“Let’s remedy that next time we see her.” He slid one hand into his pocket. “You also stole my favorite coffee mug last year. I had to use Styrofoam from the break room that day,” he said with a shudder.
“But it spurred you to convince the office manager to start ordering biodegradable coffee cups.”
“Man, she was hard to break. She really didn’t want to switch.”
She grinned at the memory, already relaxing, which she suspected was Noah’s intent. She was lucky to have him as a friend.
No, as a husband.
And just like that, it was weird again.
“Mia.”
“Noah.”
“Stop.”
“What?”
“Stop making it awkward. This is fine. It’s us.”
She met his gaze. His expression was serious. Steady.
Comforting.
“You’re right. It’s us.”
He smiled at that and grabbed a suitcase in each hand. “Stay there as long as you like. I’ll put these in your room.”
That triggered something in her mind, and she frowned. “My room?”
He stopped and turned, the luggage dangling by his sides. “Yeah. I figured you’d take the guest room...?”
She nodded. “Oh, okay. That’s fine.”
He didn’t move. “Were you thinking of being in my room?” His voice sounded a little rough when he added, “With me?”
“I don’t know. I guess I just thought... Graham comes over sometimes. What if your parents stopped by? Would they see all my stuff in another room and wonder what was going on?”
One corner of Noah’s lip disappeared between his teeth. “I didn’t think about that. We’ll already be sharing the bathroom and I just assumed you’d want your own space.”
“I do. But I’m also afraid someone will figure this all out, and we’ll find ourselves in a mess. I can barely pay my medical bills—I definitely can’t pay fines. Or your salary if you get fired. I just want to be careful, I guess.”
He nodded. “How about we put your stuff in my room, but you can sleep in the guest room?”
She thought about that for a moment. “Okay, yeah. That works. I mean...if you have space in your closet.”
His gaze passed over her, and he started down the hallway again. “Don’t worry. I’ve got room for you, Mia.”
6
Noah was eighteen when he realized he was in love with Mia. They, along with a group of friends, had bought tickets to a concert of a popular rock group. It wasn’t until they arrived at the venue that she pulled him to the side, pointing to a different entrance than where their friends were headed.
“Our seats are over here.”
He’d hesitated, not because he wouldn’t follow her anywhere, but just because he was confused.
“They wanted to be on the floor,” she’d explained. “It’s not our scene. Everyone will be wasted and it will be crowded and loud. We won’t be able to enjoy the show.”