Chapter 42 - Let Me Take You Home

"I didn't know you have friends at your team, Jess." 

Luke pinched her waist while glaring at her. She pretended not to comprehend the look he was giving her.

"Why didn't you tell me that you have a hot classmate?" Luke whispered in her ear.

"How would I know that you like guys with eyeglasses?" 

Noah watched Jess and Luke whispering with each other, their heads were bent low that their faces were too close for comfort. He clenched his jaws and grabbed the glass of lemon water in front of him. 

"Oliver, right?" he stared at his face, thinking he does look fine for a guy in glasses. He doesn't look like a dork, but rather a mischievous child that is hiding behind those spectacles.  "How long have you been friends with Jess?" 

"Since the day she couldn't remember my name, despite being labmates for the whole semester." he grinned at Jess.

"Jess does have difficulty remembering names,..." he lifted his brows when Oliver gazed at Jess with fondness. "...but she doesn't forget names of those assholes that don't remember hers." 

She kicked Luke's leg under the table, but the annoying Luke anticipated her action, leaned back, and tucked his legs under his chair, she ended up kicking Noah's legs.

Noah raised his eyebrows when Jess kicked his legs. 

"I'm sorry!" Noah's face was clouded with irritation, so she panicked. "I… I didn't mean to."

She faced Luke who was snickering like an obnoxious toddler that he is. She gave him a death glare but he simply shrugged his shoulder off. 

He took a deep breath. He had no idea that having a casual lunch with Jess would be this stressful. He watched Oliver on his left shoulder who has been gazing at Jess with stars in his eyes. 

And then there is Luke, sitting across him from the table, leaning and touching Jess like it was nothing. He bit his cheek not to throw a punch on his grinning face. 

It irked him that Jess and Luke have been throwing some inside jokes and giggling like two naughty children. 

He regretted sitting next to Oliver. He should have sat in the chair next to Jess but he was thinking that he wanted to watch her face during the mail, hence, he sat on the other side of the table. 

Now his plan was all ruined because of these two. 

Luke draped his arms over Jess and pulled her closer to him as he whispered, "Noah was about to kill me." chuckling, he ruffled her hair. 

Jess knitted her eyebrows and glanced at Noah. She couldn't understand why Luke was saying that Noah was about to kill him when his expression was sheer disinterest. There was nothing in his face, just his usual cold demeanor. 

Noah noticed her watching him, but she didn't avert her gaze this time. She stared at his blue eyes that always made her felt warm. She still couldn't understand this feeling she has every time she gazes at Noah's eyes. 

Stefan has the same blue eyes as Noah's, but she doesn't have the same warm feeling that flutters in her chest. She blinked her eyes when Noah stared back at her with a puzzled expression.

Before he could ask her a question, their server returned with their food. 

"Jess, you did eat breakfast, didn't you?" he asked in surprise with how much food Jess ordered for herself. 

"You will help me eat all of them," she picked up his plate and put a burrito on it. 

She was too busy putting food on Luke's plate that she didn't notice Noah's expression turned sour. 

Luke glanced at Oliver who chuckled softly when their eyes met for they both felt the cold air that surrounded Noah as soon as Jess served Luke some food. 

"Poor bastard," he mouthed the words to Luke that made his lips bloomed into an amused smile. 

He confirmed that Oliver has no romantic intention towards Jess. In fact, Noah was indeed a poor bastard who simply got jealous of any male that was around Jess. While Jess was too naive and dense to notice the extent of Noah's feelings for her. 

"Can I have a slice of your Quesadilla?" He extended his plate towards Jess, his eyes were on Noah watching his expression.

When their eyes met, he chuckled softly. 

Noah realized that all this time he was wearing his heart on his sleeve that the two men on the table were making fun of him. He shook his head with a small embarrassed smile on his lips. 

He glanced at Jess that was enjoying her Quesadilla, thankfully unaware of what was happening on the table. For he doesn't think he could face her if she knew that he has been acting like a loser all this time.

He grabbed the glass of lemon water shaking his head in shame. Today he realized how far Jess got under his skin. 

After eating half of the food she ordered, Jess asked Noah what they could expect during their internship at ANAT and Pharma Co.

"Hmm, to be honest, I don't have an idea. The matters at the laboratory don't reach my table until it was time for the final decision." 

Jess lifted her eyebrow at how Noah worded his statement. With just a few words, he let them know that he was up high in the echelon of the company.

She smirked thinking that she likes it. She won't see Noah during her internship at ANAT and Pharma Co

"I was a bit apprehensive with the internship with ANAT and Pharma Co," Oliver butted in.

"How so?" she asked.

"Well, you know the research I am working on. I really don't want to part with it. But with the internship, I'm not sure if I have enough time to be at the two laboratories." 

"How far are you with your research?" 

"Testing would happen around next semester, and I wouldn't be around at the lab that time," he sighed with disappointment. 

And the lunch was over with talked about research, internship, and how this would be their last summer vacation as university students. The meal was finished without any more mishaps. Noah, just like promised paid for their meal.

When it was time to go back to campus, she told the three men that she won't go back to the uni but will go back home to sleep. 

"Let me take you home," he offered to take Jess home, but he wasn't expecting anything because he knew Jess was still mad at him.

"Okay." 

Noah gawked at Jess at the curbside as they wait for his driver while the two walked back to the campus.