This wasn’t a rom-com movie with a romantic montage at the halfway point. This wasn’t a romance book, where the reader would discoverhe loved her all along!This was reality. Writing and influencing weren’t for the faint of hearts. Things weren’t going to get magical now that I suddenly had a crush.
At the end of this weekend, things would go back to normal. We’d stop posting about each other on social media long enough for people to assume that we separated, and then Noah and I could go back to ignoring each other in public. Excellent plan—10/10 stars.
Then why did I feel sick thinking about it?
I was halfway through my second coffee, already dressed for the day, when Noah bustled out of the bedroom. Of course he didn’t look sleep-deprived like me. Probably dreamed of cats chasing rainbows or something.
He was dressed casually, in a lightweight linen button-down with the sleeves lazily rolled to his elbows, the fabric just barely clinging to the shape of his arms. A pair of well-worn khaki shorts hung low on his hips, and he’d swapped his usual sneakers for simple leather sandals. The kind of effortless,I just threw this onlook that made it painfully obvious he belonged at a resort like this.
Unfair. I might have a cute white dress on, but I looked like I’d barely survived the night. The bun at the top of my head agreed with me. Meanwhile, he looked like a postcard.
Noah reached for one of the mugs, his fingers curling aroundthe ceramic like it was the only thing grounding him. “Good morning.”
“Hi.” My voice came out stiff, forced.Just act normal.I reached for my own coffee, determined not to let awkwardness win. “How did you sleep?”
“Good.” He took a sip and set the mug down on the table. “You?”
“Fine,” I lied.
Noah nodded, and an uncomfortable silence settled between us, thick and suffocating. The weight of last night pressed into my chest, the memory of his lips on mine lingering like a phantom touch. Were we really just going to stand here, pretending it never happened?
He pulled out the itinerary for the day, flipping through it with unnecessary focus. I eyed the paper, willing it to sayanythingthat might distract me. Honestly, they could send me to chase down gorillas for all I cared, if it meant I didn’t have to survive another couple’s massage.
The only big thing I’d have to survive today was the cooking class. Great. As if my culinary skills weren’t already humiliating enough, now I had to endure them in front of him.
I tapped my fingers against the counter, the tension between us stretching like a rubber band, ready to snap. When it became clear Noah wasn’t going to be the one to break the silence, I did.
“I can’t just pretend to ignore what happened last night.” I folded my arms across my chest, bracing myself. “What were you thinking?”
His fingers tightened around the edges of the itinerary. “What was I thinking?” His tone was sharp, incredulous. “You were there, too.”
“I’ll admit the kiss by the pool was my fault, but you were the one who kissed me last night.”
His jaw dropped as he let out a silent laugh, shaking hishead. “No way. If anything, weboth leaned in. We were both just going with the mood.”
I scoffed. “Themood? If there was a mood, you completely misread it.”
He quirked an eyebrow, unimpressed. “That’s funny because your reaction sure didn’t say that.”
Heat rushed to my face. I stiffened, suddenly hyper-aware of how my body had melted into his, how I had kissed him back, how I hadwantedto in the moment. But that didn’t matter. Because it was just a moment.
“Well,” I said coldly, “maybe all your time spent pushing people away has made it difficult for you to understand real people’s signals.”
The moment the words left my mouth, I knew I’d hit a nerve.
His expression shut down, amusement vanishing in an instant. His grip on the itinerary crumpled the paper slightly, but his voice, when he spoke, was eerily calm.
“That’s rich,” he said, eyes burning into mine. “Coming from you.”
My stomach twisted, but I lifted my chin. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Noah let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “You know exactly what it means. Don’t act like you have me all figured out. Because we both know you kissed me back.”
My heart pounded. “That doesn’t mean itmeantanything.”
His jaw clenched. For a second, I thought he might say something else, something that would push this over the edge. Instead, he exhaled, shaking his head like I wasn’t even worth the fight anymore.
“You know what?” He grabbed his coffee and stepped back. “Forget it.”
