Chapter Fourteen
NOAH
I never thought I’d have the guts to confess my feelings to Katie. But something came over me yesterday, and I couldn’t stop the words from coming out. Once they did, though, I felt a huge wave of relief because it’s finally out there.
The last thing I anticipated was for her to admit they weren’t one-sided and to finally…kiss her.
Decades of dreaming and fantasizing about that very moment couldn’t do justice to how it actually felt.
Pure fucking heaven.
Like everything in the world made sense.
The axis that’d tilted had straightened.
Katie’s soft lips tasted like the sweetest honey, and hearing her moan my name nearly had me losing control.
As much as I wanted more of her, I knew we had to slow down. Good thing Loretta showed up because I’m not sure I would’ve had the restraint to stop.
This puts Katie in an awkward position, and it makes me feel horrible, especially since she has to lie to Gabe’s mom. Not to mention, Owen’s in on it too. But the consequences of anyone finding out could mean the difference between life and death.
As I stand in the shower, I replay every second of our kiss.
My cock hardens as I squeeze my eyes closed and recall the sweet sounds she made as my tongue danced with hers.
I stroke my shaft with images of her floating in my mind, and I pump faster as the release builds.
Soon, I’m muttering her name on my lips.
“Fuck,” I hiss as I catch my breath. The number of times I’ve jerked off to Katie is embarrassing, but I don’t care. It feels like I’ve waited an eternity for this chance with her.
After I get out, I wrap a towel around my waist and check my phone.
Katie
I’m on my way over with lunch.
Just as I’m about to text her back, I hear her clicking heels against the floor as she walks toward me.
“Noah?”
I step out of the bathroom and meet her gaze as she walks into the bedroom.
“Hey,” I say sheepishly.
Her mouth falls open as she stares at my damp bare chest. She swallows hard, then meets my eyes.
“Uhh, hi. Hey. Sorry, I texted but—”
“No, it’s fine,” I interrupt her adorable rambling. “I just saw your text. I was in the shower.”
“Yeah, I, um…see that. I’ll just meet you in the kitchen.” She gives me a nervous smile as she stumbles backward. “Come out when you’re ready.”
I smirk, holding back a laugh at how frazzled she is. “Sounds good. I’ll be there in just a second.”
After she closes the door, I put on some clean clothes. Once I’m decent, I find her standing at the counter.
“I hope tacos are okay,” she says, handing me a paper plate and a can of Coke.
“Tacos are perfect.” I grin. “Especially if you made them.”
She lowers her eyes, but the corner of her lips tilts up into a smile.
“This is so good,” I say after a couple of bites. “Definitely not the tacos I was getting in prison.”
“Guess you probably had to change your palate, huh?”
“The first few months were rough. It wasn’t all horrible, but it wasn’t anything to brag about. I was just lucky to eat.”
“Well, you know Lawton Ridge isn’t gonna let you go hungry now that you’re back.”
“No kidding. Between you and Belinda, I’m living my best life.” I wink.
Her cheeks heat. “This might not be the best time to say anything, but I need to get something off my chest.”
Her tone makes me nervous. “Alright, go ahead.”
“Um…well, last night.” She licks her lips. “We should talk about what happened between us.”
I swallow down the last of my food and wipe my hands. “Okay, no problem.”
“I’m not sure I’m ready,” she blurts. “I mean, I’ve thought about kissing you since I was fifteen, and it was definitely a kiss to remember.”
“But?” I arch a brow because I know there’s more.
“But I’m still upset with you for pushing me out of your life.
Also, I don’t know how to feel about this.
Learning you’ve had feelings for me and the guilt I have because of Gabe leaves me very confused.
Honestly, it’s a lot to process.” She pauses, her features softening.
“More than anything, I want you to be safe, so you can stay here as long as needed. But I think we should stay within the friendship boundaries.”
Nodding, I pinch my lips together because as much as it hurts to hear, I’ll respect her decision.
“I understand, Katie. It’s a lot for me to process too.
I don’t want you to do anything you aren’t comfortable with, especially if you’re unsure.
But I would like the opportunity to explain why I acted the way I did. ”
“I-I’m not sure I’m ready for that conversation yet,” she confesses. “Eventually.”
“Of course.” I stand, then walk to her with open arms. “Is it okay to hug you?”
She beams. “Yeah.”
Wrapping my arms around her, I feel her warmth and don’t ever want to let go. When I finally release her, I kiss the top of her head. “You being shorter than me was always an advantage.”
She chuckles. “Why’s that?”
“Because anytime I hugged you, I felt like your protector. Plus, getting to kiss your forehead was the highlight of my teenage life.”
Katie snickers and playfully pushes me away. “Now you’re just laying it on thick.”
Laughing, I shrug. “Apparently not thick enough. I’m shocked you had no idea.”
“Well, Gemma and Everleigh always said you did, but I never believed them.”
“Gemma kept pushing me too, but…” I swallow hard. “By the time I actually hyped myself up to say something, I was too late.”
“If I had any inkling that you felt the same, I wouldn’t have dated Gabe,” she admits earnestly. “You weren’t fazed when he asked me out. I thought my best friends were just messing with me, or they just didn’t want me to date Gabe.”
“I was a coward,” I admit. “I acted like it didn’t bother me because I thought Gabe was purposely trying to get a reaction out of me.
We’d always compete with each other, and I didn’t wanna give him one more thing to beat me at.
Plus, you seemed happy. I realized I couldn’t stay hung up on you, so I started dating what’s-her-face. ”
“Claudia,” she answers. “I thought you liked her?”
My shoulders rise and fall as I pinch my lips together. “Liked her enough to use her, I guess.”
“Noah!” she scolds.
“I needed someone to join me for our double dates!” I defend. “Otherwise, I was the awkward third wheel, and there was no way I could do that. Not to mention, Gemma kept trying to set me up with her other friends too. So it was a win-win…at the time.”
“I’m learning so many new things about our teenage years.”
“It feels like a lifetime ago,” I say.
“It was a lifetime ago,” she reiterates. “Now I’m a widow, have a ten-year-old son, a half-demolished house, and a career to focus on.”
“You have your shit together more than you realize,” I tell her.
“Kinda, maybe. But adulting sucks. Zero out of ten, would not recommend.” She bursts out laughing, which causes me to do the same.
Moments later, I help Katie clean up, and we say our goodbyes. Once she’s gone, I go back to looking at all the paper she has scattered on the counter and try to make sense of her scribbles.
“Noah!” Owen shouts my name as soon as he barges through the front door.
“Hey, buddy,” I greet him with a high five as soon as he sees me. “What’re you up to?”
“We brought dinner,” he tells me, then I see Katie rushing forward with her hands full. “And dessert!”
“Hey, let me help.” Quickly, I grab the slow cooker and carry it into the kitchen.
“Thanks,” she says breathlessly, setting down a bag from Belinda’s deli.
“I didn’t know y’all were coming tonight. You know you’re not responsible for feeding me. Gemma or my dad can bring me something.” I pause, then lower my voice so only Katie hears me. “Though I do enjoy seeing you.” I wink, and I swear she blushes.
“Well, it’s hard to cook for only two, then the leftovers usually go to waste. Plus, Owen wanted to see you, so…” She shrugs.
“It smells delicious. Can’t wait to try it.”
After we’re seated at the table and start eating, I mention the pieces of paper I read today. “So you haven’t told me a whole lot about your plans for the house. I tried to read your chicken scratch, but I think I need a detailed list.”
Katie glares. “That’s because I’m writing notes as I watch videos, and they talk so damn fast, I can’t always keep up.”
“Ever hear of typing?” I snicker. “Okay, well, I saw one of your drawings, and I think it’s a pantry?”
She lights up. “Yes, the pantry of my dreams.”
I snort, taking another large bite. “I’m very invested in what you consider the pantry of your dreams.”
“You can make fun of it all you want, but it’s gonna be amazing.
I’m turning one of the closets into a floor-to-ceiling pantry that’ll have plenty of storage.
Wood shelves along all sides that are wide enough for wire baskets and Tupperware.
I need to find a contractor for it, though, because it’s beyond my skill level.
But I already have the paint for it in the garage. ”
“What color?” I ask.
“Like a robin’s egg blue.”
I scrunch my nose, trying to imagine it.
“Hold on, let me show you my Pinterest board.”
“Really? People still use that?” I chuckle.
Owen giggles as he shoves potatoes in his mouth. “Mom’s obsessed with Pinterest!”
Katie furrows her brows. “I am not! It just helps me visualize my ideas.”
Moments later, she shows me her screen and scrolls through dozens of images. “Okay, this one here. This is how I’m hoping it’ll turn out.”
I grab the phone and study it. It doesn’t look that hard. Most of the aesthetic she’s after is in the wire baskets and white brushed jugs.
“It looks nice, Katie,” I tell her honestly, then wonder if I could actually do this for her. I could easily get it done while she’s at work, and I doubt she’d notice.
Plus, she wouldn’t have to hire someone, so it’d save her some money.
“So besides the pantry, what else are you thinkin’ for the kitchen?”
“I wanna restore the cabinets. It’s far too expensive to get new ones built, so I’m gonna sand and paint them. I just need time to do it.”
“My offer to help is still on the table. You can boss me around all you want…”