I pulled out my phone, my thumb hovering over Liz’s name for longer than I’d care to admit. I wasn’t calling because I missed her, not really. I just… needed to double-check the details for the gala.
Yeah, that was it. I hit call.
It rang once, twice, and then—“Noah?”
Her voice was soft and curious, as if she hadn’t anticipated hearing from me tonight, and I could almost picture her smiling.
I swallowed hard. “Hey.”
Liam, still perched on a bench behind me, leaned over to Adonis and whispered theatrically, “He used his soft voice.”
Adonis nodded with a serious expression. “That’s the ‘I miss you but I’d rather jump off a cliff than admit it’ tone.”
I turned away from them, trying to focus.
“I didn’t catch you at a bad time, did I?” I asked.
“No, I just got home a little while ago,” she replied, her voice wrapping around me with a warmth I didn’t deserve. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Just got fitted for the tux.”
“Ooh,” she teased. “Should I be worried you'll outshine me?”
“Never.”
“Aw,” she said, and I could hear the smile in her voice. “You almost sound like you missed me.”
Liam gasped dramatically behind me, and I shot him an irritated glance without turning around.
Liz chuckled softly. “Tell Liam I heard that.”
“Tell her I said she’s right!” Liam called out. “He was grumpy all day. A mere shadow of his former emotionally repressed self.”
“I’m hanging up,” I muttered into the phone, though I didn’t really want to.
“No, you’re not,” Liz replied, her laughter still dancing in the air.
Adonis chimed in, casually flipping through cufflink sets on the counter. “He actually straightened his collar twice, like he was nervous. It was adorable.”
“I swear, I will burn this store down,” I said deadpan.
“You’d still miss her,” Liam shot back.
I sighed, pressing my fingers to the bridge of my nose.
“I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. And that you’re not… stressing about the gala.”
She paused for a moment, then replied softly,
“I’m okay. It helps knowing you’ll be there.”
Her words stirred something deep within me, something slow and warm and a little terrifying.
“Well,” I said quietly, “I’ll be there.”
“I know.”
Even though I couldn’t see her, I could feel it—the calm that enveloped us, the gravity of our connection.
