I start to drown his words out as he continues to blabber on about something or other and I hasten a glance behind me to check that Noah is still at his table. Slowly but surely, I reach my hand to my face and oh-so-subtly itch my nose. I feel no movement. Is he watching? Did he see me? Does he even remember our Bat-Signal?
‘Mind if we take a selfie?’ Timothy asks, already raising his phone. ‘The boys think I’m lying about bagging you.’
With his eyes so glued to his phone I make a second, less subtle attempt. I lift my hand again and itch my nose aggressively like it’s full of fleas. Timothy’s none the wiser, thankfully. Too obsessed with his boys. I just hope that it’s enough to alert my own boy to this dire situation.
‘Amorie!’ A fresh voice sounds.
I feel a tap on my shoulder, instantly deflating all the tension that I stored. Both Timothy and I turn to stare at Noah as he stands nervously behind me. His eyes lock with mine instantly.
‘I’m so glad I found you!’ He declares this emphatically.
He grabs my hand and pulls me from my seat into a sweeping, dramatic hug. As he holds me, my breath hitches. We’ve hugged before – many times – it’s all we’re allowed to do, but we’ve never before hugged like this... Not pulled as tight as we can, head tucked perfectly in the crook of his neck.
He traces light patterns over the cotton of my dress and takes a deep, intentional breath, openly taking in my scent before sighing with satisfaction and finally loosening his arms. He keeps hold of me even as he pulls away, squeezing kindly as he looks at me with adoration. My stomach flips in on itself the longer he stares, distracted only by the other pair of eyes boring into both of us.
‘Who are you?’ Timothy asks.
It’s the first time Noah has pulled his gaze from mine in minutes, and it forces me back to reality – to the café. I feel my body wash through with embarrassment.
‘Sorry, I’m Noah. I was dating Am-Am back home.’ He reaches across to shake a confused Timothy’s hand.
Noah’s eyes twinkle as he looks back at me. It’s not his usual twinkle – his playful, challenging twinkle. It’s deeper. Stronger. I get lost in it.
‘Ihatedhow things ended just before you left. I came to find you,’ he continues, prompting me to act with him. ‘I know I saidI wasn’t ready to commit, but I was wrong. Life without you, Am – it’s just not worth living.’
His eyes soften further, giving the kind of gaze that makes me want to melt, but I can’t while he’s staring at me. It’s too much for our friendship to handle. I quickly glance down at the floor, breaking his spell, and take a deep breath before locking into the lie.
‘Really?’ I ask breathlessly.
I clutch my hand to my chest, attempting to sell the story even further, but it comes across more soap-opera than Emmy-winning drama. Noah’s façade drops for a millisecond, ready to laugh at my shoddy acting, before quickly snapping back into place. It’s a stark reminder that this is just that – a role he’s playing.
‘Yes, really.’ He takes my awkwardly placed hand in his. ‘You only get this kind of love once in a lifetime and I was a fool to throw that away.’ He strokes my palm with his thumb as he looks deep into my eyes. ‘Say it’s not too late?’
It’s my turn to speak. He cues me silently, but my mouth has gone dry.
‘It’s . . . it’s . . .’ I choke on my words.
It’s shaky at best and embarrassingly breathless at worst. He pushes on nonetheless, gripping my hand tighter.
‘I know this is a lot, but I can’t let you slip away again,’ he says gravely.
I feel my cheeks grow hot as he continues to stare, so I hasten a quick look around in the hope of breaking the tension. It’s no use. Every pair of eyes in the building looks our way.
‘I’m ready to make this right, Am.’ Noah is shining under the spotlight. ‘Ready to do what I should have done that night before you left.’
I take a deep breath, part intrigued, mostly scared as I see a devilish grin creep out from underneath his act. He releases myhand at the gesture, dropping to one knee. The room gasps. My heart jumps.
‘Amorie . . .’
I mutter under my breath, ‘Don’t you dare.’
There’s no acting involved. My heart starts beating so fast that I’m worried it may actually burst through my ribcage. But Noah presses on, not breaking character even for a second.
‘I should have done this the first time I let you slip away. It won’t happen again,’ he says.
He fishes in his pocket before bringing out a large, glistening and very real ring. I lean closer in disbelief as he holds it proudly in front of me, allowing me to study it in utter shock. It’sstunning– a pristine gold band and marquise-cut gem, surrounded by a cascade of smaller green stones.
‘Are those diamonds?’ I whisper at him in shock.
