Page 28 of Noah

Noah winked at me and moved his foot away from mine.

"Can't have that in the middle of my friend's coffee shop," he said.

Redirect.

"You need more computers."

The moment broke and Noah raised his coffee to his lips. Setting it back down, "We're planning a fundraiser. We're going to have it at the pub. I'll be donating the proceeds, and we'll have a raffle, plus people can donate directly if they want. Maybe buy a computer and monitor."

"That's very generous of you, donating the proceeds."

"Anything for those kids. So many of them have so little."

"You're good with them. They smile when they're looking at you." I tore the rest of my croissant in half. "I wish I was good with people."

"Who says you're not?"

I shrugged. I thought it was common knowledge.

"Brody—" Noah shifted in his seat and set his hand on the table. "Can I touch you?" When I nodded, Noah placed his hand on my wrist. That small touch set off a cascade of sparkling pinwheels in my arm that raced to my heart, sending it into a frantic rhythm.

Was it because he had asked first?

Men I'd hooked up with didn't ask before they touched me or expected my touch. They just took and took until I was wrung out and panting, my mounting orgasm the only thing stopping me from screaming. Once the sexual thrill passed, I was quick to leap from their bed, jerking and pacing, panicking when they tried to touch me to say good night. It's why I was one and done.

This was different.

This was Noah.

And he understood and respected me enough to ask before he touched me.

My eyes burned.

"Brody, you interact with people on your terms. There's nothing wrong with that. When you speak, it's because you have something important to say. I respect you for that. You don't talk for talking's sake like Ethan over there." He hooked a thumb over his shoulder. "I know the things we talked about this past week … it's been hard for you. I can tell you're reluctant to trust. I don't know why that is but I'm not going to push you to find out. As long as we can keep talking."

Every pretty thing I wanted to say in response stuck in my throat.

"I'd like that," is the best I could manage.

Noah released my arm and a vacuum opened around me. I wanted to whine and beg him to touch me again. Instead, I drained my coffee cup to distract myself.

"Did you meet Kyle when you were in the library?" Noah asked.

"Jamal introduced me to him."

"I think he might be on the spectrum. So does his mom."

"What do the doctors say?"

"She hasn't had him tested."

"That's where she needs to start to access the resources." I shifted my empty coffee cup back and forth on the table. "There are things you can do for him at the youth centre."

"That was my next question."

"Does he mind if you sit with him?"

"As long as he has a book, he'll let me sit with him for hours."

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