Page 79 of One Last Time
Do I want more with Noah? Yes, but I amscared.
If fear is the only voice I listen to, I’ll never have the life I want. The only four-letter word I want yelling in my head is hope. Hope that I can have more. Hope that love will be something I share again. Hope that Noah will be careful with myheart.
So, I let that voice speak from my lips. “Yes.”
The look of appreciation in his eyes causes my stomach to clench. I hope one day making him happy doesn’t make me so happy or this could be reallybad.
We enter the restaurant, and it’s pretty empty. Tampa’s in the off-season, and it’s past the lunch hour rush. They seat us at a table with a view of the ocean and my nerves start to quell. Noah knew, and I took a step with him toward somethingmore.
~ Two weekslater ~
Noah: You lookbeautiful.
My heart races as I look around the boat for him. Our eyes meet and my chest constricts. He doesn’t look good, he looks other-worldly. His tuxedo looks tailored and fits him perfectly, it probably was. His gaze moves back to Eli and he laughs but then finds meagain.
Me: You’re not so bad yourself. I wish I could be close to you rightnow.
I send a reply back as I walk around the other side of the room. Both of us have kept our distance and it’s been torture. Today is about Heather and Eli, not my new relationship with Noah. When they got engaged, we decided to spend that time being sure whatever was growing between us couldsurvive.
Now, I’m not sure that I can endure another minute apart fromhim.
Noah: I have every intention of being very close to youtonight.
I grin and put my phone back in my bag. I can’t text him and keep myself on the other side of the room. It’s too much of an effort as it isnow.
My three best friends are all acting like idiots on the dance floor, singing and dancing in a circle. It was a million years ago when that was me in the white dress, happy, thinking life was going to be perfect from that momenton.
The music shifts into a slow song, and I seek Noah out. I watch as Eli heads toward Heather, who stands there with her arms open for him. I lean against the wall, smiling as my best friend steps into her husband’s strong hold. The music talks about a life of devotion, love, andpromises.
My eyes meet Noah’s, and the intensity burning between us sucks the air from the room. Every part of my body is pulled to him, and when our eyes lock, it’s as if everyone else in the room drops away, leaving just the two ofus.
I take a step toward him, unable to stay where I am, and Federico, one of the cops Heather works with, steps in front of me. The air expels from my mouth as though I’ve been punched in the gut, and I attempt tosmile.
“Hey, Kristin, I was hoping I’d find you. Would you like to dance?” heasks.
Noah shifts out of the corner of my eye, and I try to move around Federico to get to where I was going. “I would love to,b—”
“Great.” He smiles and takes my hand. “I’m glad your dance card wasopen.”
Shit. Now I feel like a bitch if I finish my sentence. I give Noah an apologetic look and head to the dance floor with Federico—reluctantly.
“You look great, Kris,” he says as he wraps his arm around myback.
“Thanks.”
Federico is nice, but I have absolutely no interest in him. There’s only one man I want to be dancing with right now, and I can feel his gaze onme.
“Sorry to hear about you and yourhusband.”
“It’s for thebest.”
Federico’s hand moves up my back slightly and guilt floods me. I find Noah, who is watching me as he slowly takes a swig of his beer. I see the anger in his stance while he moves his weight from one leg toanother.
In my eyes, I hope he sees what I’m feeling and knows it’s him Iwant.
“So what do you think?” Federico’s voice breaks mystare.
“Huh?”
