Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Noelle
I’m so out of place. Like a pauper pretending to be royalty. I should be at home in pajamas, watching a romcom or some holiday musical, drinking hot cocoa with marshmallows, and scribbling in my journal. Instead, I’m here, acting like I belong in some high-society catalog.
I smooth the fabric of my dress for the umpteenth time, trying to convince myself I’m not out of place. Not at all. Look at me—looking all princess-y with a very, very hot man next to me.
I steal a glance at the gown, which hugs me in all the right places, the black fabric catching the light with every step I take. Delicate roses, encrusted with diamonds, are pinned into my chestnut-colored hair, styled in soft waves cascading over my shoulders. And then there’s the necklace—a diamond piece that glistens like it belongs in a museum—and the matching earrings, which are, let’s be honest, a lot.
Too much? Probably. But for one night, I can’t deny I feel like I’ve stepped out of a fairy tale . . . even if I’m still half-waiting for the clock to strike midnight.
Yep, I’m like a princess in a fairy tale, but not the lost-in-the-woods kind. More like the I-stumbled-into-this-fancy-life-and-wait-this-can’t-be-right kind. My fingers trail along the necklace. It feels foreign, like it’s weighing down the reality that Jacob and I don’t belong in the same world. It’s not just that he’s perpetually grumpy and I try to find the good in everything and everyone. The joy in life and finding the silver lining in everything. Nope. It’s because he’s in another tier where people go to extravagant parties and wear gowns everyday, the same way I wear my leggings.
I couldn’t be part of his world, just like he wouldn’t fit in my small-town, cozy-life routine. Every part of this is a little overwhelming. I’ve never worn anything like this. Never even imagined it. And yet, here I am, hoping that at least for tonight, I’m enough.
Enough that he’ll actually see me. Enough that maybe he’ll kiss me. Enough that he won’t ditch me by the end of the night for someone less . . . complicated. Because let’s be real, I’m always a little too much for people and somehow never quite enough to be loved in the long run. You know, the classic quirky girl with “great potential” but no staying power.
Yay, me. I’m in no way quirky. There are plenty of people that don’t like to fit in the box, just others like to make us feel like we’re outsiders making mistakes and not getting on with the program. When maybe the truth is that they’re the ones who are in the wrong.
Still, it’s hard to keep those thoughts at bay, especially when I’m trying to remember all I learned from those self-help books I’ve been reading—you’re enough, you’re whole, you’re fabulous.
Apparently, those self-help books were supposed to be “fixing” me after my breakup with Chad. He was the problem—oh, I know that now. But back then, I was so invested in our relationship, so sure we had a future, and then . . . poof. It all fell apart like a badly written soap opera. One minute we’re picking out curtains, the next, he’s gone with my much younger cousin, and I’m left wondering, why wasn’t I enough?
But hey, at least I got to start over, right? Silver linings.
Okay, let’s be real—it hasn’t been that great. And just when I feel like I’m maybe ready to kiss a toad, here I am, expecting way too much from the king of grumpy toads. He’s going to push me away after that kiss, I just know it. Make me realize, in some cold-hearted, sarcastic way, that I’m still lacking something.
“You okay?” Jacob frowns, his expression full of concern. His sudden softness is . . . unsettling. Why does he have to be so nice right now?
Jacob’s attention tonight is . . . confusing. Not just tonight, though—the entire day. After our non-date apple picking, he gave me this cute little necklace to remind me of the day. I was speechless. I’m still speechless. I love the present, but what’s his motive?
Tonight, he’s been so attentive—pulling out my chair, guiding me with a light touch on the small of my back, giving me those long, lingering looks that make my stomach do flip-flops. He’s always been grumpy, sure, but tonight, there’s something softer. Like he’s actually seeing me, not just the person standing next to him. And I’ll be honest—it’s making me feel things I shouldn’t. Dangerous things.
“Can I get you something? More champagne? Food?” His eyes are on me, and suddenly, I feel like Cinderella at the ball, waiting for everything to disappear.
I glance at my glass, still half full, and smile. “No, I’m good.” But before I can even breathe, Jacob clears his throat, and I catch him muttering under his breath, “Fuck.”
My eyes widen. “What happened?” I ask, seeing the surprise and, yes, a flash of annoyance crosses his face.
He doesn’t answer right away, his gaze flicking to something—or rather, someone—behind me. When I follow his line of sight, I see her. Tall, impossibly perfect, with striking red hair cascading down her shoulders, making her way toward us like she’s gliding on air.
My stomach drops. This is where he tells me where to get a car and head home, isn’t it?
I try to act normal though. “Who is that?” I ask, even though I already know she’s important. I mean, look at him—tense, bracing himself like he’s about to face off with a hurricane.
“Julia Kingsley,” he says, the words sounding like a curse. “My ex-girlfriend . . . and business rival.”
Of course. Of course she’s beautiful. I instantly feel all that princess-like confidence I was slowly building start to evaporate. Why does the universe love throwing curveballs my way?
“After the week she had, I thought she wasn’t going to be here,” he mutters, clearly irritated.
And just like that, it hits me. This is why he brought me. To avoid her.
I try to keep my voice light, but there’s no stopping the edge creeping in. “Umm, is that why I’m here? Let me guess—fake girlfriend, fiancée, wife?” I attempt a playful tone, but I’m sure it’s not landing as well as I’d hoped.
Jacob turns to face me, his expression honest, almost apologetic. “Neither one of them. More like someone to keep me company so I’m not alone. I’m not really good at pretending shit. It’s not my style.”
Well, at least he’s honest. But still, the reality stings more than I’d like to admit. So, I’m not here to make her jealous. I’m just here to make sure he’s not alone. Wonderful.
Did I really think Jacob McCallister—the guy who barely tolerates me—was suddenly going to fall for me? No, this makes way more sense. He needed someone by his side, to make it look like he wasn’t fazed by her. And here I am—dressed up like a goddamn princess, playing the part.
“She likes to antagonize me when I’m alone,” he continues, as if he needs to explain himself. “So I thought, why not bring you along. Lately . . . I’ve been having fun with you. Your witty banter and challenging glares are refreshing. I thought we’d have a good time.”
“Liar. You thought I’d antagonize her back,” I say, daring him to deny it.
He scoffs, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. “You know, that didn’t actually occur to me. But now that you mention it, you’re pretty good at that. Give it a shot, or we can always dance.”
I roll my eyes, but there’s a small part of me that’s entertained by the idea. “You hate me. So why am I really here?”
“I don’t hate you,” he says, his voice more serious now. “It’s just . . . you can be a bit much sometimes.”
“Too much?” I repeat, feeling the words land differently than expected. Somehow, it doesn’t sound like a bad thing. “So, I’m too much and you should avoid me?”
“No,” he says, his gaze steady. “You’re too much, and I need to learn how to handle that. Because, believe it or not, even when it doesn’t seem like it, I enjoy your company.”
I blink, my heart doing an unexpected little flip. “Until I’m not enough,” I mutter, mostly to myself.
He frowns, genuinely confused. “Enough what?”
Instead of answering, I deflect. “What’s the story between you two?”
His expression darkens, and he sighs. Then tells me how Julia used him to climb the corporate ladder. She cheated, and then took some of his clients among other shitty things.
“Sounds like a very toxic relationship,” I say, cringing.
“It was,” he admits, rubbing the back of his neck. “Which is why I decided never to date again.”
I shake my head, disbelief slipping into my voice. “I mean, yeah, it’s bad. But swearing off dating? Not falling in love. That’s wrong. She’s not worth your time or the headspace she’s occupying. It’s been too long. Move on.”
“Would you move on if the person you thought you loved betrayed you?” he asks quietly.
I let out a snort, and before I know it, I’m telling him everything—about Chad, Eleanor, their engagement, and how I’ve been left trying to figure out how to be enough for myself, before I can even think about being enough for anyone else.
When I finish, Jacob is looking at me in a way I’ve never seen before—like he’s in awe. Like maybe, for the first time, he’s really seeing me. His hand reaches out, gently caressing my cheek, and the touch sends a jolt of warmth straight through me.
“But Noelle, you are enough,” he says softly, his voice filled with sincerity. “More than enough. The problem isn’t you. It’s the man who couldn’t handle someone as extraordinary as you. He didn’t know how to be with someone so full of life.” He pauses, his thumb gently brushing my cheek, sending a spark through me. “You deserve someone who sees that and appreciates every bit of it—someone who enjoys everything you have to give.”
I blink, completely speechless, my heart pounding so hard I’m surprised he can’t hear it. His words settle, melting away all the doubt I’ve been carrying for far too long. And for the first time in what feels like forever, I feel something shift. Something right. Something real.
Jacob’s eyes lock onto mine, and before I can even process what’s happening, he’s leaning in.
I don’t move. I can’t. My breath catches in my throat as he closes the distance between us, his lips brushing mine, soft and tentative at first. It’s like time slows, every nerve in my body coming alive at once. His hand moves from my cheek to the back of my neck, pulling me closer, deepening the kiss with a gentle intensity that makes my knees feel weak.
There’s nothing rushed about it, nothing hesitant. Just the steady, almost unbearable closeness of him. His lips are warm, firm yet soft, and they taste like champagne and something else—something Jacob. I can feel the heat of his body against mine, his hand steadying me as I lose myself in the kiss, in him.
And then, there’s this fluttering in my chest, a sensation that’s as exhilarating as it is terrifying. Because in this moment, it’s not just the kiss. It’s the way his thumb brushes the back of my neck, the way his other hand rests possessively at my waist, as if telling me he’s here, and he’s not going anywhere.
It’s the way he’s kissing me like I’m something precious.
When we finally pull back, I’m breathless. My heart’s still racing, but for a completely different reason now. Jacob’s forehead rests lightly against mine, his eyes closed, his breathing just as uneven as mine. And in this quiet moment, I feel it—the weight of everything unsaid between us, hovering in the air.
I open my eyes, and when I look at him, it’s like seeing him for the first time.