A Kiss Wouldn’t Ruin Our Friendship

The Lady

Chapter Three

Lena’s POV

The apartment was quiet again.

After breakfast and our awkward but strangely comfortable conversation earlier that morning, the day passed slowly. Noah disappeared into the bedroom for a while, something about answering emails while I sat in the living room scrolling through job listings on my phone.

None of them were encouraging.

“Bachelor’s degree required.”

“Two years of experience required.”

“Professional references required.”

I sighed softly and dropped my phone onto the couch.

I had none of those things.

Growing up in foster care meant surviving first and dreaming later. College had always felt like a distant luxury meant for people with stable families and financial support.

I leaned back against the couch and stared at the ceiling.

“You’ll figure it out,” i reminded myself again.

The same words I had whispered to myself the night before while standing outside in the rain.

Noah stepped out, running a hand through his hair like he had just finished thinking about something complicated.

“You still alive out here?” he asked casually.

I rolled my eyes slightly.

“Barely.”

He chuckled and leaned against the wall.

“You’ve been staring at your phone for hours.”

“Job hunting,” I replied.

His expression softened slightly.

“Find anything good?”

“Define good.”

He walked over and sat on the armrest of the couch.

“That bad?”

I shrugged.

“Most of them want degrees or experience.”

“And you don’t have either?”

“Nope.”

He looked at me confusedly.

“Who are you?” He asked making me confused.

“Lena”

He chuckled softly. “I know that”

I sighed knowing what he wants to hear.

“I grew up in an orphanage home” I started.

The words hung in the air between us.

Noah’s expression changed immediately.

“I never knew my parents,” Lena continued. “At least… not really. From what the social worker told me, they died after I was born”

Noah didn’t say anything immediately. He just waited, like he was giving me space to continue if I wanted to.

Most people would have already changed the topic.

Or worse started giving pitying looks.

But he didn’t.

“I was five the first time someone adopted me.”

A small smile formed on my lips at the memory.

“They were nice. Really nice. I remember the woman always smelling like vanilla and the man used to read me bedtime stories every night.”

“They died two years later,” I continued.

Noah’s brows pulled together.

“Car accident.”

I shrugged lightly, though the ache in my chest was still there.

“I remember sitting in the back seat of a social worker’s car after the funeral. She kept talking to me, but I wasn’t really listening.”

My fingers tightened around my arm.

“I just remember thinking… I was going back again.”

“Back where?” Noah asked quietly.

“To the foster home.”

He leaned forward slightly.

“That must’ve been hard.”

“It was,” I admitted.

“But I was still young, so everyone kept telling me another family would come.”

I let out a soft breath.

“And they did.”

Noah waited.

“I was ten the second time I got adopted.”

I paused for a moment before continuing.

“At first it seemed perfect. The house was big, the woman was nice… and they had a son.”

Something in my voice must have changed because Noah’s expression grew sharper.

“What happened?” he asked.

I swallowed.

“He was older than me. Maybe sixteen.”

My eyes dropped to the floor.

“At first he just teased me. Nothing serious.”

I hesitated.

“But then it got worse.”

Noah didn’t move.

“Sometimes he’d push me around when no one was home,” I continued quietly. “Other times he’d take my things or lock me outside.”

The memory made my stomach twist.

“I told his parents once.”

“And?” Noah asked.

“They didn’t believe me.”

His jaw tightened slightly.

“They said I was trying to cause problems.”

A bitter laugh escaped me.

“I guess it’s easier to believe your own child than the foster kid you just adopted.” The words felt heavy in my mouth.

The room fell quiet again.

“So what happened after that?” Noah asked.

“I asked the social worker to take me back.”

“You asked to leave?”

“Yes.”

He looked surprised.

“You were just a kid.”

“I knew if I stayed there, it would only get worse.”

I shrugged again, trying to sound unaffected.

“So I went back to the foster home.”

“And after that?”

“Nothing.”

Noah frowned slightly.

“What do you mean nothing?”

“No one came for me again.”

The words were simple, but they carried years of quiet disappointment.

“I stayed waiting for a new family. Watching my friends get taken by good families while I was just there. When I reached 18, I was legal to leave and be on my own but I didn’t have a place to stay. Mrs Carter made sure I stayed there for three more years until She could no longer do anything again. And that was when you saw me” I finished

and a tear slipped off my eyes.

“I’m so sorry you had to go through all these” he said softly.

I didn’t say anything and continued sobbing.

“Can….i hug you?” He asked slowly and I nodded.

Slowly, he pulled me into a hug and it felt like heaven. I guess all I ever needed was a hug because it made me feel so much better.

After some minutes, he disengaged and I felt disappointed a bit.

“You have a friend now. I will always be there for you” he said looking deeply at me.

“A friend” I repeated.

It felt like gold. I have a friend. And it was barely even two days.

And strangely enough… that made me feel a little better.

“Tomorrow,” I said quietly changing the topic. “I’ll go around the city and check places in person.”

“That’s a good idea.”

Silence settled between us for a moment and we stared at each other.

Then Noah suddenly stood up awkwardly.

“Speaking of surviving,” he said, stretching his arms slightly. “I’m going to order dinner.”

I blinked.

“Already?”

“It’s almost evening.”

I checked the time on my phone.

5:30 PM.

“Oh,” I muttered.

He grabbed his phone from the table.

“What do you want? Pizza? Burgers?”

I frowned.

“You’re ordering food again?”

He looked at me like that was the most normal thing in the world.

“Yeah.”

“Don’t you cook?”

There was a pause.

A very telling pause.

Then Noah scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

“…Not really.”

I stared at him.

“You mean you can’t cook?” I asked in shock.

He looked slightly offended.

“I can make tea” he shrugged.

“That’s not cooking.”

He sighed dramatically.

“Okay, fine. I can’t cook.”

A small laugh escaped me.

“Wow.”

“What?”

“You’re a grown man who can’t cook.” I said in surprise.

He crossed his arms defensively.

“Hey, I’ve survived this long, haven’t I?”

“By ordering food every day?” I asked.

“Yes.”

I shook my head.

“That must be expensive.” I interjected. How does he even afford these.

Maybe he has savings, I thought.

He shrugged casually.

“Convenient.” He simply said.

“But expensive.”I retorted.

Another shrug.

“Worth it.” He simply said.

I stared at him for a moment before sighing.

“You know what? Forget it.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Forget what?”

“I’ll cook.” I offered walking towards the kitchen.

He blinked.

“You cook?”

“Of course I cook,” I said, standing up. “When you grow up in foster care, you learn to cook early if you don’t want to eat terrible food every day.”

He looked mildly impressed.

“Huh.”

“But…” I glanced toward the kitchen cabinets. It was empty. I am not sure he have cooked at all here. “You don’t have any ingredients.”

He followed my gaze.

Then slowly nodded.

“…Right.”

“So we need groceries.”

Another pause.

Then his lips curved slightly.

“Are you suggesting we go grocery shopping together?”

“Yes.” I responded.

“Interesting.”

“What’s interesting about it?”

“I’ve never gone grocery shopping before.” He confessed.

I stared at him.

“You’re kidding.”

“I’m not.”

“How do you even live?” I asked.

“Very comfortably,” he replied with a smirk.

“How about your parents?” I asked and I noticed his expression changed.

“Do you want to change? We should go now before it gets too late” He said changing the topic.

I simply nodded and entered the bedroom to change.

*

The grocery store was about fifteen minutes drive away.

For some reason, walking beside Noah felt really good.

Like we had known each other longer than just a day.

“So,” he said as we entered the store, grabbing a basket. “What exactly are we buying?”

“Food.” I responded sarcastically.

He gave me a flat look.

“Very helpful.” He rolled his eyes.

I smiled slightly.

“Trust the chef.”

“I’m trusting you with my life here.”

“Relax.”

We walked through the aisles slowly.

I grabbed vegetables, pasta, chicken, and a few spices while Noah followed behind like a confused assistant.

“What is this?” he asked, holding up a bell pepper.

“A vegetable.”

“I know that,” he said dryly.

“Then why did you ask?” I gave him a look.

“Because you picked three different colors.”

“They taste different.” I simply said.

He squinted at them suspiciously.

“They look the same.”

“They’re not.”

“Okay, vegetable expert.” He said, giving up.

I laughed softly.

For the first time in a long time, I felt safe and happy

Like I wasn’t the girl who had been standing alone in the rain the night before.

By the time we finished, the basket was full.

Noah paid at the counter despite my protests.

“It’s fine,” he said.

“You don’t have to keep paying for everything.” I said, feeling bad.

I really hope I get a job soon so I can pay him back.

“You’re cooking.” He shrugged.

“That doesn’t count.”

“It does to me.”

I sighed but let it go.

When we stepped outside the store, the evening air felt cooler.

“No problem,” Noah said confidently.

He raised his hand slightly as if expecting a cab to appear immediately.

One minute passed. Then two, after about 5 minutes, there was still no sign of an empty cab.

“No taxis,” I said.

He frowned slightly.

“That’s weird.”

“We might have to walk further down the road.” I said.

“We should see one over there” I added pointing forward.

He hesitated for a moment before nodding.

“Alright.”

We started walking.

The street grew quieter the farther we went.

Streetlights flickered on above us as night slowly settled.

Then suddenly… a pink car pulled over beside the road.

My steps slowed slightly.

The driver’s door opened and a woman stepped out.

She looked like someone who belonged on a magazine cover.

Her heels clicked sharply against the pavement as she straightened, tall and elegant like she owned the ground she was standing on.

She wore a cream blazer that fit her perfectly, the kind that probably cost more than everything in my closet combined. The matching trousers fell smoothly over her high heels, and even from where I stood, I could tell they were expensive.

Her hair was long and dark, styled in soft waves that rested neatly over her shoulders. Not a single strand looked out of place, like the wind itself respected her too much to ruin it.

Her makeup was flawless. subtle but perfect. The kind that made her look effortlessly beautiful without trying too hard. Her lips were painted a soft red that made her stand out even more.

Gold jewelry caught the fading evening light around her neck and wrist, delicate but clearly expensive.

Everything about her screamed money.

Her eyes landed directly on Noah.

And her expression changed instantly.

“Noah?” She said looking at him.

His entire body went rigid beside me.

My heart skipped.

She took a step closer.

“Noah, it’s really you.” She said again.

Before I could react, his hand suddenly grabbed mine making my breath caught.

His fingers wrapped tightly around my hand as he pulled me forward.

“Come on,” he muttered under his breath.

“What—?” I asked confusedly.

“Just walk.”

The woman hurried after us.

“Noah! Wait!”

My heart started beating faster and Noah increased his pace.

“Don’t look back,” he whispered.

But I couldn’t help it.

The woman was still following us.

Calling his name.

We were further as she couldn’t walk fast because of her heels.

And Noah looked… panicked.

I had never seen that expression on his face before.

“What’s going on?” I asked but I didn’t get any response.

Then suddenly , he pulled me sharply toward a narrow space between two buildings.

Before I could even process what was happening, We were hidden in the shadows.

And Noah’s hand suddenly covered my mouth.

“Don’t make a sound.” He said silently.

My back pressed against the wall.

His body was inches from mine.

My heart was pounding so loudly I was sure he could hear it.

Footsteps passed by outside.

The woman’s voice echoed down the street.

“Noah! I know you’re here!”

I tried to speak but his hand remained firmly over my mouth.

“Please,” she said desperately. “Just talk to me!”

There was Silence.

Then finally…

Her footsteps faded.

A few seconds later, we heard her voice again but this time she was on the phone.

“I just saw him,” she said quickly. “Yes, Noah.”

A pause.

Then frustration filled her voice.

“But I lost him.”

My heart skipped again.

“Send someone,” she continued. “He’s definitely here.”

Then the call ended.

A moment later, the sound of her heels faded down the street.

Noah didn’t move.

His hand was still covering my mouth.

Our bodies were still pressed close together in the narrow space.

My heart was beating wildly. He slowly removed his hand from my mouth And when his eyes slowly lowered to my lips, my breath caught.

Then his face moved slightly closer.

And mine did too.

The distance between us slowly disappearing until there was almost nothing left between us.