Page 81 of Speed Crush

Noah’s breath is still ragged as he holds me from behind, one hand splayed over my stomach, the other brushing damp hair from my cheek. He presses a kiss to my shoulder, then another—slower this time, tender.

“You okay?” he murmurs.

I nod, still trying to catch my breath. “More than okay.”

He exhales against my skin, nuzzling closer. “That was…”

I laugh softly, twisting around to look at him. “Yeah. That was.”

We stay there like that—quiet, tangled, wrapped in something that’s no longer just physical. Something real. Something we don’t need to name just yet.

Eventually, he shifts and gently lays me down on the bed, covering us both with the blanket. His arms wrap around me from behind, one palm smoothing over my hip, warm and grounding.

It's soothing hearing Noah breathe in and out. Then, it slips out without warning but I catch it.

“I’ve fallen deeply in love with you, Juniper Kennedy,” he whispers against my hair.

My breath catches.

But I don’t move. I don’t answer.

I just close my eyes and let the weight of it wrap around me like the safest thing I’ve ever known.

Chapter 14

By My Side

Noah

Twoweekslater.

I know something’s off the second she answers the phone.

I can see her through the screen—messy bun, brows pinched, trying to smile for me. But she’s not really present. Her laugh is missing.

“Tough day at school? You look like you wrestled a copier... and a kid. And lost.”

She sighs. “It’s been a long day, and it’s only noon. I confiscated four phones, someone rigged the Bunsen burners to spark during morning announcements, and I had to stop a kid from drawing abs on himself with a Sharpie—because it’s free dress day.”

“So... standard Tuesday?” I try to tease, but I can already see it—now’s not the right time.

She laughs. Tries. But the small breath she lets out after tells me she’s wound too tight.

It’s only been four days since I left her curled in my bed at the Sugar Mills Lofts. Kissed her neck. Whispered she was mine. Then boarded a flight back to HQ. We’re still in the lull before the season starts—briefings, sim work, long hours spent testing upgrades before the chaos of race weeks kicks in.

A few FaceTime calls between her classes, some late-night messages from my hotel room, voice notes that usually end with her laughing at something dumb I said.

But today? I wish I could be there. Just to lift her back up in person.

Thankfully, I had the foresight.

“Let me guess,” I say, glancing at the clock. “You skipped lunch again.”

She squints at me. “How do you know these things?”

“Because I love you. And because you’re a creature of habit. Also—your face says ‘hangry’ like it’s your native language.”

That gets me a real exhale. Almost a laugh.

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