Chapter 27 - Not Ready
957 Words
The walk to the parking lot should have felt awkward.
It didn’t.
Which honestly might have been worse.
Because now that everything had been said—
Or almost said—
Lily could feel the difference between them everywhere.
In every glance.
Every silence.
Every accidental brush of their shoulders as they walked side by side across campus.
Nothing had technically changed.
And yet somehow—
Everything had.
The evening air had cooled slightly by the time they reached the edge of the student parking lot.
Most people had already left.
Only a few scattered cars remained beneath the fading orange sunlight.
Noah slowed beside her.
Not stopping completely.
Just enough that Lily noticed immediately.
“You’re thinking too hard again,” he said quietly.
Lily looked over at him. “How do you always know that?”
“You get the same look every time.”
“That’s concerning.”
A small smile appeared briefly on his face.
“No. It’s kind of cute.”
Lily nearly tripped over absolutely nothing.
Dangerous.
Extremely dangerous.
Noah noticed instantly.
Which made it worse.
Much worse.
His smile widened slightly for the first time all day, softer and more relaxed than before.
Like finally telling the truth had taken some invisible weight off him.
Lily stared for half a second too long.
Huge mistake.
Because Noah noticed that too.
Of course he did.
“You’re doing it now,” he said quietly.
“Doing what?”
“That look.”
Lily immediately looked away toward the parking lot.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You do.”
His voice sounded unfairly amused now.
Lily hated how easy it was becoming to feel nervous around him.
Not bad nervous.
Just—
Too aware.
Too aware of him watching her.
Too aware of the fact that he could probably hear how hard her heart was beating right now.
They reached Noah’s car near the back row of the parking lot.
Then stopped.
Neither of them moved immediately.
Again.
This was becoming a problem.
Lily adjusted the strap of her bag awkwardly.
“So…”
“So,” Noah echoed softly.
The air between them felt different now.
Quieter.
Heavier.
Like both of them knew they were standing dangerously close to crossing another line neither of them could uncross afterward.
Noah leaned lightly against the side of his car, watching her carefully.
“You still nervous?”
Lily laughed once under her breath.
“Very.”
“Good.”
Her brows lifted. “Good?”
“You make me less nervous when you are.”
“That’s rude.”
“It’s honest.”
Unfortunately—
That answer made her smile.
Noah looked at her like the smile physically affected him.
Which, honestly, it probably did.
That realization sent Lily’s heartbeat directly into another crisis.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
For a second neither of them spoke again.
Then Noah looked down briefly before asking quietly—
“Can I tell you something without you panicking?”
“That depends entirely on the thing.”
A soft laugh escaped him.
Then he looked back at her.
Straight at her.
And suddenly Lily forgot how breathing worked again.
“I’ve wanted to kiss you since the night at the dock.”
The entire world stopped.
Completely.
Absolutely.
Stopped.
Lily stared at him in complete shock.
Noah looked almost uncomfortable immediately after saying it.
Like maybe he hadn’t planned to admit that out loud.
Too late now.
“Oh,” Lily said intelligently.
Noah laughed softly at her expression.
“Yeah.”
Her brain had fully disconnected from reality.
Since the dock?
Since the rainstorm?
Since he held her hand?
How was she supposed to survive information like that?
Noah rubbed the back of his neck again.
“You don’t have to say anything.”
“That seems unfair,” Lily managed weakly.
His eyes softened instantly.
“You don’t owe me anything, Lily.”
And there it was again.
That terrifying honesty.
Like he meant every word he said to her now.
No games.
No pretending.
Just him.
Lily looked down for one second, trying desperately to reorganize her thoughts into something functional.
Unfortunately—
Impossible.
Because the truth was she’d wanted it too.
Maybe not since the dock.
But definitely long enough to be dangerous.
Slowly, she looked back up at him.
And Noah—
Noah was watching her carefully now.
Waiting.
Patient.
Like he would accept whatever answer she gave him.
That somehow made her chest ache.
“You’re really making this difficult for me,” she whispered.
His expression softened even more.
“Sorry.”
“You don’t sound sorry.”
“I’m not.”
That almost made her laugh.
Almost.
Instead, Lily took one small step closer without fully meaning to.
Noah noticed immediately.
His breathing changed slightly.
Tiny.
But noticeable.
And suddenly the space between them felt incredibly small again.
Lily could feel the nervousness returning now.
Not fear.
Anticipation.
Like something important was balancing carefully between them.
Noah looked at her for one long second before speaking quietly.
“We don’t have to rush.”
Lily’s heart squeezed unexpectedly at that.
Because he could have.
He could have leaned in.
Could have closed the distance.
But instead—
He was making sure she was okay first.
Again.
Always.
And honestly?
That might have affected her more than anything else.
Lily swallowed carefully.
Then smiled just a little.
“I think that might be the first smart decision either of us has made lately.”
Noah laughed softly.
Real.
Warm.
The sound wrapped around her completely.
And Lily realized something terrifying in that exact moment—
She was absolutely, hopelessly falling for him now.
Maybe she already had.
- Writer
