Page 59 of Undone

She couldn’t be mine, no matter how much I wanted her to be. It was ridiculous to even entertain the thought.

Because if I let myself care about Noah, I’d be asking for trouble, especially with John still out there.

The thought of us together was like standing on unstable ground, and while the urge to protect her pulled at me, the fear of what might happen kept me at arm’s length.

Somehow, Noah managed to get under my skin in a way I couldn’t quite comprehend. It was infuriating—this magnetic draw I felt toward her, this unshakable desire to protect her, even if it meant distancing myself, like I had every time she came over to tutor Gracie lately.

But here I was, sitting at the bar with my grumpy as fuck brother, who couldn’t hold a conversation for shit, while I spied on my sister’s best friend.

“So, how’s everything?” I asked Colt.

“Fine,” he replied, his eyes not meeting mine.

I nodded, not sure how to keep the conversation going. “Alright.”

He let out a long sigh. “Did you really ask me to go out to eye fuck Dotty’s best friend all night?” he asked.

I groaned, letting my head fall back and downed the rest of my beer. I looked over at him. His hair was pulled back in a man bun, despite how much we all teased him to just cut it.

“Is it that obvious?” I groaned.

“Yup.” He took another sip of his whiskey, clearly enjoying my discomfort.

“Great.” I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to shake off the frustration. “I’m going to take a piss. I’ll be back.”

I needed a moment to clear my head. I moved through the crowd, dodging a couple of rowdy patrons and weaving between tables. The room was alive with conversation, the clinking of glasses, and the occasional bursts of laughter. The low lights, combined with the haze of smoke from the patio, made the atmosphere feel suffocating.

As I turned the corner into the narrow hallway, I nearly collided with someone. I instinctively stumbled back, mumbling a quick apology before my eyes finally adjusted and landed on her.

Noah.

She stood there, freshly out of the restroom, her head tilted downward as she adjusted her hair, sweeping a loose curl behind her ear. She glowed under the amber light overhead.

She blinked up at me, surprise flickering in her eyes. For a second, we just stood there, locked in place. My heart stuttered.

Then the corners of her mouth lifted into a small smile. “Hey.”

“Hey,” I replied, the words scraping against the tightness in my throat.

I took a step closer, narrowing the distance between us as my resolve began to fall the longer I was in her presence. The closer I got, the more impossible it was to stay away.

“How’s your night?” I asked.

Every hair on my body stood on end. I was close enough now to see the way her pulse fluttered at the side of her neck, close enough to reach out and touch her if I wanted to—if I dared to.

The tension that had simmered for the last several months threatened to boil over.

“It’s… good,” she replied.

She didn’t back away, didn’t move a muscle. I wasn’t sure if she was frozen in place or if she was waiting, just like I was.

“Good, huh?” I asked.

My hand moved to hover over her throat, the heat from her body searing through the space between us. She sucked in a breath, and I watched her pretty lips. So damn tempting.

My fingers skimmed her side, a barely-there touch that still sparked between us like a live wire. Her breath hitched again, and she leaned into me, making my fingers press a little deeper. My other hand finally made contact, gently holding her throat. I let my fingers rest against her, feeling the rapid pulse beneath my touch.

“Noah…” I whispered, her name a plea on my lips.

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