Page 77 of River
“If you can behave yourself, I’m willing to overlook tonight’s antics. I meant it when I said you look beautiful.”
This man would date me because of my looks. I shook my head.
“Good night, John.” I walked out of the restaurant with a new lightness to my steps that felt like freedom. I’d just proven to myself that I was no longer hung up on the financial status of my partner. Noah had probably never dined in a place like this, but it didn’t matter. I would be happier on a picnic in the forest with him any day.
When I got home, I stepped out of my stilettos and curled up on the couch with my phone. I quickly found the selfie of Noah and me on the beach. Seeing his charming smile made my chest feel too small. Why hadn’t I appreciated him more? Noah had been funny and patient. It wasn’t his fault that I freaked out. We’d both been in a state of lust, and I had handled it poorly.
My fingers searched his name as if showing me that Noah was only a text message away. I wondered if there was snow in Norway now and if Noah had gone skiing yet. On our first date, he’d offered to teach me if I would come and visit him in Norway this winter. God, the more I thought about him, the more I missed his easy laugh and warm blue eyes, but it’d been almost seven months, and so much had happened since I last saw him. According to Maximum, Noah was in a new relationship, and it would be rude of me to disturb him.
While my brain made excuses, my fingers typed a short message.
River: Hi. Are you back in Viking land?
My finger hovered oversendbefore I closed my eyes and pushed down.
The small sound of the outgoing message caused chills to run up and down my spine. The thought that Noah might read my message right now pumped nervous energy through my body. Putting my phone down in my lap, I closed my eyes.
No answer came from Noah, and when I lifted my phone to check, it said that he’d read my message.
I should have known Noah wouldn’t respond, and I couldn’t blame him after leaving him the way I did. I’d even ignored his calls the first few weeks after I returned to London. He had every right to be angry with me.
With a sigh, I sunk deeper on my sofa and turned on the TV to watch a romantic comedy. At least in movies, the characters always found a happy ending.
