Page 16

Chapter sixteen

Noah

B randon had tacked on a few extra jobs Friday, so even after I’d finished up at Declan’s, I had to work longer than planned. However, he was still cranky about me missing time on the jobs, and I’d rather deal with a rough Friday than have it interfere with my plans with Declan.

The idea of anything work-related ruining with this weekend made my stomach twist. Not only was I excited for the date and nervous as fuck for him to come out to his family and tell them we were dating, but I was also aware of Declan hesitating a bit. He’d made it clear that while he didn’t need a ton of my time, he did need me to follow through when I made plans with him.

And even though the thought of disappointing my family or my boss made me uneasy, the idea of disappointing him slammed in so much harder. Probably not the best way to break my tendency of not carving out my own space, but baby steps .

I pulled up to my folks’ house. My mom had called me over because “her faucet dripped too loud.” The more I saw her excuses to get me to come over instead of asking directly, the more I realized where my own patterns had started. But that didn’t mean I had to continue them. Olivia’s purple Bug was in the driveway, and she’d most likely brought Lauren with her.

My nerves hummed. I’d never brought anyone home to my family. Even when I’d still attempted relationships, we hadn’t lasted long enough to do so. But I wanted to take Declan with me something fierce. He already knew my family for years, and…wait, was it okay to tell my folks?

I walked up the pathway, snagged my phone, and shot out a quick message.

Can I tell my parents we’re dating?

When I reached the door, I paused instead of barging in like normal. I stared at the screen of my phone, willing Declan to answer. My phone buzzed.

Yes.

A grin ripped to my lips. Normally, that short answer would send me spiraling…from anyone but Declan. He guaranteed was neck-deep in a project and just answered my question. Before I could reach for the handle, the door swept open.

“Why are you hanging out there, weirdo?” Olivia asked, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

“Hey, Noah.” Her girlfriend, Lauren, stood right behind her, tall and gorgeous, with her black locs pulled back. They had been inseparable since second grade, and now they were getting married. In the past, the occasional envy had flickered through me, not because I’d wanted to be tied down with just anyone…but because I’d longed for the guy I’d first fallen for way back when .

Declan Brannon had always stolen my attention, even from an early age.

And being with him was beyond any fantasies I could’ve dreamed up.

“Are you going to come in or stand there grinning?” Olivia crossed her arms. “This whole visit’s feeling mighty suspicious, Noah, like you’re keeping something from your favorite sibling.”

I shook my head and stepped inside, bringing the door shut behind me. “Maybe I am,” I teased.

“Ohhh, not fair, Noah Everly Langston.” Olivia followed me as I made my way to the kitchen. If I was going to do this, it’d be in one go, not over and over again to each family member. Dad lifted a hand, even though he was engrossed in whatever book he read—probably about cadavers. He’d gotten obsessed with forensic science and devoured book after book on the subject.

“How’s the leaky sink?” I asked.

He shot me a knowing look over his book. “It all of a sudden stopped leaking the second she turned off the faucet.”

A laugh escaped me.

Footsteps pounded from the kitchen, and our mother entered the living room.

“Mom, Noah’s hiding something,” Olivia said.

Lauren tugged on Olivia’s ponytail. “Babe, he’s allowed to keep his secrets.”

“No, he’s not.” Olivia whipped toward me, scanning me up and down as if she could suss out what I was keeping to myself through detective work.

“What are you keeping from the family?” Mom asked, so similar to Olivia it was ridiculous. With both of them staring me down, even if I’d wanted to hide this, I’d crack. “You don’t have an incurable disease, do you?” She squeezed me in a hug.

“Nah, he’s all smiley.” Olivia parked herself right next to me, her arms crossed.

“Oh, it’s good news?” Excitement sparked in Mom’s eyes.

Nerves fluttered through me, but after years of Mom asking if I was dating someone, the idea of answering yes felt a little odd. “I’ve got a boyfriend.”

Mom’s whole demeanor shifted, and she beamed, her eyes crinkling at the edges. She threw her arms around me again and squeezed tight. “Oh, Noah, I can’t wait to meet him. Is he anyone we know?”

“Yeah, he is.”

Olivia eyed me. “You and Dec?”

I hadn’t talked much about my crush, but Olivia had pieced it together years ago. We’d agreed that was in the hopeless category, especially after we drifted apart as friends.

“Wait, Declan Brannon?” Dad piped up, which was a miracle in and of itself. Any other day, he hung back, reading his books. “I didn’t realize he was interested in guys.”

I shrugged a little helplessly, unable to hide my giddy grin. “Neither did he until recently.”

“He’s a good kid. Smart as hell,” Dad said. “And the Brannons are great, even if they’re a little wild.”

I snorted. That was an understatement. Chaos was part of the Brannon genetic makeup, and despite Declan’s sense of order, he somehow flowed with their insanity, no problem.

“Oh, honey,” Mom said, her eyes getting glossy. “I’m so happy for you. Why don’t you both come over for dinner tonight?”

Shit. This was the exact sort of situation that had gotten me into trouble so often, the instant “okay” ready to leap from my lips. Except Declan planned a date for us, and I was well aware of his need for clear parameters. Dropping a “hey, surprise dinner at my folks” would send him in a spiral.

“Mom, Noah probably has other shit to do,” Olivia jumped in.

“Well, all I’m talking about is dinner.” She crossed her arms. Their bickering was about to begin, which would escalate the situation.

Too clearly, I could hear Declan’s advice in my head.

Your whole family’s not going to shatter just because you set some boundaries.

I sucked in a deep breath. Maybe I’d needed someone to give me the brazen truth years ago. “Actually, Declan’s taking me out tonight,” I said, even though my nerves pinged. “Could we do dinner another time?”

Mom and Olivia both stopped midargument and stared at me. Olivia lifted her brows, and a grin spread on her lips. To my surprise, Mom smiled as well.

“Oh, I don’t want to interrupt your date,” she said. “Maybe sometime this week?”

“Just don’t break an appliance to make the plans,” Dad called out and returned his attention to his book.

“I’d love that.” Relief settled in my bones. Fuck, that had gone far easier than anticipated. Really? All these years and I could’ve just…said something? I needed to start doing the same with work as well. Maybe my life would get a little less stressful there if I started speaking up, started setting boundaries.

And this change was because of Declan. Because he’d cared enough to deliver the truth to me rather than letting me keep driving in cruise control. There’d be times I’d falter—patterns weren’t broken so easily—but right now, I’d coast on this win.

“Mom, we’ll take your kindly extended dinner invite,” Olivia teased. “Lauren and I didn’t have plans tonight.”

Mom brightened. It grew clearer than ever that she had all these wants percolating inside her, but she didn’t know how to ask for them. The familiarity swept over me, helping me understand her even more.

I slipped out my phone and typed out a quick text to Declan.

I can’t wait to see you tonight.

Tonight, and if I had it my way, every night for the rest of our lives.