“Fuck,” I hiss as I catch my breath. The number of times I’ve jerked off to Katie is embarrassing, but I don’t care. It feels like I’ve waited an eternity for this chance with her.
After I get out, I wrap a towel around my waist and check my phone.
Katie: I’m on my way over with lunch.
Just as I’m about to text her back, I hear her clicking heels against the floor as she walks toward me.
“Noah?”
I step out of the bathroom and meet her gaze as she walks into the master.
“Hey,” I respond sheepishly.
Her mouth falls open as she stares at my damp bare chest. She swallows hard, then meets my eyes.
“Uhh, hi. Hey. Sorry, I texted but—”
“No, it’s fine,” I interrupt her adorable rambling. “I just saw your text. I was in the shower.”
“Yeah, I, um…see that. I’ll just meet you in the kitchen.” She gives me a nervous smile as she stumbles backward. “Come out when you’re ready.”
I smirk, holding back a laugh at how frazzled she is. “Sounds good. I’ll be there in just a second.”
After she closes the door, I put on some clean clothes. Once I’m decent, I find her standing at the counter.
“I hope tacos are okay,” she says, handing me a paper plate and a can of Coke.
“Tacos are perfect.” I grin. “Especially if you made them.”
She lowers her eyes, but the corner of her lips tilts up into a smile.
“This is so good,” I say after a couple of bites. “Definitely not the tacos I was getting in prison.”
“Guess you probably had to change your palate, huh?”
I nod. “The first few months were rough. It wasn’t all horrible, but it definitely wasn’t anything to rave about. I was just lucky to eat.”
“Well, you know Lawton Ridge isn’t gonna let you go hungry now that you’re back.”
“No kidding. Between you and Belinda, I’m living my best life.” I flash her a wink, and her cheeks heat.
“This might not be the best time to say anything, but I need to get something off my chest,” Katie says.
“Alright, go ahead,” I tell her, though her tone makes me nervous.
“Um…well, last night.” She pauses, licking her lips. “We should talk about what happened between us.”
I swallow down the last of my food and wipe my hands. “Okay, no problem,” I reply hesitantly.
“I’m not sure I’m ready,” she blurts out. “I mean, I’ve thought about kissing you since I was fifteen, and it was definitely a…kiss to remember.”
“But?” I arch a brow because I know there’s more.
“But I’m still upset with you for pushing me out of your life. Also, I don’t know how to feel about this. Learning you’ve had feelings for me and the guilt I have because of Gabe leaves me very confused. Honestly, it’s a lot to process.” She pauses briefly, and her features soften. “More than anything, I want you to be safe, so you can stay here as long as needed. However, I think we should stay within the friendship boundaries.”
Nodding, I pinch my lips together because as much as it hurts to hear, I’ll respect her decision. “I understand, Katie. It’s a lot for me to process too. I don’t want you to do anything you aren’t comfortable with, especially if you’re unsure. But I would like the opportunity to explain why I acted the way I did.”
“I-I’m not sure I’m ready for that conversation yet,” she confesses. “Eventually.”
“Of course.” I stand and walk to her with open arms. “Is it okay to hug you?” I smirk.
“Yeah.” She beams.
Wrapping my arms around her, I feel her warmth and don’t ever want to let go. When I finally release her, I kiss the top of her head. “You being shorter than me was always an advantage.”
She chuckles and looks up at me. “Why’s that?”
“Because anytime I hugged you, I felt like your protector. Plus, getting to kiss your forehead was the highlight of my teenage life.”
Katie snickers and playfully pushes me away. “Now you’re just laying it on thick.”
Laughing, I shrug. “Apparently not thick enough. I’m shocked you had no idea.”
“Well, Gemma and Everleigh always said you did, but I never believed them.”
“Gemma kept pushing me too, but…” I swallow hard. “By the time I actually hyped myself up to say something, I was too late.”
“If I had any inkling that you felt the same, I wouldn’t have dated Gabe,” she admits earnestly. “You weren’t fazed when he asked me out. I thought my best friends were just messing with me, or they just didn’t want me to date Gabe.”
“I was a coward,” I admit. “I acted like it didn’t bother me because I thought Gabe was purposely trying to get a reaction out of me. We’d always compete with each other, and I didn’t want to give him one more thing to beat me at. Plus, you seemed happy. I realized I couldn’t stay hung up on you, so I started dating what’s-her-face.”