Three years after his mother's death, Noah Reed is lost once again. Unsure of where to go after running from his problems for so long, he ends up back home, wanting a place to finally settle down. He's ready to tie up loose ends and to try and corre...
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I hadn't known wine was going to be involved.
Seriously. If I had known alcohol was going to be a main part of Mia and Thorne's pre-wedding gathering, maybe I wouldn't have come. I'd known Noah would be here, which was enough to handle on its own. It wasn't long before I caught myself staring at him when he wasn't paying attention, studying him in silence. Needless to say, when Mia brought the wine out, I needed something to take away the edge I was feeling.
Technically speaking, I'm under the drinking age. It's not like I've never had alcohol before, and I figured one glass wouldn't hurt. But one glass soon turned into another, and before I knew it I'd lost count of how many drinks I downed.
The tipsier I found myself getting, the more I'd catch myself studying Noah. I wasn't intentionally staring, it just . . . happened. I'm still not quite sure where Noah and I stand on the friendship spectrum, especially after our last encounter and how rocky my relationship with Dylan has been lately. The more I found myself glancing in Noah's direction, the more memories would run through my mind. With every painful memory I'd look back on, the more wine I'd drink. Due to the mixture of emotions and alcohol, it didn't take long for my vision to get hazy.
However, even through my inebriated state, I'm still able to notice that I'm not the only one out of it. By the way Thorne and Mia are kissing and touching on the couch next to me, it's safe to say they're far gone. In one of the recliners, Mia's friend Emmie continuously shoots flirty gazes at Thorne's friend, Asher, sipping wine as she does so. Charlie and Violet are laughing about something I don't understand, seemingly unable to recall what was funny to begin with. Across the room, Noah and Wells sit together ad talk amongst themselves. And I'm pretty sure Jay and Haley are asleep.
My gaze wanders over to Noah once again. He's not paying attention to me as he engages in conversation. As I notice the cowlick strand of hair flopped over his forehead, I find myself thinking back to all of the times I'd run my hands through his hair, tugging on the soft strands as his lips captured mine. My cheeks flush as I raise my glass to my lips.
Noah's expression is one of concentration as he nods while Wells speaks, his dark blue gaze resting on his hands. I can't help noticing how attractive Noah is, knowing that I have yet to meet a man who can get my heart racing with nothing but a glance the way Noah Reed can. My eyes wander his features, lingering on his lips. I recall the way they used to feel against mine, how soft and warm they were on my skin, how good it would feel when he—
I shake out of my thoughts as I gulp down more wine, knowing it's dangerous to continue thinking down that path. Soon enough, my eyes are back on him, studying the tight fit of his shirt across his chest and broad shoulders. I'm far gone before I know it, lost in a rabbit hole of thoughts that are as reckless as how openly I'm staring at Noah Reed is.
Wells says something about a game of strip poker, to which Noah rolls his eyes. I suddenly notice that Noah is the only person in the room who has yet to pour himself some wine, glancing at the untouched glass that sits on the coffee table before him.
