The Thing About Three

chapter thirty-four | prom night

BEING IN LOVE and being loved in return was one of the best feelings in the world. Like I was glowing from the inside out.

After Noah and I cleared up everything after our fight, we dove head first into the honeymoon phase of our relationship, never a day going by when we didn't tell the other that we loved them.

It felt amazing hearing Noah say, "I love you, too," back to me. It also felt amazing to know that I was the first girl he'd ever said that to. Knowing that I was his first girlfriend ever was pretty great, too.

On New Year's Eve, we decided to add a new 'first' to our list—our first tradition.

"So, we just record ourselves kissing?" Noah had asked me.

"Yeah, just our New Year's Eve kiss, though. It's so that we can show our kids one day—make a cute little montage of all the New Year's Eves we've had together."

I could tell he thought the whole idea was silly, but he smiled and nodded regardless. "Alright, baby, but don't yell at me when I give our future kids a little too much to see. On your phone or mine?"

We'd set up his phone on an Adirondack chair on my back porch, Noah dipping me low and planting a passionate kiss on my lips the second the clock struck twelve and fireworks lit up the sky.

It was one of the best kisses of my life, where everything felt great. It made me feel confident that the new year would be a good one, because I had started it off happy and kissing the man I was hopelessly in love with.

And, as the year started, it did seem like it would be a good year. January was a bit rocky as I tried to navigate dating Noah while still being friends with Dallas, but I got it down to a formula by the time February rolled around.

Me and Dallas with others present? Good.
Me and Dallas alone at work? Okay.
Me and Dallas alone outside of work? Bad.
Me and Dallas alone in his loft? Very, very bad.

It was easy enough to decide what would work and what wouldn't, but the not seeing Dallas as much part is what bothered me.

I could manage with just speaking to him at work or around others, but I still missed having our movie nights in his loft or our long drives listening to music.

I missed him separately from being in love with him. I missed being his friend and not having to worry about what Noah would say after I did something as harmless as going into Dallas's office to ask him a simple question.

I could tell Dallas missed me, too, asking me to come over several times in those two months, but after a while, he got the message and backed off until we were barely speaking to each other.

But it was always a treat when we did get to talk to each other without anyone else around.

And we got the chance to do exactly that in March, a few days before my senior prom.

It was at the mall. He was looking for a suit for his aunt's wedding and I was looking for Noah a blue tie to match my prom dress. As soon as we spotted each other, we started talking, taking the men's formal section hostage for the next hour.

It felt nice not having to worry about if I was smiling too much or if I looked like I was being too friendly with him. I could just sit back and be myself with Dallas like I used to be. I could be friends with him again. Not acquaintances.

"Okay so that lady with the green Volvo came it, right?" I was telling him. "And she brought her nasty little chihuahua with her, like that thing looked like it was one breath away from keeling over and dying, Dal.

"Anyway, so she says she has to go to the bathroom and then just sets the dog on my desk and leaves. Just leaves! So I'm sitting there with this nasty, shaking chihuahua on my desk glaring at me and then it starts gagging. Gagging! So I swoop it up and put it outside and wait for it to . . . y'know—and then the lady comes back and yells at me for taking her stupid chihuahua!"