Page 98 of Academically Yours

Me: See you all soon.??

Hours later, we were all sitting in my living room, curled up on the couch and the loveseat, cups of hot chocolate in hand. I recapped the last few days—how I had missed seeing him, how I had gone over to his house, our date (just saying it still sent butterflies through me), and the weekend I spent at his house. Not to mention that we were dating. Like, actually, honest to goodness, dating.

“So you’re official? Officially official?” Charlotte’s eyes widened. “Holy shit.”

“Yeah. He called me the G-word and everything.”

“Oh my God. Noelle Hastings has a boyfriend?” The humor was clear in Gabbi’s voice. “Why, it seems like just last week she told us she had sworn off love—” She put a hand over her heart, laughing as she pretended to tell a story. I rolled my eyes at her dramatics.

“But, for real, Noelle, how are you feeling about all of this?” Angelina asked me.

“Honestly, I don’t know yet? It doesn’t feel real. I keep waiting for something bad to happen, and I’m worried if I always expect the worst then nothing good will ever happen to me,” I frowned. “And Matthew… he is good.”

“So good,” Charlotte confirmed with a sigh. I playfully punched her in the shoulder.

“It’s your turn to go find one now, you hopeless romantic.”

She fake gasped. “Oh, you did not!” I stuck my tongue out at her, and everyone collapsed into laughter.

“Seriously though. We’re all turning twenty-six this year. Maybe it’s time we all try to find happiness?” I looked at all of them. It wasn’t like I wanted to be the only one in a relationship in the group. And I hadn’t been—Angelina had a series of flings, men she left in her wake, and Gabbi had a serious girlfriend for a bit there while I was with Jake. But in the last year, somehow, we’d all gotten comfortable with our routine, not missing the presence of anyone else in our lives. Someone who would take our attention away from each other.

“Like I have the time,” Angelina snorted.

I rolled my eyes at her, but it reminded me of something Matthew and I had talked about. “Also, I was hoping, maybe, that you guys would want to get together soon so you can actually meet him?” I gave my best puppy dog face. I wanted them to know him like I did, but I also wanted them to like him. To support me and my relationship with Matthew.

“I think I speak for all of us when I say we can’t wait to re-meet your hunky professor boyfriend, Noelle. Do you know if he has any single coworkers he can bring along?” Gabbi joked. “As long as they’re as well-built as he is, please. And maybe darker hair. You know I’m not into blonds.”

I picked up my book off the table and lightly smacked her arm with it. “Stop paying attention to my boyfriend’s arms, babe.” I laughed. “You really need to get laid, Gabs.”

She scoffed. “Please, don’t remind me.” Her arm flew over her face dramatically. “It’s so hard to find good guys these days. I swear seventy-five percent of them take one look at you and think they’re going to fuck you on the first date. No sir. Not with this body!” Gabbi wagged her fingers. And then her voice dropped lower, and she furrowed her eyebrows. “Yeah, you might be right about the whole getting laid thing, N.”

I cackled, patting her arm. Angelina and Charlotte were barely holding in their laughter at Gabrielle’s sudden rant, and I just grinned at my best friends. “Anyway,” I said in a sing-song voice, redirecting the conversation. “We can plan something at my apartment for next week?”

They all nodded. “Just send a text in the group chat,” Angelina said. “We can figure out the time in the next few days.”

“Works for me,” I said, and then I smiled into my coffee cup, wondering if I could keep going on with ignoring the feeling in my gut telling me everything would end badly and instead living like this. Happy.

I looked up at the sky, once my friends had left. “Thank you,” I whispered to the setting sun.

I wasn’t sure what I was thanking the universe for—for a sunshine-filled day in Portland, for Matthew Harper, or for the fact that after so long, I was finally feeling like I had put myself back together. I basked in the warmth of the sun on my face as I thought about the fact that a simple thank you didn’t cover enough for how appreciative I was right here, at this moment.