“Jake— I’m so sorry. I’m sure he loved you, like you said, but you also didn’t deserve that reaction from him,” he said after swallowing a gulp of the white wine. “No one does.”

“I agree, on the flip side though, it was a moment that taught me who I really was and who I never wanted to become. It’s so weird how love and monsters can live so closely together under the same roof. Because I’m sure my dad did love me, but the claws and teeth were only one wrong word away from coming out and shredding me to pieces.”

Noah nodded. When had we gotten so close on the couch? No longer was I even able to lean on the armrest. Instead, my only option would be to lean on Noah’s knee, inches away from mine. I decided not to make things weird and kept my hands to myself.

“I’m glad it didn’t break you, though,” he said, sucking in a deep breath. “You made it through all of that and turned into a better man because of it. That’s something that would make any dad proud of their son.” His smile flashed, warm and bright, like a warm winter sun thawing away a thin layer of powdery snow. Bright and pure and fresh. He raised his arms in a stretch, his T-shirt lifting up and showing a flash of soft skin highlighted by a dark trail of hair that went down from his belly button and disappeared under his shorts. He swallowed down a yawn. “Sorry, I don’t think I’ve been up this late in years.”

I glanced at the clock on the wall, the big blue hands pointing to one in the morning.

I made a move to stand. “Yeah, maybe we should get to bed.”

“I don’t mind staying up a little longer,” Noah quickly said, stopping me from getting up. “I’m having a good time.”

“I am, too,” I said, my heart hammering in the same way it had when I was on the precipice of getting my first kiss.

Fuck.

The wine was getting to me. Not only did my muscles start feeling like they were infused with Jell-O, but my thoughts started to swirl down the drain faster than I realized. I should probably be excusing myself and getting ready for bed, but instead, I moved closer to Noah on the couch, using a reach for my wineglass as an excuse.

I couldn’t help it. I didn’t want to call it a night. I was having too much fun, and judging by the glint in Noah’s green eyes, he was telling the truth when he said the same.

And those lips… fuck. He had such sexy lips. Slightly pouty but easily turned upward for that thousand-watt smile of his. Pillowy, too, with a dip at his cupid’s bow.