Page 54 of The Final Draft

I lay my head on his shoulder. “We’re friends,” I tell him as Julian knocks and opens the door all the way, Noodle running toward us. “There’s my best buddy,” I say as Noodle runs up his ramp to get on the couch and jumps on me, his leash trailing behind.

CHAPTER

THIRTY-FIVE

JULIAN

Her head is on his shoulder. “We’re friends,” she says as I open the door. The cozy scene I walked into makes me uneasy, but I need to keep my cool. I trust her with my secret. I can trust her with whatever this is, right? “There’s my best buddy,” she says to Noodle. Well, at least she’s talking about the dog and not me. Being her best buddy is not at the top of my list.

“He chased a squirrel, but it didn’t end well.” I try to assess what’s going on between them. In the kitchen, they behaved like siblings, but this is a little more intimate.

She jumps away like a kid getting caught with their hand in the candy jar. I stay poker-faced so she doesn’t freak out about my lack of trust in her. I trust her. I do. But I’d prefer her to tell me where I stand with her.

“Did you chase a squirrel?” She takes his face and rubs her nose against his. “You silly boy.”

“I can’t believe you stole my dog,” Zac says to himself.

“This conversation isn’t over,” she says to Zac. Apparently, I interrupted them. “Are you okay if Noodle and I go on an outing today?”

“Sure, I’m headed to the rink shortly. Back late Tuesday night.” He gives his dog a scratch near his tail, and his entire body wiggles.

“I have a bag each for me and Noodle,” she says to me. “Is that okay?”

“Sure, bring anything you need. Kat’s waiting downstairs.”

“Oh, I’ll hurry.” She hops up and rushes down the hallway.

“No rush,” I yell after her.

Zac turns to me and stares me down like he would during a penalty shot. “Hey man, when you break her heart, can you try to time it when I’m home? It might be above Noodle’s paygrade.” I glance down the hall where she disappeared. Is that what they were talking about?

“Breaking her heart is not on my to do list.” Why does he assume I’ll hurt her? Is that what he’s worried about? If anything, I’m the one at risk of being destroyed.

She appears at the top of the hall with a heavy bag draped over her shoulder. “Here, let me take that.” I reach for her bag, and when I look down, I see her laptop and a hint of black lace tucked in the pocket. I stifle a grin, because it seems I'm not alone in my desire to move forward. My imagination runs wild with possibilities.

“Noodle’s bag is in the kitchen.” I grab it and have both arms filled with everything to have a sleepover. And if we don’t have what we need, I’ll buy it.

Harper takes Noodle’s leash and opens the door. “Stay safe. Let me know if you need anything,” she calls out to Zac.

“I will.”

We head to the elevator, Noodle leading the way.

“He seems excited,” I comment.

“Um, yeah.”

“You seem distracted. Everything okay?”

“Fine, I just,” she lowers her eyes and focuses on Noodle.

“Look, if you don’t want to do this, say so. You don’t have to…”

“No, no.” She fervently shakes her head. “God no. I’m fine. I’ve had more human interaction before nine o’clock than usual.” She sighs, and I relax because she still wants to do this. I worry I’m coming on too strong.

“Got it. Not a morning person. Need more caffeine?”

“Maybe.” She bites her lip, and I can practically see the wheels turning as she processes her next thought. “I’m slow to get moving in the morning. I don’t understand those hop-out-of-bed-to-conquer-the-day-types. So, are you one of those?” Her shy smile tugs at my heartstrings and ties them in knots. I find her blend of bashfulness and boldness endearing. She’s complex and completely unpredictable and I love how she keeps me on my toes.

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