up his driveway and towards him. If he had any indication that he knew she was there, he didn't let on.
"I think I'm in love with you, Noah," Rachel told him, voice wavering slightly.
Puck stopped loading his truck, and turned towards her, brows creased, eyes inquisitive, "You think or you know?"
"I know," she responded, giving him a small smile, "I've known it since the moment you kissed me this summer, and maybe even before that, and scary as it is, I don't want to deny it anymore. I don't want to run from it and I don't want to let it run from me."
She didn't miss the way his eyes smoldered into the vivid green she loved so much, "I'm leaving for Memphis, Rachel. Just for a few days, to go see Eli."
"I know. Finn told me."
"Finn?"
"Yes, you see, he and I had a brief conversation about our best friend. How we both support him and understand him, and in the end, we came to an understanding ourselves," she told him, eyes pleading with him to listen to her.
His jaw ticked, as possessiveness flashed in his green eyes, "So what are we gonna do here, Rach?"
"Take me with you," she asked him, taking his hand into hers, entwining their fingers.
"Are you crazy? What about your dads? Kurt, Santana, Blaine?" he asked her, shock evident in his voice, but never once letting go of her gaze or her hand, "they need you."
"Not as much as I need you," she whispered, standing on her tippy toes until she could reach his lips, "and not as much as you need me too."
There was no more that needed to be said, as Rachel closed the gap between them. She kissed him fervently pouring out every unsaid emotion she's felt this entire summer. And she wasn't surprised when he kissed her back with as much fervor, gripping her hair tightly, as he deepened the kiss. His tongue was needy and desperate, exploring every inch of her mouth, as she battled him for dominance. Puck and Rachel stayed that way, until the need for air overtook them.
"Wow," she said blushing, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Wow is right, babe," he smirked down at her, "I'm a stud."
"So, shall we go?" Rachel asked him, leaning into his chest.
"If you're sure, Rachel," he told her quietly, kissing the top of her head.
"I've never been more sure of anything in my life, Noah."
Tugging her chin up gently, "I love you."
Rachel could swear in that moment, that her heart had finally exploded, "I love you too, Noah."
Prompt: Pacey and Joey, 3.23 (True Love)
Joey: I think I'm in love with you.
Pacey: You think or you know?
Joey: I know. I've known it since the moment you kissed me and maybe even before that and... as scary as it is, I don't want to deny it anymore, Pacey. I don't want to run from it and I don't want to let it run from me.
Pacey: So... what are we gonna do here, Jo?
Joey: I want to come with you.
Pacey: [scoffs] You what? Are you crazy?
Joey: I want to stop standing still, I want to move forward, I want to come with you.
Pacey: What about Bessie and the B&B? They need you.
Joey: Not as much as I need you, Pacey.
