Eli huffed out a surprised laugh. “You’re ridiculous.” That ache still resided in his chest, however.
“I know,” Noah said. “You were very kind about it.”
“You were panicking. And your lying face needs work.”
“It does,” Noah agreed.
“I didn’t mind,” Eli murmured.
Noah’s gaze flicked to him, soft and searching. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Silence settled between them, warm and definitely not awkward.
And there was the moment where Eli could say it.
I remember you from high school.
I drew you for months.
You were my first crush, and you didn’t even know I existed.
He swallowed the words instead, then cleared his throat.
“For what it’s worth, leaving doesn’t automatically mean bigger. Sometimes it just means louder.”
Noah’s brow furrowed.
“I left, remember?” Eli reminded him. “I went to Boston, did the city thing, hustled, networked…” His mouth twisted. “Then I watched my job get devoured by software, lost my boyfriend to ‘more,’ and ended up back here wondering if the problem is just me.”
“It’s not you,” Noah said with a conviction that made Eli’s chest hurt. “People are allowed to want different things. That doesn’t make you small.”
“You don’t even know me,” Eli protested.
“I know enough.”
He said it with that same steady sincerity he’d used on the ladder, and Eli believed him, which was both comforting and terrifying.
Snow continued to blur the world beyond the windows, and the workshop felt like its own little universe comprising light and wood and the quiet truth of people finally saying real things.
“Looks like it’s really coming down,” Eli said, needing to break the intensity.
Noah glanced toward the window. “Yeah. The roads are probably lousy.”
“Should I head out?” Eli asked. “Before it gets worse?”
Noah hesitated. “Honestly? If you want to play it safe… you might want to stay.”
Eli’s heart did a weird little leap. “In the workshop?” he asked.
“I live five minutes from here,” Noah said.
His lips twitched. “It was ten minutes the first time you mentioned it.”
“So we’ll walk fast. But it really is a short walk. I’ve got a couch. Extra blankets. A chronic overstock of hot chocolate.”
Eli swallowed. “You’re inviting me to your house.”
