Page 74 of Catching My Dreams

Yet it was really happening, and the only thing that would make it better was if her best friend was more on board with her and Noah’s relationship.

“That would be perfect. Why don’t you ask Olivia to come as well,” she said. She knew Noah’s half-sister was important to him, and after the way things had ended last time, Ella wanted to make sure she didn’t feel left out.

Noah turned his head to send her an appreciative smile. “I’m sure she’d love to come,” he agreed.

She squeezed his hand, not sure if her heart could feel any fuller than it did right then. She turned up the volume of the car’s speakers, not caring if she was a bit off tune as she sang along to “Lavender Haze” and watched Noah, the Potomac River and the trees lining its banks providing a backdrop behind him.

“Are you feeling ready for the game?” she asked him when they were back at her house. He was watching her pack her gym bag since all of his stuff was already waiting in the car.

“More than ready,” he replied from where he was lying on her bed, his hands behind his head and his legs stretched out in front of him.

Ella believed him. Even when she’d been trying to hate him, she’d always watched his games and thought he was like a god amongst men on that field. Chris was good as well, but Noah played like he was born for it.

“How come you didn’t go to a college with a better football team?” she asked, voicing the question she’d wanted to ask him for over a year. She knew he must have been given the opportunity to go somewhere like Ohio State with the way he played.

Noah sighed and sat up on the bed. “The ones I got scholarships for were too far away,” he explained with a shrug.

“Your mom,” Ella guessed, her voice gentle. She should have known.

“Yeah. I needed to be around.”

“My gran was right,” she told him, walking over to him and running her hands through his hair. “You’re a good one.”

“I try,” he replied with a forced smile.

“She’s lucky to have you.”

He shook his head. “I’m lucky to have her.”

Ella wondered what that must be like. Most of the time, she wished she had a different mother altogether. But then she thought of her gran, and she knew precisely how lucky Noah felt to have his mom.

“We should get going,” he said even as he leaned into her touch.

“Okay.” Ella pulled away from him reluctantly and grabbed her packed bag. “I just need to make sure Archie has water.”

“And you need to open this,” he said, reaching under her bed and pulling out a dark green gift bag.

Ella had no idea when he’d hidden it there, but she was more fixated on the fact that her birthday was four weeks away, and it wasn’t even close to Valentine’s Day or Christmas. “What’s this for?” she asked, taking the bag from him after she’d recovered from her surprise.

“Just open it.”

Ella pulled the white tissue paper out of the bag and peered in to see what looked like white feathers. Frowning, she gently grabbed whatever was nestled in the other piece of tissue paper. As soon as she’d lifted the item out of the bag, she knew what it was.

“A dreamcatcher,” she murmured, taking in the black yarn wrapped around the hoop and the pale green string that made up the webbed pattern at the center.

Noah scratched the back of his neck. “It’s probably stupid, but I just thought…well, it couldn’t hurt, you know.”

Ella smiled, the backs of her eyes burning. She went up on her toes to press a soft kiss to his lips. “I love it.”

His smile mirrored her own. “See, I’m not a half-bad boyfriend.”

She nodded, her cheeks starting to hurt from how much she’d been grinning the last few days. “I’d say you’re steadily making your way to being the best.”

He smirked. “Is that so?”

“Don’t get too cocky,” she said, moving to hang the dreamcatcher on the corner of her headboard. “There’s still work to be done.”

“Oh really,” he drawled, pulling her back to him and placing his hands on her waist. “What else do I need to do to prove I’m the best?” The words were whispered in her ear and were followed by a lingering kiss on her neck.

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