“Just letting you know that they’re beginning to wonder where you are,” he says quietly. “So now might be a good time to break up whatever this is if you don’t want Izzy—or anyone else in this town, for that matter—to know about it.”
Oh god. How could I forget there’s a bar full of people out there? That Izzy is out there? How could I have let myself get so wrapped up in Noah?
I dare a look at him, but he’s staring straight ahead, posture stiff. His lips—the ones that were just telling me how good I taste—are pulled into a thin line. The red tinge on his cheeks is the only thing that gives away what happened.
“I’ll be in the basement.”
It’s all he says before he walks away, leaving me alone with Ezra and staring after him.
His business partner sighs, shaking his head.
“What a moron.”
That’s what we both are.
“You okay?” Ezra asks.
I nod, even though I feel anything but okay. “Yeah. I’m good.”
He points to his lip. “You might want to fix that.”
Right. My lipstick. There’s no way it’s not smeared at this point.
“Thanks,” I mutter, then duck back into the bathroom.
I stare at myself in the mirror, taking in the red splotches on my cheeks and little marks around my mouth from Noah’s scruff. His hands messed up my hair, and his touch wrinkled my clothes.
Ilookjust like I’ve been kissed thoroughly.
I don’t know how long I stay in the bathroom, but when I finally make my way back to the taproom, Izzy and Craig are laughingand cuddling up next to each other, and a pang of jealousy courses through me.
I want something like that. I want someone to laugh with. Someone to cuddle. Someone to kiss, not just in the dark of night or in hallways.
I just wantsomeone.
And even though I shouldn’t, I want that someone to be Noah.
“Hey, there you are!” Izzy grins up at me.
“Here I am.” I force a smile, then resume my spot. “So, did we decide?”
“Yep. We’re doing a band.”
I don’t know why her answer disappoints me, but it does. She was so adamant about a deejay before. But whatever. It’s not my wedding. It’s hers. As long as she’s happy, right?
The rest of the planning session feels like a complete blur, and Noah stays hidden in the basement, doing I don’t even know what.
We finalize a few other key things, and I get a mile-long to-do list. I welcome it, needing the distraction because he’s still all I’m thinking about even when I leave.
That’s how it stays too. Throughout my appointment to get sized for my maid of honor dress, the phone call with the vendor for chairs, and the evening when I finally make it home and pop a cup of noodles into the microwave. Even when I crawl into bed.
Noah, Noah, Noah.
Noah and the way he kissed me.
Noah and how he uttered my name with his deep, husky voice.
Noah and how he hid in the basement, even afterhewas the one who said we needed to talk.
