Breaking Noah

“What can I get ya?” She sighs, tapping her pen on the notepad impatiently.

“Maybe a menu to start with?” Noah suggests, a grin creeping across his face.

She rolls her eyes dramatically and points to the front counter, where a stack of menus sit.

“You were supposed to get one on your way in.” The words roll off her to

ngue as if we’ve completely ruined her night. I smother a giggle as she just stands there, staring at us.

“Guess I’ll go get them, then,” Noah says. He raises his eyebrows at me and I snort, earning me a glower from…I squint at her nametag. Anya.

“So, it’s pretty quiet tonight, huh?” I say, trying to fill the awkward silence. Noah slides back into his seat and pushes a laminated menu across the table to me.

“You ready yet?” she presses, ignoring my question.

“Sure. I’ll have a black coffee.” She scribbles it down and turns to Noah.

“Same,” he says. She snatches up the menus and stomps off, leaving Noah and me in disbelief. “With staff like her I have no idea why they’re struggling,” he jokes.

“Yeah, total shocker.” I giggle, resting my arms on the table. My heart races as his hands cover mine, the unexpected gesture throwing me off. I jerk my hand away, then reach for my phone in a poor attempt to cover up my embarrassment.

“Sorry,” he mutters awkwardly. “I didn’t mean…” He shakes his head and laughs. “Hell, I don’t know what the hell I meant.”

“It’s cool, I just wasn’t expecting it.” I smile, forcing myself to make eye contact as I move my hand across the table. I’m going to need him to stop acting like a gentleman really quick. The conflicting emotions are confusing, and I need to be clearheaded.

This isn’t part of the plan. My body reacting like this is not supposed to happen. The more time we spend together, the more I find myself doubting whether I have the strength to pull this whole thing off.

“Don’t be sorry.” He toys with my ring, sliding it back and forth on my finger. “This whole thing is so outside my comfort zone it’s not funny.”

“What do you mean?” I ask, slipping my fingers into his grasp. He looks up and holds my gaze, uncertainty wavering in his expression.

“You. Me.” He laughs. “God, I’m doing things I never thought I’d do. You have this way of making me want to completely abandon everything I know and go with my heart. I tell myself over and over again that I can’t think of you as anything other than my student, and then I feel like there’s no use trying. I’m not going to be able to be the strong one here.” He shakes his head, smiling at our waitress as she sets our drinks down on the table.

“What’s your heart saying?” I ask, focusing way too closely on pouring too much sugar into my coffee.

He sighs and shrugs. “That I don’t want to be with Shannon. Before you, I kidded myself that she was what I wanted.” He flushes suddenly. “That came out wrong. I don’t mean you’re what I want, I—”

“So you don’t want me?” I tease, a ghost of a smile on my lips.

“God, yes!” He groans, throwing his head back. “You’re messing with me now, aren’t you?” he accuses. I laugh and he shakes his head. “I’m glad you’re having fun,” I say.

“Speaking of which, we better hurry or we’ll miss the play.”

I grin at him. “That wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. I can think of a worse way to spend my night than talking to you.”

“I’m flattered, but I told you I’d take you to see the play, so we’re seeing the play. Maybe next time we can just have dinner. As friends, of course,” he adds, a little too quickly.

“That would be nice.”

—

“Well, thanks for taking me. I know my place is out of your way and all.”

“Nah, it’s no problem at all. It made sense to go together. I don’t know why I didn’t suggest it.”

We’re sitting in his car outside my place. It’s after twelve, and though I can see the lights are on inside, I’d put money on Dillon being drunk and passed out. I’m not concerned in the slightest about him seeing us.

“Guess I’ll see you in class.”