Love wasn’t about figuring out who was the most deserving or had the most to offer me. Sadie had been half-right. Ihadneeded to kill my crush. I’d needed to knock Noah off the pedestal I’d placed him on so I could love him as he was. A super-hot, kind, generous man, who wasn’t perfect, but was perfect for me. Someone so stubborn, he wasn’t going to give up on me, no matter how much I pushed him away or held him at arms-length.
So, here I was, standing at his door. A lot of scrambling happened inside the apartment after I knocked, and I would have paid a lot of money (if I had a lot) to see what was happening on the other side.
A guy who looked a lot like Noah, but with a good twenty extra pounds and a beard, finally threw open the door, looking a little out of breath. “Hey, you must be Jenny. I’m Trace.” His smile was filled with all sorts of knowing things, making me wonder just exactly what Noah had told him about me.
Noah edged around him, red-faced and looking frustrated. “Hey. Come on in.”
“Thanks.” I brushed against his chest a little more than I needed to as I squeezed past him and let my fingers trail across his abs before taking his hand. I glanced back just in time to catch his awestruck expression.
“Jenny and I are driving in the truck,” he blurted out. “The rest of you can pile into the Chilivan.”
This was met with a lot of groans, but when I agreed, all four of his brothers gave in. We didn’t have a lot of time before the dealerships would begin to close, so after introductions and a quick tour of his apartment where he never let go of my hand, off we went.
“Are you sad about getting rid of the Chilivan?” I asked after Noah merged onto the freeway.
“Of course I’m not sad. You’re teasing me.”
“I’m half teasing. You know you loved that thing.”
Noah’s face turned serious. “I loved it because it was my tie to you.”
I tried not to blush, but I was pretty sure I was failing. “And now?”
He met my gaze, and my heart picked up speed. “And now, I want to get something a little more permanent. You know?”
“I do know.”
“Okay, there’s a lot of subtext going on. What exactly do we know?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “I know I love you.”
Noah had to stop looking at me and watch the road, but I could still see that his eyes got a little glassy. “I never thought I’d hear you say that. Are you sure?”
“Am I sure I love you? I’ve had almost a month to think about it. I’m pretty sure. You’re amazing, Noah. I can’t believe you came back here. Even knowing me the way you do, and knowing exactly how I would react. Thank you for believing in us and waiting on me. I’m sorry I made you wait so long.”
“I would have waited longer. Whatever you needed in order to trust that what I feel for you is one-hundred percent real, and it’s never going away.”
“I know.” I did know that. I didn’t need to be afraid anymore.
When he reached his hand across the console, I gripped it. Mount Cupholder did not hold quite the appeal it used to.
“I love holding your hand,” I admitted.
“Good. It’s yours.” He rubbed his thumb across the pad of my hand in long, slow strokes, and it was nice not to have to fight how much I absolutely loved it.
“So, what kind of truck are you thinking of getting?” I asked, taking in his profile while he drove. His hair was a little messier than usual. Probably ready for a haircut. Definitely ready for me to run my hands through it.
“Something that seats more than two people, and with a bench seat in front. That part’s non-negotiable.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah.” He glanced at me and grinned. Holding hands was nice, but we were both antsy to get out of this rig. Even with the car dealership just ahead lit up brighter than our future, and a decrepit van behind us filled with heckling witnesses.
The second Noah parked, we both jumped out and ran around the front of the truck, meeting in the middle in one uncoordinated heap. I sort of slid off of him before he picked me back up again and buried his face in my neck.
“I saw that going better in my head.” He kissed my neck before moving up to kiss the underside of my ear, my jaw, and then my waiting mouth.
“Let me know when you two are ready,” some guy said, too eager to sell us a car to reprimand us for making out in public.
