"Don't make promises you can't keep."
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Noah Reed is lost. Fed up with his constant attitude and need for self-destruction, his mother sends him to live out the rest of the year with his father in hop...
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"After you." Noah takes my hand in his and helps to lift me into the bed of his truck. I smile over my shoulder at him as Noah hoists himself up afterward, taking a seat next to me.
Meeting Noah's gaze, it's hard to believe we've been together for nearly four months now. I still vividly remember when we first met, how cold and standoffish the boy next to me now had been. Yet even when he was purposefully trying to be an ass, something about him had been intriguing to me. Something about him kept drawing me in, and I'm so glad I didn't walk away before I got to truly know Noah Reed.
No one has ever treated me the way Noah does. With him, I don't have to worry about anything. I'm free to be myself, to be comfortable with him. He's kind and gentle and patient, and yet he challenges me to be a better version of myself day after day. I love him.
"What are you thinking about?" Noah asks me softly. Despite the dark night air surrounding us, I can make out Noah's eyes as they hold mine. Gazing at him, I can spot the silver flecks in his dark eyes that are nearly identical to the starry night sky we sit under. The scenery is a backdrop of beauty as we sit in the beam of the moonlight.
"I'm thinking about you," I tell him.
"Yeah?" Noah raises an eyebrow, the hint of a smile outlining his lips. "What about me?"
"Everything," I admit, mesmerized by his gaze.
"Hm," Noah hums as he studies me. "Cryptic."
I roll my eyes, shoving his shoulder lightly. Noah merely laughs as he takes my hand in his, planting a kiss on the back of my palm before interlacing our fingers.
"Do you ever think about when we first met?" I ask softly. "How different we are now? How far we've come?"
"All the time," Noah answers. His response is reassuring, as it's nice to know that I'm not the only one who likes to visit the past from time to time, to remember the choices and events that led me to this moment right now.
"What do you think back on the most?" I question curiously, voice hardly above a whisper.
Noah studies me, eyes shifting over my facial features. He leans forward and tucks a loose strand of blond hair behind my ear, his touch lingering on my skin.
"I think I look back on the first time we met the most," he tells me. "When you gave me a tour of the school? I go back to that moment a lot."
"Why is that?" I probe, awaiting his answer.
"I guess because I wish I could go back in time and do that moment over again," he admits. "Part of me wishes I'd been more . . ." he trails off, shaking his head. "I wish I had seen how amazing you are in that moment. Because then we could have gotten together sooner, and for the rest of my life all I'm ever going to want is more time with you."
"If I could go back in time, I wouldn't change anything," I tell him, knowing the words are true.
Noah leans back slightly as he gazes at me, raising his eyebrows. "Really? Why do you say that?"
