Chapter 27
Noah
“You failed to mention the drive would be this beautiful,” Liv says, staring out the window.
“The view from the helicopter was pretty, but this feels magical. Tall walls of ivy-colored bricks separated by forests and some of these mansions set back from the road are incredible. There’s so much land out here. ”
Showing her my world and where I came from means more to me than just a casual date.
That’s not what Liv is to me. She’s important not only as Max’s mother but also as someone I connected with more deeply than only physically.
I shouldn’t dwell on it when I have no idea what happened, but knowing now that she left her number and wanted me to call her has been pivotal.
Things were already coming together prior to discovering that information, but after, a switch flipped in my brain.
No, nothing about this relationship is casual. I’ll take it slow for her, but I’m already all in.
Glancing over at her, I say, “I took it for granted for years. In the past year I was here, I started to see it through the perspective of moving away, and that’s when I started to appreciate it again.
Time away or, in my case, the looming threat of moving, kicked my sense of appreciation into gear. ”
She rubs the dash in front of her. “This area is pretty, but are you going to mention the car?” I’ve been keeping my hands on the steering wheel, but I’ve been missing this car. “What is it?”
I can’t stop from smiling. “I’ve missed it. I got it not too long ago.”
“Even though you don’t need a car in the city?”
Gripping the leather, I missed the feeling of flying without wings, the feel of the tires hugging the pavement, and the sanctuary of escaping inside here while the rest of the world remains outside.
“An Aston Martin DB11,” I say with pride.
“I bought it when I cashed out my trust fund to buy the apartment. But you’re right, I don’t need it in the city, so I keep it here. ”
“Why’d you buy it?”
“Because I’m twenty-five and have impulsive tendencies.”
She cracks up laughing. “Is that what the kids are calling it these days?”
“It’s what I’m calling it. Was it a smart investment? Ask me in fifty years when it sells for ten times what I paid. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy driving it every chance I get.”
“I didn’t know you were a car enthusiast.” She looks out the window, but when she angles toward me, she says, “We have so much to learn about each other.”
“That’s half the fun.”
“What’s the other half consist of?”
I reach across the console and rest my hand on her leg. “For us, I think it will be learning to navigate these new waters.”
“And here I thought you were going to say sex.”
“Seems I’ve created a monster.”
She rests her hand on mine and drags it a little higher.
If I’m not mistaken, she wants my hand under the skirt of her dress instead of on top.
If I go where we both want me to, the car might end in an accident.
There’s plenty of time to act reckless once we return to the city tonight.
“I wish I could deny that allegation, but I can’t. ”
I will never grow tired of hearing her happiness. It’s something I couldn’t imagine I’d be sharing with her not long ago, but here we are, dating in all senses of the meaning. Sure, I didn’t make it official, but we’re both on board. Hell, she’s even met my dad, and more family shortly.
To say arriving at the university theater is the worst timing ever is not nearing how I actually wish we had taken a detour to the lake.
A little making out. A lot of other activities to follow .
. . It would have been a good time, and my sister would have been none the wiser since I’m surprising her.
But since that option is not on the table, I pull up to the valet stand.
Once inside, we get drinks. She sticks with wine, and I go with a bottle of water.
The drive back to the house at night is tricky, with few lights illuminating the roads in the middle of the country.
At one time, I drove that road under the influence without a second thought, but now, I’m not willing to risk our lives. A sign of maturity? About time.
We make our way down the aisle. Liv slides down the row to our seats, and I follow. She stops to greet her neighbor before sitting down.
I hear the neighbor reply and momentarily freeze. “Mom?” I sit forward to come face-to-face with her while Liv rests back.
“Noah.” My mom pops from her seat.
I stand and hug her. “Hey, Mom, how are you doing?”
“Much better now that I’m seeing you.” My mom has always had a way of making her kids all feel like they’re special.
I can only hope I can make my kids feel the same.
Kids . . . Max. Guilt riddles my conscience.
I didn’t tell my dad, and now as I look at my mom, I realize how wrong it is to keep him a secret.
I can’t just throw this information out there like it doesn’t matter. They should meet him or at least have time to process when I do tell them.
My knee bumps Liv’s, and I sit back down. “Mom, I want you to meet Liv Bancroft.”
She’s hugged before she has a chance to shoot out her hand. “It’s so nice to meet you, Liv. I’m Delta Westcott, Noah’s mom,” my mom says with such pride as she looks back and forth between the two of us.
“It’s very nice to meet you, too—” The lights go down, cutting Liv off. She whispers, “We’ll talk during intermission.”
“Yes.” My mom starts clapping as the curtain goes up as if this is the first time she’s seeing the play. Some kids do a lot of wrong in their parents’ eyes, but not my mom. Her kids hung the moon that she dances under every night.
We join in the applause as the first actors take the stage.
By the time intermission rolls around, the three of us get in line for another round of drinks. My mom says, “It’s always good to see my son, but what a treat that I get to meet one of his friends.”
The “one of” stands out to me, but I know she doesn’t mean anything by it, so I hope Liv also lets it slide. We step to the side with our drinks and talk. Liv looks so beautiful that taking my eyes off her is hard. Fingers snap in front of my face, though, so I turn to my mom. “Yes?”
“Liv was telling me that you work together.”
“We do.” A few seconds late in returning to my senses, I add, “Well, we met a few years ago but reconnected when I joined the company.”
Liv clears her throat, and when I catch her eyes, she doesn’t appear amused. Shit. We didn’t tell my dad the same story. When a guy bumps into me, I lean toward Liv, and whisper, “It’s okay.”
I’m not sure if it’s my words or the wine that eases her worries, but the straight of her back loosens her posture.
My mom says, “I’ve met your mother. Trudy is just a dream to work with on a project. So kind and lovely.”
“Thank you,” Liv says, smiling. “She said the same about you.”
“My daughters-in-law are in the city, and both are very active in philanthropy. Maybe we can have a ladies' lunch the next time I’m in town?”
“Sounds wonderful. Noah has my number.”
The chimes echo through the theater, so we make our way back to our seats. The play begins promptly on time. I’m sucked in by the acting, especially when my sister says her big soliloquy before falling to the floor in a heap for the reaper to collect.
The social commentary in the storyline lands the ending like an Olympic gold medalist and earns the actors a ten-minute standing ovation.
Liv leans over. “Your sister was amazing.”
“She was.” I’m happy for Marina. Broadway is not the same as being Beacon’s shining star, but I have no doubt she’ll achieve her dreams. And we’ll be right there supporting her every step of the way.
Once the theater clears, we head backstage. My mom knocks on her dressing room door. “It’s us, Marina.”
“Come in.”
Delta opens the door and goes straight in for a hug. “So proud of you. It was another incredible performance.”
“Again, Mom?” Marina rolls her eyes over her mom’s shoulder, causing Liv and me to laugh. “I thought you and Dad had plans.”
“We did, but I couldn’t miss your last performance here at the university.” She stands back, taking her daughter in. “I’ll miss seeing you every night once you’re in New York.”
“You’re the best, Mom, but I’m glad Dad isn’t here, or I would have been a teary mess the entire performance.”
She finally looks at me in that bothersome little sister way she honed years ago and playfully shoves me. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? I saw you in the audience and forgot my line, you jerk.”
I chuckle, giving her the flowers and then a good hug. “No one noticed.”
When she eyes my mom, my mom says, “I only noticed because I know all of your lines.”
Marina face-palms herself. Laughing, she looks up, her eyes set on Liv.
“She’s done this my whole life.” My sister’s long hair is crimped from being in a wig, and her makeup is over the top for the stage, but she’s beaming as she smells the flowers.
“Thank you for these. Are you going to introduce me, Noah?”
“Hi, I’m Liv. You were simply amazing in the play. That wake scene had me tearing up.”
“Oh,” my sister says, her hand covering her chest. “That’s so sweet. Thank you. I’m Marina.” She moves in for a hug. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
“You, too.”
Marina gives me a wink of approval. I chuckle and find myself rolling my eyes. All of them are rubbing off on me now. My sister says, “You’re very beautiful, Liv. How did my brother get so lucky?”
She turns to look at him to catch me shaking my head. I laugh, but say, “You don’t have to answer that.”
“Phew.” She’s still laughing. “That’s definitely a story for another time.”
My mom moves in to give my sister another hug. “I need to get home, but you were so wonderful, honey. Congrats on the show.” She turns her attention to me. “I’ll see you in a couple of weeks?”
“Yes, I’ll be there.” With Liv and Max, my son. I’d love to tell her everything but bite my tongue. Taking Liv’s hand, I hold it.