Honor: a novella by Chasie Noble Page A

lot.
    I made my way back to my car and realized why she had honked. Osric’s massive red truck was parked next to my car, and there he stood waiting. He was wearing a plaid shirt with a jean jacket, worn jeans, and his dark blue beanie. I knew he had been working all day, but he still looked like he was a cover model for a camping magazine.  
    “Hello,” he said.  
    I made my way to him and hugged him. He smelled of timber. “How was your trip?” I asked.  
    “It was all right. I missed you.” He traced his finger around my necklace he had given me the night before.  
    “You missed me?” I tilted my head up at him.  
    “I did,” he said.  
    “You want to follow me to my place?” I asked him.
    He was looking at my necklace and shifted his focus to my eyes. He nodded his head yes then leaned in and kissed me lightly on the lips. I started to shiver from the cold and he rubbed my arms up and down with his hands. “I will follow you,” he said. We both got into our vehicles, and I led the way.  
    Once we were at my apartment, I noticed he was starting a fire with what little wood I had next to the fireplace. I grabbed my phone and ordered us a pizza. I fetched us both a bottle of water from my fridge. I handed one to him where he sat in the floor by the fire. I could tell he was really tired.  
    “Thank you,” he said while pulling off his jacket, then his hat. His hair was all over the place but still picture perfect.  
    “I ordered us pizza. I hope your hungry.”  
    He ran his hands through his hair. “Thank you,” he yawned.  
    I grabbed some pillows from the couch and gave them to him. He took them and made a headrest in the floor. “Did you get your books from work?” he asked, pointing to the shelves. Some still had the library bar code on them.
    “I did. After they are too worn for checkout they get rid of them. That is why they look so bad.”  
    He yawned again. He was so tall he took up most of the living room floor and I couldn’t help but laugh. “What?” he asked.  
    “You can lay on the couch, you look uncomfortable,” I told him.  
    There was a knock on the door and I jumped. He laughed at me. It was the pizza. We sat on the floor by the fire and ate. We talked about books, his work, and my work. I took our plates when we were finished. He was yawning again.
    When I came back into the room he was half asleep. I grabbed him a blanket and started to give it to him, when he reached for my arm. “Come here,” he said. I laid down next to him facing my bookshelves. The dying fire danced on the walls. He wrapped his arms around me and I scooted into him to get comfortable.  
    I thought he had fallen asleep and I said softly, “I love you Osric.”  
    He squeezed my hand and whispered back, “I love you.” Even though the floor was very uncomfortable, there was nowhere else I wanted to be right then.

Chapter 13

    Thanksgiving morning brought snow with it, which was not ideal for the hour-long drive to my parents. Osric picked me up at seven that morning. On the plus side, he brought the truck.  
    “I finally get to ride in the beast, huh?” I said as he opened the passenger door for me.  
    “The tires on the truck are safer for snow,” he stated. I notice he had also gotten us coffee. “Don’t worry, I didn’t get it from the coffee shop we went to.”  
    I laughed thinking of how awful the coffee shop was that we had gone to on our first date. “Thank you, on both counts,” I told him.
    He asked questions about my family on the drive. I warned him that my mother liked to hug a lot and my dad was quiet until he got to know someone. I also warned him that my aunt was a little on the strange side, and no one ever knew what would come out of her mouth.  
    “Thank you for coming, I know you could have stayed home. It just means a lot to me that you are doing this.”  
    He smiled over at me. “Honor, I wanted to come and meet your family.” He reached for my