Page 44 of Bond Strength

“Noah, as in Noah Langston? The guy who’s had a crush on you for like a lifetime?”

I let out an annoyed huff. “I wasn’t aware.”

Cor shook his head. “I’d ask how you weren’t, but I’m also not surprised in the slightest. Does anyone else know?”

“I’m bringing him to brunch tomorrow, so no.”

“Oh god, I can’t wait to see this.”

My stomach flip-flopped. “It won’t be an issue, will it?”

Cor clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Not even a little bit. We all love you, Dec.”

Relief settled in me. I hadn’t even considered my family not accepting my sexuality shift. They’d always accepted my differences from an early age. Mom and Dad had me assessed for autism the moment they’d had the suspicion, and my family just viewed me as me.

“But I need your help on my date plan,” I said. “I was going to take Noah to an animal shelter, but what if that depresses him? Should I be figuring some sort of food arrangements? I just had the shelter and then sex planned for later.”

Cor scrubbed his face. “Bro, I don’t want to hear about your sex plans. If Noah likes animals, he’ll love going to an animal shelter. And if you’ve got other arrangements for later—”

“Sex.”

“Yeah, ugh. Then I can promise you Noah will not give a flying fuck if you’re going to a restaurant or not.”

I chewed on the inside of my cheek, pondering it over.

“I’m going to grab the wet/dry vac.” Cor walked to the basement. “I’ll be right back.” His footsteps receded and then echoed again as hereturned. The quick trip barely gave me enough time to process his statement, but at the heart of things, Cor was experienced in dating guys and had a solid relationship with Felix. He was also one of the calmer members of my family, so if I could trust anyone for advice, it’d be him.

Rory’s advice, for example, would involve glitter, lube, and a trampoline.

“Hey, Dec,” Cor said. “Thanks for coming out to me. I’m glad you ended up with Noah. If anyone gets you, it’s him.”

I nodded, my chest squeezing tight. Cor wasn’t wrong in the slightest. Noah understood my humor, my reactions, and accepted them better than anyone.

“Just don’t try to cook for him tonight,” Cor teased. “Otherwise, he’ll be laid up in the hospital with food poisoning.”

I rolled my eyes. “Give the family food poisoning once…”

Cor snorted. “Only about five times until we wised up.”

“See you and Felix tomorrow?”

He grabbed the door handle and nodded. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world. Can’t wait to welcome Noah into the fold.” With that, he slipped out and closed the door behind him.

My heart thudded hard. I’d thought about it conceptually a few times, but none of the people I’d gone on dates with ever fit in the framework. People I’d be comfortable introducing to my family.

However, that was tomorrow’s issue.

Tonight, I had a date with my boyfriend.

When I pulled up in front of Noah’s house, a wave of comfort washed over me. How I could feel this somewhere beyond my parents’ houseand my own mystified me, but Noah had once been a strong source of safety for me, and once we cleared up our miscommunications, the trust had snapped into place like it had never left.

If a month ago someone had told me I’d not only be dating someone but dating Noah Langston, I would’ve called them insane. However, I was grateful for the storm pushing us together. If we hadn’t gotten the concentrated time in the same space, who knew how much longer we would’ve circled each other?

I looked in the mirror and tweaked my hair again, wanting the strands to be even. Then I opened the car door and headed down the brick walkway. My heart thumped harder in anticipation of getting to see him again. My body had never reacted this strongly to anyone else.

Just him.

I knocked on the door, and it creaked open at once.

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