Noah: Just my shining armor—it’s a little tarnished lately.
Me: We can’t all be perfect. I know I’m not.
I held my breath, and he didn’t respond right away.
The man on the beach took a few steps forward, and the way he moved tugged at something in my chest.
Familiar in a way that made my breath catch.
Then another ping.
Noah: You look perfect.
I froze. Looked at my screen. Then up at the man.
He took another step closer. And then another.
The sun kissed his hair just right. And even though it was impossible, I knew...
His gait. Easy, confident. The way my entire body knew he was here, even though my brain said I was dreaming.
I stood. Slowly.
Shaking.
He stopped in the sand, at the base of the porch steps, and just…stared up at me. Looking so heartbreakingly…Noah.
My voice came out as shaky as I felt. “You’re here.”
“Yeah.”
“But…” I swallowed. “Why?”
He took a breath, and his fingers flexed at his side. And those eyes…they gazed right into my soul.
“I want more than a fling.” No hesitation. No uncertainty.
My heart skipped a beat.
We both just stood there, neither of us moving, the sea air thick with so, so many feelings, so many unanswered questions.
“You’re not with Courtney?” I had to be sure.
He shook his head and then ran a hand through his hair. “No. God, no. My mom…she just… she lied to you that day in Vegas. Luna, if I’d known the crap that she told you…” He looked away, jaw tight. “I didn’t even know until yesterday. I would’ve followed you to the airport. I wouldn’t have let you leave like that. I swear.”
I believed him. And yeah, I’d had my heart broken before. I’d been lied to. But this…
I didn’t say anything at first, processing.
It was Noah. Of course, he wouldn’t lie to me.
His mother had. Which was, admittedly, far more believable.
I finally nodded, stepped aside, and gestured toward the house.
“Want a cup of coffee?” I said quietly. “I’ve got cinnamon rolls in the oven.”
He exhaled, like I’d offered him oxygen and not sweet breakfast pastries. “Yeah. Yeah, I do.”
