“Okay fine, I’m not.” Claire laughed and stepped forward to hug her. “But only because I know I’ll still see you all the time, and because Noah’s house is where you should be.”
Mia chose not to respond to that. “Dinner at least once a week?”
“Probably more.”
“Deal. At least until the fall semester starts. After that I might be studying a lot.”
“Studying, having wild sex with Noah...po-tay-to, po-tah-to.”
Mia pulled back with a sharp inhale. “Claire! It’s not going to be like that.”
“Okay.”
“I’m serious.”
“Sure.”
Mia closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. “I’m leaving now.”
“’Kay. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
When they first visited CU’s campus as high-school seniors, Mia had been uncommonly nervous. It hadn’t made any sense, because she’d been so excited for college. Soready. Still, the sweeping campus, with all the buildings separated by lush lawns and mazes of walkways, had felt overwhelming. After the formal tour, Mia’s and Noah’s parents had left, but Mia wasn’t ready. Noah had walked with her around every inch of that place, ever patient as she explored and found her bearings.
That same feeling of uncertainty filled her just twenty minutes later, as Mia stood frozen in Noah’s entryway.
“Why are you looking around like it’s your first time here?”
She swallowed. “It sort of feels like that.”
“Nothing has changed.” He stood beside her, letting her have her tiny freak-out moment.
“Marriage is a pretty big change.”
“Nothing else has to change.”
“Promise?”
He paused. “No.”
She frowned, keeping her gaze on his couch.Theircouch. Her eyes settled on the right side, where she usually sat while she was here. Did she want that to be her permanent spot? It was fine when she was here for an hour or two...but every day? Was it really the best seat in the room?
Maybe she’d claim the armchair.
Noah’s voice was warm, and closer to her ear than before. “Hey.”
She looked up to find his blue eyes assessing her face.
“Would you rather be a ninja or a pirate?”
She grinned. “I’m pretty sure you’ve asked me that one before.”
“When?”
“High school, maybe.”
“You’re different from the person you were in high school. What do you say now?”