Chapter 26
Twenty-Six
Caroline
The next morning, Noah called before I’d even finished my first cup of coffee.
“Clear your schedule,” he said. “I’m picking you up at ten.”
I laughed, glancing at my empty calendar. “Let me check my appointments.”
He showed up right on time, hair still damp from the shower, and refused to tell me where we were going. “It’s a surprise,” he said, grinning like a kid on Christmas.
We drove to the nicer part of downtown, past a row of stores I’d only ever seen in magazines. He pulled up to a luxurious boutique with gold lettering and opened my door.
Inside, the mCarolineger greeted him by name, then handed me a glass of champagne and ushered us to a private dressing room.
I froze. “Noah, what are we doing?”
He just smiled, eyes warm. “You’ve spent your whole life making other people comfortable. Today is about you.”
I tried to argue, but he waved off my protest. “Trust me?”
I did. Against all reason, I did.
The staff brought in racks of dresses, jackets, even shoes. I tried to shrink behind the curtain, but the mCarolineger—her name was Elena—was a pro. She guided me through, asked what colors I liked, what made me feel good, never judging.
I put on a navy dress, simple but perfect, and stared at my reflection.
I almost didn’t recognize myself.
Noah sat on the couch, pretending to read his phone, but I caught him watching me. When I stepped out, he looked up and just… stared.
“You look amazing,” he said, voice soft.
I flushed. “It’s just a dress.”
He shook his head. “No. It’s you.”
For the first time in years, I saw myself the way someone else might—worthy of attention, of care, of beauty.
We tried on half the store. I found things I liked, things I hated, things that made me feel alive. Elena boxed up everything I touched, but Noah only bought what I chose in the end.
As we left, he pressed a kiss to my temple. “You deserve this,” he whispered. “All of it.”
I blinked back tears, overwhelmed by gratitude and something I couldn’t name.
Back at my apartment, I hung the new dress in the closet, then just stared at it, unsure if I’d ever wear it again.
But I wanted to.
For the first time, I really wanted to.
Noah had given me more than clothes or a fancy day.
He’d given me a new way to see myself.
And I was starting to like what I saw.