Now that I’d decided something so utterly earthshaking and life changing, I wanted to flee to deal with my conflicting emotions. It was a testament to how confused I felt that I didn’t argue with him about financing my way home. In that moment I didn’t care. All I cared about was that I couldn’t wait around and I needed space to work through this. “Isn’t that going to take forever?”

“Nope.” He typed something on his phone and then said, “They have a car that’s about ten minutes out.”

Then he looked at me expectantly, and it made me think that he wanted us to sit here and continue this conversation, which I was not up for. I needed to retreat, so I stood up. “I have to go lock my van up, and I’ll just wait for the driver out there.”

I saw his confusion. “You can wait here.”

“No, I don’t think I can. Is that okay?”

“Whatever you need. Let me walk you out.” And he didn’t seem disappointed, which was a relief for me. It made me feel less pressured.

He opened the door, and I stepped outside. “So, um, sorry about all the baggage I dumped on you tonight.”

Noah leaned against the door frame, and as my pulse beat hard, I wondered why that motion made him desperately more attractive. “You may not know this about me, but I’m very strong and can handle it. I have to special order supersize weights just so they’ll be enough of a challenge.”

Him teasing me made me feel better, made the pressure subside just a little bit. “That’s good, because I’m pretty sure my baggage is over the weight limit.”

He smiled, and I felt that moment of connection again, even though we were standing six feet apart.

Then he cleared his throat and said, “I should be home at about eight o’clock tomorrow night, if you want to come by.”

That made my heart squeeze painfully. The idea that we were making plans to meet up and kiss. “I can do that. And by eight o’clock do you mean eight o’clock, or do you mean, like, two in the morning?”

“Ha-ha. If something comes up, I’ll text you.”

“Okay.” At that point I should have said goodbye and walked away and hidden from him in my van. But I just stood there, like I wanted something else to happen.

Like there was something I still wanted to tell him. “I hope you know . . . what I told you? I’ve never told anyone else, ever.”

“I know. And it’s not an honor I take lightly.”

That connection returned, only this time it was urging me to walk back over to him, tell him I’d changed my mind and that we should immediately go inside and start practicing kissing right now.