Page 30 of Glitches and Kisses (The Havenwood #2)

Evan

The apartment was quiet except for the hum of the fridge and the occasional drip of water in the sink.

Outside, the streetlights cast long shadows against my windows, but the city was still alive with the energy of Pride’s first night.

The muffled sounds of downtown Havenwood filtered through the glass.

Even here, away from the neon glow and the packed dance floors, I could still feel it, that undeniable, electric hum of celebration in the air. It was the kind of night that made you want to hold on to something, to someone.

Liam was sprawled on my couch, feet up on the coffee table, nursing a bottle of water like it might bring him back to life.

His hair was a mess from wearing a trucker hat all night, his shirt slightly damp from sweat after hours of dancing, and his eyes, though still a little glazed from drinks, were laser-focused as hell as he studied me.

I wasn’t doing much better. My chest still buzzed from the thump of the club music, but my brain was running a different track altogether.

Because Noah had been there.

I didn’t expect to see him. Hell, I’d just started to loosen up, dancing with Jordan, letting myself exist in the moment. Jordan’s hands were on my hips, his lips close to my ear, and I had just started to think I could maybe enjoy the night.

Then I turned.

And there he was .

Standing at the edge of the dance floor like some brooding ghost of gay mistakes past, looking straight at me. Through me.

Our eyes locked for maybe two seconds, but it was enough to unravel me. It wasn’t anger in his face. Not exactly. It wasn’t shock, either. It was something messier.

Jealousy?

Confusion?

Hurt?

Whatever it was, it hit me like a punch to the chest. I barely heard Jordan ask if I was okay. Liam clocked it immediately, stepping between us like a goddamn bouncer and trying to steer Noah away, but Callie and Sam were already too drunk to help and too nosy to care.

I didn’t even finish the dance.

I just bailed, told Jordan I needed a breather, and walked out the back to suck in air like it would help me figure out what the hell I was supposed to do with that look Noah gave me.

Because if he was hurt… did that mean he still cared?

And if he still cared, why the hell was he looking at me like I was the one who left?

“ So, ” Liam said, dragging out the word like he was announcing the start of a soap opera. He stretched his arms behind his head like he hadn’t just played human buffer between me and my ex five minutes ago. “Jordan.”

I groaned. “Liam.”

“What?” he asked, completely unbothered. “I’m just saying, dude’s hot. And he was so into you. I mean I’d hit that.”

I rolled my eyes and dropped onto the couch beside him, kicking my feet up. “Yeah, he’s hot. He was also just a guy to have fun with tonight. And let’s not kid ourselves, there isn’t much you wouldn’t hit, you big bear slut.”

Liam grinned and took another swig of his water. “That’s fair.”

But I could feel him watching me from the side. He knew I was spiraling.

Liam laughed loud as he turned his head, eyebrows raised. “That’s it?”

I flopped down on the couch and stared at the ceiling. “That’s it.”

Liam let out a low whistle, his brows lifting in disbelief. “I mean, damn. He looked at you like he wanted to worship you. And you’re telling me you’re not even a little tempted? ”

I sighed, rubbing a hand down my face. “Liam, I just…” I hesitated. “I liked him. He was nice, we danced, we had fun. But I’m not ready.”

Liam didn’t say anything right away. Just took another drink of water, watching me too closely.

Then, finally, his tone shifted, quieter now. “Is it that you’re not ready?” he asked, voice steady. “Or is it that you’re still waiting for Noah?”

I swallowed, the words hitting harder than I wanted them to.

Liam didn’t let up. “Look, Ev, I love you. And I love Noah too, I do. But maybe…” He paused, choosing his words carefully. “Maybe you pushed too hard, too fast.”

My stomach twisted. “What do you mean?”

Liam groaned dramatically, sitting up, resting his forearms on his knees. “You wanted him to name it. To define it. And I get it, I do. But do you really need a label to know he cares about you?”

I frowned, arms crossing. “So what, I should have just let him string me along forever?”

“No,” Liam said quickly. “But maybe he needed time. Maybe he needed to figure out what the hell this even was for himself before you forced it into a box.”

I tensed. “I wasn’t forcing anything.”

Liam tilted his head, leveling me with a look. “Did he look like he was ready when you asked?”

I felt the memory like a bruise.

“No.”

He hadn’t.

Liam took a thoughtful look in the silence and then asked, “Was there anything else in the relationship that you didn’t like? That wasn’t working?

“No.”

“Were you happy with Noah? Would a label have changed that?”

I bit the inside of my cheek then exhaled hard. “I don’t know, Liam. I don’t know what the hell to do with him anymore.”

Liam stayed quiet, waiting, the way he always did when he knew I wasn’t finished.

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. “It’s like, I keep hearing everyone in my head.

Callie telling me to move on. Sam, Jules…

even me, half the time. All saying I should just let it go.

Just stop waiting. Not Elliott, though. He doesn’t say it, but I can feel him thinking it.

Like he’s waiting for me to figure it out. ”

Liam nodded slowly. “Okay. But listen, you can’t let all those other voices get in your way. It’s your relationship. You and Noah get to decide the rules. You don’t have to play by anyone else’s.”

And then, because he couldn’t help himself, Liam smirked and broke into song, overly dramatic: “ Listen to your heart… when he’s calling for you… ”

I groaned, pretending to gag. “Not Roxette! God, Liam, have some mercy.”

He cracked up, nudging my arm. “You know I’m right. Figure it out, girl. Either you let him go, or you meet him where he is. At some point, you gotta sashay out of limbo and into your truth.”

I let out a tired laugh, shaking my head. “Look at you, being all wise and shit.”

Liam smirked, tossing his empty water bottle at me. “Honey, I’m basically a lasagna of depth. And by the way, we are all needing this drama to move on. So, let’s get off the cross, bitch, someone else needs the wood.”

We sat there for a long moment, the weight of it all settling in.

Then Liam stretched, groaning dramatically as he pushed himself to his feet. “Alright. I should get my ass home before I crash on your couch and wake up with a crick in my neck.”

I stood too, following him to the door. He hesitated before opening it, then turned to me, his usual easygoing smirk softening into something gentler. “Whatever happens, Ev? Just… don’t be afraid to go after what YOU want.”

I nodded, my throat tight. “Thank you, Liam.”

Liam pulled me into a quick hug, clapping me on the back before pressing a quick kiss to my cheek. Then he was gone, disappearing into the quiet Havenwood night.

I shut the door and collapsed against it. And for the first time all night, I let myself sit in the silence.

I grabbed my phone and flopped onto my bed, staring at the screen.

Noah hadn’t texted me since Chicago.

And I sure as hell hadn’t reached out to him, either.

But now… now, after everything? I couldn’t keep pretending like I wasn’t still thinking about him.

I scrolled through the few pictures we had together. A rare goofy one of Noah that is worth its weight in gold. One with my arms around him and a genuine smile on his face. One with the group from the rafting trip soaked and exhausted, but happy.

I pulled up our messages, my thumb hovering over the keyboard.

Then, finally, I typed:

Evan: Do you want to go hiking or something?

I hesitated, then added…

Somewhere away from everyone in Havenwood. Just us.

I stared at it for a second, then hit send before I could chicken out.

I set the phone down on my chest, watching the screen.

Nothing.

And then…

Read receipt.

My heart pounded in my chest.

Then, the dots appeared.

Stopped.

Started again.

Stopped.

I clenched my jaw, my breathing uneven.

Because no matter how much I’d been trying to bury it, there was no ignoring it now, the moment at The Rainbow Taproom. The look in Noah’s eyes when we locked eyes across the room.

There had been no anger. No resentment.

Just something raw, something aching.

Something I had seen in myself far too many times.

I turned away first. I kept dancing. But the image of him standing there, frozen, eyes dark and stormy, burned into me.

And now? Now I was lying here, waiting.

My phone vibrated. I sat up to grab it.

Noah: Yeah. Let’s do it.

I fell back onto my pillow, releasing a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.