Page 97 of Make Me Dream of You

Her words are a sucker punch to the gut. “I’m not… I mean, we haven’t?—”

“Interesting.” She pauses, like she’s assessing and scrutinizing my entire being. “My advice…” Taryn leans in and lowers her voice. “Get it while you can. Enjoy it. Before he gets bored of you. But be prepared for the fallout. Protect yourself. Don’t let yourself get hurt. And if he does hurt you—don’t let it show.”

She purses her lips at the wall behind me then saunters away.

I’m dizzy. Nauseous.

I sit at the front desk the rest of the evening while Noah finishes up his tattoo session. It’s almost midnight when he’s done with his client. It’s only me and him left in the shop, and I help him close up like we’ve done a dozen times before.

Taryn’s words keep circling back in my mind. No. Don’t let her get to you, Livvy. She doesn’t know about what we have or anything about our relationship. Not that we’re officially in a relationship or anything.

“Are you okay?” Noah asks when we get into the elevator to go up to the apartment.

“I’m fine.”

He studies my face for a moment, narrowing his eyes. I lift my chin, keeping my eyes bright, and hope my smile is convincing. He takes my hand and gives it a squeeze.

See, nothing to worry about.

But I can’t help thinking about the type of women he’s been with as we ride up to the top floor. Bex and Taryn. They’re both beautiful, exciting, outspoken, outgoing. They’re not quiet or shy. Or boring.

The ding of the elevator pulls me out of my head, and Noah waits for me to step out. He puts his hand on the small of my back and walks me to the door. We fling our stuff down once we get in the door. Noah rolls his head, stretching his neck as he opens the fridge.

He gets stiff after a long day of tattooing. Maybe I should offer him a massage. Maybe I should offer him sex.

Get it while you can.

“Should we order something in?” he asks, still staring into the open refrigerator.

“Do you want to do something, I don’t know, more exciting? Like go out for dinner or drinks? We could hit up the bar, go dancing.”

He shrugs. “Nah. Wood’s usually the one dragging me out to do that kind of stuff.” He looks at me and tilts his head, that look he gave me in the elevator returning. “Do you want to go out? I’ll take you out if that’s what you want. I just want to be wherever you are.”

Enjoy it. Before he gets bored of you.

I swallow. “You sure?”

“Yeah.” He walks over to me, backing me up to the counter and wrapping his arms around my middle. He kisses my forehead. “Didn’t the finale of your show come out the other day?”

“I can watch it another time. You don’t have to watch it with me. I know you think it’s silly.”

He looks off, scratching the back of his neck. “If you want to put it on, that would be fine. I know it’s kind of a big deal or whatever.”

“Do you want to watch it with me?”

He shrugs again. “I mean, I wouldn’t mind hanging out with you while you watch it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, like, the last episode did leave off on a bit of a cliffhanger, so…”

The way he’s being intentionally casual and avoiding eye contact makes me smile. “Okay. Chinese and the finale. I think there’s a reunion special to watch after, too.”

His eyes light up.

“I can’t believe Braxton said that about Camber. It’s like they forget they are being filmed.” Noah grabs the last wonton and shakes his head at the screen. “And are they even going to acknowledge what Zeke did in the last episode?"

He’s pacing between the living room and the kitchen by the end of the reunion special.

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