Chapter 4: The One That Got Away
1043 Words
Olivia sat at her kitchen table, staring at the next name on her list: Noah Bennett.
If there was one almost-kiss that had haunted her over the years, it was Noah’s. They had spent an entire summer inseparable, laughing, talking, and sharing late-night milkshakes at the old diner on Main Street. Everyone had assumed they were a couple, and truthfully, Olivia had thought they were headed there, too. Until the night of the Fourth of July, when they had snuck away from the town fireworks show, sitting on the hood of his beat-up old Jeep, her head resting against his shoulder.
It had been perfect. The moment was there, right in front of them. But just as Noah leaned in—*boom!*—a rogue firework went off too close, making her jump and ruining the moment forever.
And then, before they ever got the chance to try again, Noah moved away for college.
Gone, just like that.
Now, nearly a decade later, he was back in town. Olivia had heard rumors, of course. Small-town gossip traveled faster than Wi-Fi. He had started a real estate business, flipping houses, making a name for himself. And from what she could tell from a quick i********: search, he had only gotten more attractive over the years.
"So, how are you going to do this one?" Natalie asked, munching on popcorn as she sprawled on Olivia’s couch. "Just show up at his house and be like, ‘Hey, remember me? Wanna kiss?’”
Olivia rolled her eyes. “It’s not *that* simple.”
“Why not? It worked with Jason. And Tyler was practically begging for a redo.”
“This one’s different,” Olivia admitted. “Noah and I… we were *close*. I don’t want to just drop this out of nowhere.”
Natalie arched an eyebrow. “So, what’s your plan?”
Olivia took a deep breath. “I’m going to his open house this weekend.”
Natalie’s eyes widened. “Ooooh, now *this* I have to see.”
---
Saturday afternoon, Olivia found herself standing in front of a newly renovated Craftsman-style house, trying not to psych herself out. The front yard was dotted with bright ‘For Sale’ signs and a banner that read ‘Bennett Realty – Your Dream Home Awaits.’
It was happening.
She adjusted her blouse, took a deep breath, and stepped inside.
The house was buzzing with potential buyers, families murmuring about square footage, couples dreaming about their future. Olivia’s eyes scanned the room until they landed on *him*.
Noah Bennett.
He stood by the kitchen island, dressed in a crisp white button-down with the sleeves rolled up, looking every bit like the successful businessman he had become. He was explaining the benefits of the open floor plan to a young couple when his gaze shifted—and locked onto Olivia’s.
For a moment, the whole room faded.
Noah blinked, then grinned, his dimples appearing just like she remembered. "Olivia Parker?"
Her heart did a little flip. "Hey, stranger."
He excused himself from the couple and walked toward her. "Wow. This is unexpected. What brings you here?"
She shrugged, playing it cool. "Oh, you know. Just browsing. Thinking about buying a house."
He smirked. "You always were a terrible liar."
She laughed. "Fine. I heard you were back in town, thought I’d see for myself."
"Well, here I am." He gestured to the house. "And this is my latest project. What do you think?"
Olivia looked around. "It’s beautiful. You did all this?"
"Yeah. Took a while, but it was worth it."
"Looks like you’ve been doing well for yourself."
"I can’t complain," he said, then gave her a teasing grin. "And you? Still making lists?"
Her stomach dropped. "You *remember* that?"
"Olivia, you made a list for everything. Summer bucket lists, books to read, places to visit. Pretty sure you even made a list of the best milkshake flavors at Rudy’s Diner."
She bit her lip. "That was an important list."
Noah chuckled. "So, what’s the latest list about?"
She hesitated. This was it. Time to tell him the truth.
"It’s, um… a list of people I almost kissed but never did."
Noah’s eyebrows shot up. "And let me guess—I’m on it?"
She swallowed. "You might be."
For a second, he just stared at her. Then, to her relief, he smiled. "I always did wonder about that night."
"Me too."
They stood there, the air between them buzzing with the weight of everything unspoken.
Noah glanced around at the crowded house, then leaned in. "I’m wrapping this up soon. Want to go for a drive? For old times’ sake?"
Olivia’s heart pounded. "I’d like that."
---
An hour later, they were parked at the edge of the lake, the same place they used to go during high school summers. The water reflected the golden hues of the setting sun, and for a moment, it was like no time had passed at all.
"So," Noah said, resting his arm on the steering wheel. "Tell me about this list."
Olivia sighed. "It’s silly, really. I found it while cleaning out my old things. And I don’t know… I guess I just started wondering what might have happened if I had actually gone through with them."
"And you’re going through them now? One by one?"
She nodded.
Noah gave her a thoughtful look. "And how’s it going so far?"
"Well," she said, smiling. "I guess that depends on you."
Noah let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "You know, I really thought it was going to happen that night."
"Me too. But then—"
"The firework," they said at the same time, laughing.
Noah turned to face her fully. "So, what do we do about it now?"
Her breath caught. "I guess we could… fix it."
He studied her for a long moment, then reached out, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "You sure?"
She nodded, her pulse racing. "Yeah."
Noah smiled. "Then let’s finally check this one off your list."
And this time, there were no fireworks, no interruptions—just his lips finally meeting hers, soft and warm and everything she had wondered about for years.
And it was *so* worth the wait.
- Writer
