Page 86 of Stop and Seek
It was such a little thing. Basic. Human. But Noah’s throat went dry.
Theo lookedsogood. His curls were a mess in the back, and he was sitting all hunched and awkward—but Noah couldn’t stop watching. Every little thing Theo did got under his skin in the best way. The way he blinked too slow sometimes, like he was thinking hard. The twist of his lips when he was holding back a comment.
Noah wanted to pin him down until he knew every movement by heart.
“Can you take me to get my car later? I was going to call a rideshare, but I don’t feel like sitting with a stranger for an hour.”
Noah’s smile dropped instantly.
He could have asked me.
Why the hell didn’t he?
“It’s still in Cleveland?” Rachel asked. “Yeah, I can do that. Promise you’ll buy me a shake and we have a deal, sir.”
Max shifted and she poked Noah’s shoulder. “You’re like, strangling your phone. What’s got you so pent up?”
He blinked down, realizing how deep his fingers were pressing into the case. His knuckles were white.
“Kyran’s latest post made me laugh,” he said, fast. It was the first excuse that came to mind. He scrolled up and clicked play on the video—Kyran doing some prank in Target, rearranging soda bottles by color. “I didn’t want to drop it.”
“You feel better now that we’re here? Did you get all that out of your system?”
Noah’s gaze flicked back to Theo, in time for Theo to turn—just for a second—and he wasn’t scowling.
His whole chest went soft and gooey. That glance made something in him ache.
“I’m great,” he said, and meant it.
Max asked him something about coffee—probably to get her some. She stood, phone vibrating in her hand. Staring at him like she expected him to respond.
He hadn’t been listening. Not really.
She tucked the phone between her shoulder and ear, mouthing “please” as she answered the call and tromped down the bleachers.
Noah nodded immediately.
Across the gym, Alyssa and Theo were standing by the refreshment table. Her hip was practically glued to it, and Theo was right there next to her, and—
Yeah. Coffee was aperfectexcuse.
He hopped off the bleachers, landing with a solid thump before making his way over.
Alyssa squealed when he squeezed her shoulders, but Noah’s eyes were locked on Theo the whole time.
The coffee smelled fine. Expensive, even. But the donuts looked like they’d been out since sunrise. His stomach flipped.
Or maybe that was because he was so close to Theo.
“I heard you had fun last night, Goth Dolly,” he murmured in Alyssa’s ear, grinning as she flushed more purple than red.
“Oh my god, did I ever. Did you?”
He held up both hands, the grin still plastered on his face. “Youcouldsay that.”
Would’ve been better with Theo in bed with him.
Baby steps.
