“Hey.” His eyes met mine, uncertain. A little rough around the edges.
My heart flipped. Then fluttered.
“Hey,” I said back.
Our eyes held—longer than they should’ve. And everything else faded.
The hallway hushed. Even the distant clink of someone getting ice felt far away.
I looked up at him—really looked.
I noticed the faint bend in his nose, like it might’ve been broken once but was still perfect on him. The way his eyelashes curled—absurdly thick. The hint of a shadow along his jaw.
And the way his lips parted slightly, like he was about to speak but wasn’t sure what to say.
I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until I let it out.
Have fun, but not too much fun, Ashley had said.
No promises, I’d told her.
I opened the door wider. My voice low, almost breathless. “Wanna come in?”
His nod was slow. Intentional. “Yeah.”
When he stepped inside, I realized he was barefoot.
He wasn’t bringing anything. No snacks. No wine. No jacket. Just him.
I closed the door and pressed my back against it, just watching him and waiting.
Noah was staring down at the carpet, but then he looked up at me.
“I heard you moving around…through the wall.” He glanced to the side and then back to me. “Wanted to make sure the ghosts weren’t bothering you.”
I bit back a smile. “You’re here to banish them for me?”
“If that’s what you want.” Our eyes were locked together, but neither of us had moved. And because I struggled with awkward silences, I had to break it.
“The train was fun, wasn’t it?” My voice came out breathy.
He answered with a low nod.
“We have an early morning.” Tay had ordered us to be ready to leave by seven hundred hours. I didn’t know why I felt the need to point this out.
“We do.”
Still, he didn’t move.
And neither did I.
His gaze dropped—slow, deliberate. Down the length of me.
Over the thin cotton of my tank top. The curve of my waist. My bare legs. The tips of my toes.
It didn’t feel like looking.
It felt like a warm hand skimming across my skin.
