THE FEAR OF THOR

Nicholas stood by the fridge, his arms folded casually across his chest, an amused expression on his face. Noah was not in the mood of his games. She has been wary of dogs and Thor was no exception, the dog a massive German shepherd, was barking furiously at her, she felt her heart pounding in her chest. She reached for her phone her hand trembling.

"Can you stop that, Nicholas?" Noah shouted trying to keep her voice steady but failing. She stood up slowly, her eyes never leaving Thor. The dog's intense gaze and aggressive stance were making it hard for her to think clearly.

Nick's smirk widened. "He's like a poodle but smarter", he said, his hands still folded. He leaned against the fridge watching a mixture of amusement and curiousity, as Noah struggled to maintain her composure.

"Did you hit your head as a child, your jerk?" Noah snapped, her irritation growing. She couldn't understand why Nick found this situation funny. Thor's barking was relentless, and every bark made her flinch. She was getting increasingly agitated.

Nick's expression darkened slightly. "shh! shh! Thor hates it when people insult me", he said, his tone calm but with an edge of warning. He wanted Noah to understand that her raised voice was making things worse. Thor was fiercely protected from him, and any perceived threat could set the dog off.

Thor took a step closer, his barking even more aggressive. Noah's fear spiked. She intensively moved behind Nick, seeking some semblance of safety. "Relax", Nick told her, noticing the terror in her eyes. He tried to keep his voice soothing, but it was clear that Thor was not calming down.

"Say something damn it" Noah shouted, her voice high-pitched with panic. She was desperate for Nick to do something to calm the dog.

Nick sighed and turned to Thor. "Thor, calm down", he said firmly. But Thor's barking continued unabated, and Noah's fear turned into a desperate need to protect herself. She spotted a pan on the kitchen table and grabbed it, holding it up as a makeshift weapon.

"What are you doing?" Nick asked his eyes widening as he saw Noah brandish the pan.

"Seriously or I'll hit you", Noah replied her voice shaking but determined. She gave Nick an angry, defiant look. The idea of hitting Nick was absurd, but she needed him to understand how serious she was.

Nick's eyes narrowed. "If he senses a threat, he'll rip to shreds", he warned, his tone serious now. He didn't want Noah to get hurt, and he certainly didn't want Thor to become more aggressive.

Noah's grip on the pan tightened. " You'll still get. pan on the head", she warned back, her voice a mix of fear and anger.

The standoff was tense. Thor continued to bark, the sound echoing through the house. Noah and stared at each other, neither willing to back down.

"Thor, sit," Nick said with a calm authority. To Noah's surprise, Thor obeyed, sitting quietly at Nick's feet and ceasing his barking. Nick turned his attention to Noah, who stood rooted to the spot, her breath catching in her throat.

Nick's eyes locked onto hers, and he took a step closer, closing the distance between them. His proximity was overwhelming, his presence intoxicating. Noah could feel the heat radiating from his body, and her heart pounded even harder. Nick's hand reached up as if he wanted to pin her to the wall, but he stopped just short of touching her.

"You're crazy, aren't you?" he spoke softly, his voice a seductive whisper. Noah was speechless, her gaze fixed on his lips. She felt a magnetic pull toward him, a desire that both frightened and intrigued her.

"But by the way, from a distance, I didn't see your freckles, sis," Nick said, his tone teasing yet gentle. His words snapped Noah out of her trance, and she shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts.

"I'm not your sister or anything like it," she retorted, finding her voice at last. With a surge of determination, she pushed him away, creating some much-needed space between them. She turned to leave the kitchen, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions.

As she reached the doorway, her mother, Angela, entered the kitchen, followed closely by Nick's father. They carried glasses and a bottle of wine, their faces beaming with happiness.

"Hey! I see you've already met," Angela said cheerfully. She glanced between Noah and Nick, oblivious to the tension in the room. "I'm so glad. I was worried it might be hard for you two to get to know each other."

Noah forced a smile, trying to hide her inner turmoil. "Oh yes, Nick is very nice, but I like Thor best. Right, cutie? Come here. Come here, little guy. Hey!" She cooed at Thor, her voice dripping with false cheer. Thor remained seated, calm and quiet under Nick's influence, ignoring Noah's call.

Angela, about to say something, was cut off as Noah snapped, "See? He likes Nick better," giving a fake smile that didn't reach her eyes.

Nick, surprised by her response, tried not to force a smile. He knew how scared Thor had made her feel. She said that just for her mom to believe they were good. "I don't know what's wrong. I must scare him," Noah murmured to Nick as she left the kitchen, heading to her room. She felt so pissed.

Nick watched her retreat, feeling a mix of confusion and sympathy. He had rattled her, but there was something else beneath her irritation, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. He excused himself from the kitchen, following the path Noah had taken.

Noah slammed her bedroom door behind her, leaning against it as she tried to steady her breathing. She felt a confusing blend of anger and embarrassment. How could she let Nick get under her skin so easily? She barely knew him, yet his presence had thrown her off balance from the moment he stepped into the kitchen.

As she paced the room, her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice coming from her phone, which she had slipped back into her pocket. "That was awesome!" said Betty, her best friend. Noah stopped in her tracks, pulling out her phone to check if she had somehow pocket-dialed her.

"Betty? You're still there?" Noah asked, surprise evident in her voice.

"Yeah, I've been here the whole time," Betty replied, clearly amused. "I heard everything that happened between you and Nick in the kitchen."

Noah's face flushed with a mix of annoyance and embarrassment. "My God, Betty, you heard all that?"

"I did," Betty confirmed, and Noah could almost hear her friend smiling on the other end of the line. "Is that the sweet boy your mom mentioned?"

Noah rolled her eyes, flopping onto her bed. "You see he's a total dick," she replied, her voice tinged with anger. She couldn't believe her friend would find anything appealing about him.

"But he's hot though, right?" Betty asked, clearly fishing for details.

Noah groaned. "You're a gossip and a pervert," she said, though there was a hint of laughter in her voice.

"He's a total hottie then?" Betty pressed, undeterred by Noah's reluctance.

"I don't know, I didn't really look at him," Noah replied, though she couldn't help the small smile tugging at her lips. Despite the initial tension, she was enjoying their discussion.

Betty laughed. "Yeah, right. You're just trying to play it cool. So, what's the plan for tonight?"

Noah sighed. "We have this family dinner thing. I need to go get ready. I don't want to be late."

Betty's voice took on a teasing tone. "Don't forget to take some hot pictures for I*******m! We need to see this new 'family' of yours."

Noah laughed, shaking her head. "No way. I don't want to post any pictures that will cause traffic and make people start asking questions. I want to keep this whole 'new family' status on the low for now."

Betty sighed dramatically. "Fine, be all mysterious. But promise me you'll have fun, okay?"

"I'll try," Noah promised. "Talk to you later."

"Later, babe," Betty said, and they ended the call.

Noah put her phone down and stood in front of her closet, contemplating what to wear. She wanted to strike the right balance between casual and presentable. She settled on a simple but elegant sundress that brought out her eyes, paired with a light cardigan.

As she dressed, her mind wandered to the events of the past few days. Moving in with her mom and their new blended family had been a whirlwind. Despite her initial resistance, she had to admit that things were improving.