The Kissing Booth 3: One Last Time [SAMPLE]

Chapter Two

I spent the rest of my morning getting ready for lunch with the Flynns. Lee's mom had organized for us all to go out for a fancy meal to celebrate our graduation. I usually wasn't one for dressing up, so there had been a few outfit changes and a slightly desperate video call to Rachel, who was also going to be there. It had been enough to distract me from thinking too hard about the two admittance letters that now sat in my desk drawer. And then, of course, Noah had come by to pick me up and drive me to the restaurant, so it wasn't really like I'd had the time to think about it . . .

'So,' Noah said, slinging his arm around my shoulder once we were out of the car. My hand moved up automatically, fingers locking with his. 'I've been thinking.'

'Careful. Don't wanna hurt yourself.' 

He rolled his eyes.

'About?' I prompted, jokes aside.

'I was thinking,' he said again, 'maybe this summer you could come with me to Boston. You could check out where I'm gonna be living. I can show you your dresser drawer.'

'You saved a dresser drawer just for me? Awww,' I cooed at him, turning my face up to his to bat my eyelashes. I pinched his cheek playfully. 'Look at my boyfriend, the big ball of mush.'

He was such a big ball of mush. At least compared to how he'd been when we first started dating. Noah had been our school's bad boy, with a reputation for hook- ing up with tons of girls (which he later told me was mostly untrue). He even had a motorcycle, and he used to smoke just to help him look the part. And here he was, talking about the dresser drawer he'd reserved for me.

I loved him so much.

'It would've been so awesome if you'd been in Boston with me. Even if it wasn't at Harvard. We'd have seen so much more of each other. Could've even, like, gotten an apartment together over the summer, or something.'

I stopped in my tracks, pulling my hand from his before he noticed how clammy it had become.

Noah stopped walking too, turning around with a laugh. His face was stiff, though, and he couldn't quite meet my eyes, looking past me at the parking lot instead. 'What, too mushy? I thought you wanted me to open up more, be more honest, not all macho-macho and never talking about anything emotional.'

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

Noah's cheeks flushed pink. 'I mean, like, you know. Elle.' He cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. 'I wasn't serious. I mean.' Gulp. 'Moving in together'd be a big step. We're not there yet. I was just joking around.'

This should be where I told him I got in. Hell, this should be where I told him I'd actually applied in the first place on the impossible chance that I might end up in Boston with him. He had no idea, but here he was talking about how nice it would be to have me around, how we could live together.