There was a silent moment where I wasn’t quite sure if we made a mistake discussing my reservations tonight. I told Micah I still liked my job, but there was a strange fear associated with letting it go and stepping into the real world after college.
I also tried to confess how much I worried about losing my connection to him, but he never truly allowed me to get the words out. I wasn’t sure why that was, but I sensed he knew what I wanted to say and had a reason for deterring me from saying it.
“Goodnight.” He kissed my cheek again, but this time his mouth lingered near the corner of my lips—different from his usual goodbye.
A tingle of heat radiated in my chest. The placement of his kiss seemed intentional as if meant to tell me something. Something I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
“I’ll see you in a few days.”
That night I couldn’t sleep. I kept picturing Noah’s face and hearing the echo of his slamming door. He was either a juvenile prick or he hated me for being one. Neither was what I wanted.
Tossing and turning, I tried to think of other things, but my mind always went back to him. We weren’t friends. We were nothing. If I could somehow channel my sadness about that into anger, maybe I could hate him, too. But I couldn’t. Losing Noah just made me sad.
It was stupid. We barely knew each other. In a few months, I’d be moving out of the building and taking my degree to start a brand new life. For all I knew, I could end up in California or Oregon or Minnesota. He was a blip in time and I was giving myself an ulcer worrying about the minuscule significance he held in the grand scheme of things.
He. Was. Nothing.
The following night when Josh walked me to my door and thanked me for a nice evening while casually placing a thin envelope in my hand I felt a little better. This was normal. This was good.
“I’ll see you next week?”
“Of course,” I reassured. He was a regular and one of my sweeter clients.
“Goodnight, Avery.”
As he called up the elevator I stepped into my apartment but paused at the sound of voices. Noah’s laugh filled the hall followed by a distinctively female giggle.
“That’s what I said!” The female voice seeped into the air like noxious gas and my shoulders tensed.
“Pardon me,” Josh said, stepping into the elevator after they stepped out.
I peeked through the cracked door, remaining hidden by the frame. After seeing Josh, he’d know I was home. But he was clearly too preoccupied to care.
Noah laughed again. “I wish I could have been there.”
“It was so funny. You would have loved it.”
They approached his door as he reached for his key. My stomach pinched at the sight of the woman. She looked a couple of years older than me, closer to Noah’s age. She was undeniably pretty, with long dark hair and the height I wanted. We looked nothing alike.
Her body brushed against his arm and something sharp stabbed in my chest. It was late, almost midnight. Were they on a date?
He turned, smiling at whatever she’d said, and stilled. His blue gaze snagged with mine, expectant and satisfied to find me watching him. I couldn’t hide the hurt tightening my expression. His mouth flattened and he looked down at the other woman.
“Tonight was great. It’s so refreshing to go out with a mature woman.”
My chin trembled. He knew exactly where to stick his knife.
“Same. You should see some of the guys out there. I’m so glad Laurel set us up.” Her body pivoted, angling her best assets toward his front. Her fingers trailed over the sleeve of his coat. “I don’t have any early plans for tomorrow. I could stay the night.”
I stopped breathing. Everything inside of me twisted airtight as I waited for him to turn her down. His eyes lifted, his gaze shooting to my door and back to her.
Don’t. Please don’t…
His hand lifted as his head lowered. Bile rose in my throat as his lashes slowly drifted lower and his mouth pressed against hers. I couldn’t watch. Quietly shutting my door with a shaky hand, I stepped backward until I’d walked myself all the way into my den and stumbled onto the couch.
He was a jerk. I hated him. He wasn’t my friend and he’d never be my friend again. I didn’t want someone like that in my life. So why was I crying?
21
Noah
The moment I heard her door shut, I broke the kiss. Unsure if Avery still watched through the peephole, I kept my voice low.
“Let’s not rush things. How about a cup of coffee, though?”
“Sure.”
I unlocked my door and slipped an arm around Morgan’s slender waist, nuzzling her neck for good measure. We mustn’t disappoint the audience.