17. Noelle #2
My brows shoot up, and I rummage through the bag I dropped at the door, still undecided whether I’ll stay or not. There they are. A matching pair of what I saw him in this morning.
I stare at them for a long second before snorting at myself. Ridiculous. Entirely ridiculous. And yet?—
In the bathroom, I slip them on, cinch the waist with a hair tie, and snap a mirror selfie. The boxers hang low on my hips, comically oversized, but I grin as I send it.
Seconds later, his reply pings, a video, his palm wide open, my cotton panties! He grins before shoving them down the front of his hockey pants.
“Dash Sterling,” I whisper, horrified and delighted in equal measure. “You naughty, naughty boy.”
Me
Um…. I have no words.
Dash
Wish me luck.
Me
Make it count!
I toss my phone on the bed before I can overthink the fact that he never texts goodbye; his dots just stop jumping.
Mom calls up the stairs, “Noelle, boys, fifteen-minute warning.”
Tonight, we’re going to the Harbor Lighting Festival, and tomorrow, a turkey trot.
Mom laughed when I looked horrified. “It’s a prequel to the Thanksgiving Day 5K. Half the trot, all money raised is for Thanksgiving dinners for those in need.”
“Gotta do it, Nono.” Ethan grinned, using the nickname he and Caleb called me back then, which Sofie calls me now. “You’re already signed up.”
The festival is exactly as I remember from years ago when I checked it out online, wanting to be part of it, but not wanting to. Equal measures always send me to the options that feels safest to me, but clearly, I am working on that.
Being here in person feels fuller, brighter, like the whole town has spilled out onto the docks.
Strings of lights twinkle over food stalls, cider, and roasted nuts perfuming the salt air.
Children run wild in knitted hats, couples press close under plaid scarves.
My brothers dash ahead, arguing about whether the boat decked in red and green will outshine the one flashing blue like a police siren.
I feel my pocket dancing again and decide to check what I’ve missed while Mom and Rick talk with neighbors by the cider stand, Caleb and Ethan already having disappeared in the crowd.
I should be absorbing all of this. Instead, I pull my phone out, and the screen lights up with our group chat exploding.
Claudia
Okay. Spill. NOW.
Sofie
We let you off the hook this morning, but it’s been a full day. Where’s the tea, No-No?
Nalani
Yeah, what exactly happened after you left the wedding? Because Dash Sterling looked like a man on a mission.
I roll my eyes and thumb back a reply, smirking even as heat creeps up my neck.
Me
That’s an in-person talk, ladies.
Three dots appear, disappear, then Sofie comes back swinging.
Sofie
Unacceptable.
Claudia
You can’t dangle THAT and not deliver.
Nalani
We’re dying here. DYING.
I tuck the phone closer to my chest, glancing up at the lights reflecting off the water. Then I give in with a chirp back.
Me
I’ll tell you when I’m home. But some stories are better face-to-face. This is one of them.
The chat goes quiet for a beat—rare for them—before it explodes again.
Claudia
Fine. We’ll wait. But you owe us snacks and visuals.
Sofie
And don’t think we won’t hound you until then.
Nalani
In the meantime, game update: your boy is buzzing. Two shots on net in his first shift.
I smile, glancing toward Mom, who’s still deep in conversation. My thumbs fly.
Me:
I’m at the Harbor Lighting, not exactly NHL territory.
Claudia
Harbor Lighting? Girl, you are the most wholesome person alive.
Sofie
Translation: she’s sneaking peeks on her phone every two seconds.
And, okay, they’re right. I check the score again, my heart lurching as if I’ve got skates on instead of boots crunching against a salt-dusted dock.
Nalani
You should’ve come here. It’s tradition.
She sends a selfie with her, Savannah, and Paul. Gawwww! So freaking adorable.
Me
I miss you all!
Sofiie
Duh. We miss you, too.
I laugh under my breath, earning a curious glance from Mom before tucking my phone away again. Family warmth buzzing around me, Brooklyn buzzing in my pocket. And me, caught somewhere between the two.
I excuse myself to find a restroom, where I totally watch some of the game as I pee and read the nonstop messages from the girls.
Sofie
Koa’s pacing like an expectant father. He’s worse during away games.
Claudia
Dash is on fire tonight. Look at this.
A blurry video of the TV screen, him skating up the boards. He’s ridiculously hot.
Nalani
Tell me you’re watching, No-No.
Me
I’m at the Harbor Lighting, remember?
The Bears are still tied, and Dash just logged another shot on goal. My heart kicks like I’m the one skating, not hovering over a public toilet.
Sofie
Your boy’s on fire. What did you do to him?
Puked on him, actually , I think, but clearly don’t send.
I step out of the pub and in the warm spill of lamplight, my phone ringing with Briar’s face. I answer.
“You own a bookstore?” she blurts, eyes wide, cheeks pink like she’s been caught at something. “I internet-stalked you. Couldn’t help it.”
I laugh. “Guilty as charged. Pembrooke Books.”
“Okay, so, recommend something for me.” She leans in conspiratorially. “The spicier, the better. I’m done with dating for now. I need fictional men only.”
I shake my head, still grinning. “What have you read?”
“Uh … Dash used to read to me when I was little. Harry Potter , Percy Jackson , stuff like that. And, okay, I ate that up. But, like, TBH, I read what was assigned.”
Her voice has that hopeful, shy edge, and I soften.
“Then let’s start you with the classics.”
She tilts her head, curious, and then she suddenly narrows her eyes. “Wait. Are you in Harbor Point right now?”
I blink. “Yeah. My stepdad’s from here. I’ve never lived here, but it seems … nice.”
Her jaw drops. “No way. My dad’s frou-frou family was from there. The ones who cut him off when he married beneath him.”
The harbor countdown ends, lights blazing across the water like a thousand fireflies, the crowd cheering as if Harbor Point itself just won something. I clap with everyone else, cider steaming in my mittened hands, but my phone buzzes again, insistent.
I sneak a glance, just one?—
Claudia
Bears win by one!!
Sofie
Guess who dropped a hat trick?
Nalani
Your boy. Dash freaking Sterling. First in two seasons.
My breath catches, and I can’t stop the grin that stretches across my face.
Me
A hat trick?
Claudia
Three goals. Unreal. He looked like he was flying.
Sofie
Crowd went nuts. Even the commentators were giddy.
Nalani
And he pointed to the camera after. Pretty sure that was for you, No-No.
I laugh, shaking my head, but my heart’s racing too fast for denial.
Across the dock, Caleb and Ethan are still arguing about whose favorite boat won the light contest. Mom’s linking arms with Rick, faces glowing under the string lights. Everyone is wrapped up in the magic of the tradition.
And me? I’m standing in the middle of it, holding onto my phone like it’s a lifeline, my chest tight with something dangerously close to pride.