Noah, in a nutshell...

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If you've been following my journey that is taking me to the release of my first novel, IN TOO DEEP, you know about Gracie (the good girl) and you've heard about her ups and downs with Noah, her 'bad boy' boyfriend.

As much as he is a part of the story, he is my least favorite character simply because he isn't very nice. (Oh, don't get me wrong...he is in the beginning of their relationship. He was romantic and gentle and kind.) While writing this book, I had to take breaks because some of the scenes were (although fictional) close to my own experience with emotional abuse.

Noah is gorgeous. He's taller than Gracie and she loves his strong, broad shoulders. But it's his naughty smirk that gets her every time. That and the blond hair and bottomless deep brown eyes.

He isn't someone Gracie's friends ever, EVER, pictured her with. He is rough around the edges and people who know him tell some pretty scandalous stories about his "conquests" and his apparent need to get in a good fist fight now and then. He is described like someone Gracie would be fearful of, not fall for. But, once he started to fall for Gracie, he changed...maybe.

Sometimes Noah would slip from the boyfriend who breaks her heart back into who Gracie called, "Real Noah." She would cast her line deeper into the sea of hope that "Real Noah" would stay that time.

Once, during a Real Noah moment, Gracie told him, in jest, that he had multiple personalities. He asked her to explain. This is a short snippet of their conversation:

“Well, there’s a romantic one, a loner one…” We could be here all day if he wanted a list.

“Wait, what does the romantic one do?”

“Oh, you really want to talk about this. Alright, Romantic Noah can predict my every move before I even know it. He pays attention and treats me to surprises. He also says, “I love you.”

“Wow. OK.” he looked like he was frozen in time, ‘So, there are more?”

“Oh, yeah, let’s see, there’s Loner Noah.”

“What is he like?”

“Well, he needs no one and isn’t afraid to let me know I'm not needed. He’s the one who doesn’t want me to call; he wants to be the one to decide when reaching out is necessary.”

“You really think that I’m him?”

“Part of you is, I’ve become quite familiar with Loner Noah”

“Do you like that one?”

“No, not especially. He makes me sad and self-conscious.”

This was actually the most sweetly intense conversation Noah and I had ever had with the exception of the one we had before and after we made love for the first time. He was so careful that night not to pressure or rush me. He valued my virginity and we had only been officially a couple for less than two months. I was shocked at how well the conversation was going. Noah usually didn’t entertain “sappy” and “deep” for this many minutes strung together and he was the one initiating it.

           “I’m sorry I make you sad,” he said.
       
           I just looked away before the tears came. I was sorry, too. More sorry than he would ever know. He left scars that I would always feel whether we were together forever or not.

            “Tell me about another one.”

           “Noah, we don’t have to…”

            “I need you to do this for me, Gracie, please.”

            “Well, there’s a daring Noah.”

            “Ohhh, that sounds…better?”

            “Yeah. I like that one," I giggled a little. "He’s brave and a little reckless but that makes him so sexy. As long as we’re being honest here…romantic and daring would be a beautiful combination.”

            “Really? I will have to remember that. Are there more?”

           “Oh yeah, there’s an angry, scary one.” An uncontrollable shiver came across me when I pictured his face within inches of mine the day he spat out the truth that he and Lily went to a function together; a function I didn't even know about. The evil smile on his face as he watched me cry would stay with me forever.
            “Do I want to know about him?”

            “I wish I didn’t..." I had to look away.


So, there's your look into the multi-faceted guy who may finally break Gracie into so many pieces there will be too many to pick up.

But Jake won't let that happen...

Who's Jake?

Stay tuned!