Rachel had been running, but now she dragged her heels along the dirt road. Her feet were numb, and her socks were wet and cold. The lack of light forced her to focus on the road below her, vigilant for anything she might trip on. She blew air into her hands and stuffed them in her armpits. Even her eyelashes were adorned with snowflakes. How she wished she had brought her gloves or worn different shoes, but she had to keep moving forward. A second wave of tears had burned in her eyes as she thought about tonight, but she shook her head, trying to dispel the thoughts. She had to focus on getting home. One step at a time, she would reach her destination. Her phone in her pocket had buzzed, and she had jumped.
"Hey? Who is this?" she had asked, her teeth chattering, and her fingertips tingling with the cold as she fished her phone out of her pocket.
"It's me, Berry, you called," Noah's voice sounded tired. She looked down at her phone, the time displaying 10:30. She hadn't realized how long she had been walking.
"Yes, thank you for calling back, and sorry for the late call. I was just hoping you could pick me up, please? I'm probably a few miles from the tree lot on the North side of town. My ride ditched me, and it's really cold," Rachel explained in a rush.
"Your ride ditched you at the tree lot? Who were you with? Jesus, Rachel, how long have you been out there?" Noah questioned, and she could hear rustling from the other end of the phone.
"Maybe around 7:30 when I started walking. It would mean the world to me if you could pick me up. Please, I'm freezing."
"I'm coming. Weren't you with Finn? It's cold as hell," Noah muttered, and Rachel almost sobbed with relief.
"Yeah, I was with him. Thank you so much, Noah." Rachel took a deep breath, feeling the tension that had been building with every step dissipate.
"Only he'd leave you like this, and you know I couldn't leave a fellow Jew, especially a good-looking one like you, out there in good faith. My mom would have my head," he joked, and Rachel rolled her eyes with a slight smile. She heard the engine of his pickup truck stall before it came to life.
"Should I walk back towards the tree lot?" She asked.
"It's probably better just to stay there. It won't take me much longer."
"Thank you again, Noah. I called my whole contact list, and my dads are off on a business trip," she said after a few moments of silence.
"I'm the only one who called back?" He asked, his voice almost surprised.
"I'm not very popular," Rachel replied with a small shrug. She moved her legs up and down, hoping that jogging in place would keep her a bit warmer. There was a small sigh from the other end of the phone.
"It's probably just because it's 10:30 on a Friday. Probably just asleep, not anything against you," Noah offered, and Rachel smiled at his words. A few more minutes passed, just the sound of Noah's truck on the other end of the line. Rachel focused on staying warm and kept herself occupied by jogging in place. Suddenly, headlights appeared over the hill.
"Is that you, Noah?" The truck came to a halt in front of her as Puck responded.
"Yeah, get in." So, she did. She pulled herself into the truck, and the warm air hit her like a blast. Her fingers and face tingled uncomfortably as she looked at Noah. He gave her a smile, but she could see his fingers turning white from how hard he was gripping the wheel. He nodded his head toward a blanket on the center console, and Rachel didn't hesitate to wrap herself in it.
"Thank you." The silence returned before Rachel broke it.
"Noah?" She asked quietly as she ended the call, "Are you okay?" Noah nodded in response as he drove forward in silence.
"I can't believe that Finn would leave you out there, and I know there is some drama there, but what if you died?" Rachel wanted to say something light-hearted, but she couldn't help but feel shaken. She shrugged, "It would be a small funeral?"
"That's not funny," he replied, and she nodded, "I know."
The silence filled the car again as Noah drove, and it was a few minutes before he cleared his throat.
"Do you want to come back to my house? It might be better than staying alone. As long as you don't mind the interrogation from my family in the morning." Rachel nodded, not really wanting to be alone again.
"I'd like that. If you're sure, that is." Noah nodded.
"It's less of a drive, anyway." The rest of the ride back was silent, and Rachel didn't mind. Her brain mostly focused on staying as close to the vents blowing out warm air. Noah pulled in the driveway of his house, and parked the car.
"Welcome to the Puckerman Hotel," Noah said as they got out of the car, and Rachel laughed.
"It's an honor to be staying at such a renowned location. I've heard great reviews."
"I'm quite good to the ladies I bring home." Rachel smacks him gently, "There you go ruining it, you pig,"
"I'm telling you babe, you just have to have the Puck experience once and you'll be singing my praises." Rachel rolled her eyes as they walked into his home.
"Don't make me want to try to get my way home on foot. I already tried that once." Noah snorted as he took off his shoes.
"Sure, let me know how that goes. In the meantime, is the couch okay for you to sleep on? I'd offer my bed but it's a wreck." She gives Noah a small smile.
"The couch is just fine, thank you." She replied before taking off her shoes, sliding them next to his. She looks around the house, noticing old pictures of Noah and his sister, and other little knick-knacks. Noah leads her to the couch, setting her up with a pillow and another blanket.
"You're sure you're filing to be okay done here?" Noah asked and Rachel nodded.
"Yes, thank you again. You've helped me out so much tonight." Noah nodded, "Of course, now sleep. I'll be upstairs if you need anything." Rachel smiles,
"Goodnight, Noah."