I nodded, because that was easier than unpacking the rest. “Just… not ready for you to go.”
His mouth curved into a small smile, the one usually reserved for me. “I know. Feeling this way is weird. I also am not one hundred percent thinking about football.”
“Noah,” I said, cupping his face with my hand. He leaned into my touch, closing his eyes like my touch comforted him. “We’ll be okay here.”
“I know, Em.” He sighed, his eyes meeting mine, and they were filled with emotion, depth, and something I couldn’t quite name. He blinked, and the look was gone, but he kissed my forehead, lingering there. “I promise I’ll call tonight, tomorrow,andafter the game.”
My eyes prickled, which was stupid. The trip would be less than two days. I’d gone years without seeing Noah, and now I was getting emotional over two freaking days. I wrapped my arms around him, squeezing and hiding my face in his chest. “Be careful, okay? Be smart on the field and donotget hurt.”
“Don’t plan to.” He rested his chin on top of my head. “Why is this goodbye so hard?”
I snorted, still not looking up in fear he’d see my tears. “I was just thinking that. It’s silly. You’re gonna be back tomorrow night.”
“Hey,” he said, forcing my head back so he could look at me. “Next game—wait, are you crying? Em, my sweet Em.”
“No, I mean, yes, but it’s not…” My voice cracked. “I’m really gonna miss you. I like knowing you’re here, or in the apartment. I like knowing you’re safe and that you’ll walk in the doors with a smile. It’s so cheesy, but that’s the truth.”
His answering smile lit up the room. “Well, I fucking love coming home to you.” He kissed me softly, on the corner of my mouth. Then, my lips. He gave me the most gentle, precious kiss I’d ever received, and my heart fluttered. “Next time we travel, you and Miles come with.”
“Wait, that’s an option?” My heart soared. “Oh, but Sassy.”
He frowned. “Shit. I’ll figure that out. But, if you want to come with next time, I’ll make it happen, okay?”
I nodded, but I didn’t say much because Miles stirred, and his cute little voice carried down the hall. “Uncle Noah?”
“I’m right here, bud,” Noah said immediately, moving toward his nephew at the end of the hall. He crouched to get on his level.
Miles sat up and wrapped his arms around Noah’s neck with the full force of his small body. “Be safe,” he said, way too serious for a kid.
Noah closed his eyes for a beat, holding him tight. “Always.”
When Noah finally stood again, he hesitated near me, hands sliding into his pockets. I stepped into him anyway, arms wrapping around his waist, my forehead pressing into his chest.
“Go win,” I murmured.
He kissed the top of my head slowly, deliberately. “I’ll try.”
The door closed behind him ten minutes later, and the apartment felt different immediately.
The apartment stayed quiet after he left. Noah never made a ton of noise, but it was different when it was only Miles, Sassy, and me. Miles padded back to the couch with Sassy and curledup like nothing monumental had just happened, like uncles leaving for football games was a normal, unremarkable part of life. I stood there longer than necessary, staring at the door, my chest tight in a way I didn’t try to fix.
Eventually, life nudged me forward. Coffee needed reheating. Miles needed breakfast. The world didn’t care that my heart had rearranged itself around one large man with a duffel bag and a promise to call. It was too soon to feel this way about him…where him being gone caused this uncomfortable ache in my chest. I scolded myself, adjusted my posture, and carried on. He’d be back tomorrow. Things were fine.
By late morning, the apartment had shifted into its familiar hum. Miles built an elaborate Lego structure on the rug while Sassy supervised with her chin on her paws, and I sat at the table with my laptop open, answering emails and checking orders. I told myself I’d only look for a minute, just enough to clear notifications, but my breath caught when I refreshed the page.
Orders had jumped again.
Not by one or two—by a noticeable amount. Enough that I blinked and refreshed again just to be sure I wasn’t hallucinating. My hands hovered over the keyboard as a slow, unfamiliar warmth spread through my chest.
People wanted my work. People were choosing it.
I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling for a second, letting the feeling land instead of brushing it off like I usually did. This wasn’t luck. It wasn’t a fluke. It was work—late nights, ruined fingers, stubborn belief—and seeing it reflected back at me felt both thrilling and terrifying. I’d gained more followers with my work with the Rampage, but nothing had been launched yet. I quickly checked my socials and gasped. I’d gone viral again.
Quinn—pretty boy QB on the team—posted about one ofmy jackets, and it had over two million views. Holy shit. That was why I had a thousand orders come in.
But wait. A thousand orders… I couldn’t possibly do that. Keep up with that. I needed materials and time and with Miles... I squeezed my eyes shut, already planning and rearranging my weekend.Call Daniel.
“Ms. Em,” Miles said suddenly, interrupting my train of thought as he crawled over with a Lego man in his hand. “This guy needs a jacket because it’s cold in Lego City.”
