Page 31 of Glitches and Kisses (The Havenwood #2)

Noah

The sound of rushing water filled the air as Evan and I made our way up the winding Laurel Creek Trail.

It was farther out than Rivermere Woods, about an hour from Havenwood, and just what I needed: a place where the trees rose tall, and all you could hear was the crunch of our boots and the creek below.

No one here knew us. No familiar faces. No watchful eyes from our friends. No Maxie Glam with her pointed smirks and sassy sage wisdom. Just the two of us, away from everything.

And still, I felt exposed.

Evan was a few paces ahead, moving in a way that made my own stiffness feel even more obvious. He’d pulled his hoodie off over his head earlier, tied it around his waist, and now the sun caught on his curls, turning them the color of honey.

I wanted to touch him.

But that was the problem, wasn’t it? I always wanted to touch him. I wanted things I wasn’t sure I could have. And more than that, I wanted things I wasn’t sure I should take.

He glanced back at me, “So we should probably take the beginner trail, right?”

I nodded, adjusting my backpack straps like it would steady me. “Yeah.”

We walked in silence for a while, the damp earth and pine filling the crisp air.

The trail sloped downward, leading us closer to the creek, its waters clear and fast-moving over smooth stones.

Evan veered off the path toward it, stepping onto a flat rock near the edge.

He crouched down, dipping his hand into the water.

I stayed on the path.

He always did this, gravitated toward water like it was magnetic, like the pull of it was coded into his DNA. I remembered him once mentioning he’d wanted to be a marine biologist when he was younger. Said it offhandedly, like a joke, but the way his eyes had lit up gave him away.

I found myself watching him now, noticing how his shoulders relaxed, how his fingers moved slowly through the current like he was greeting an old friend. It was the most grounded I’d seen him in days. There was something about water that softened him, stilled him.

And I wondered if he’d followed that path, the one with tide pools and coral reefs and salt in his hair, would he even be in Havenwood right now? Would he have found himself dancing through a small-town restaurant and turning my world sideways with that stupid, radiant smile?

Would our paths ever have crossed?

The thought twisted something in my chest. Because as much as I hated the uncertainty between us, I didn’t want to imagine a version of my life where he hadn’t shown up in it.

Evan glanced up, squinting at me in the bright afternoon light. “You’re gonna just hover up there like some kind of creeper, or are you actually gonna come down here and enjoy nature with me?”

A smile tugged at my lips before I could stop it. “Depends. Are you planning on making me wade in?”

“No promises,” he said, shaking the water off before standing again.

I finally stepped down, the uneven rocks shifting slightly under my boots as I made my way toward him. He stood with his hands on his hips, watching the water rush over the rocks, and for a moment, he looked content. Not waiting for me to say something, not pressing for anything. Just here.

The way I liked him best.

The way that scared me most.

I swallowed hard, shifting my attention back to the trail, already dreading the conversation that had to happen.

I could feel it coming.

And then he breathed deeply, “So, we should probably talk.”

I closed my eyes briefly. “Evan… ”

“No.” His voice cut through the sound of the water. “You don’t get to dismiss this. Not this time.”

I looked at him then, really looked. His stance was tense, his jaw tight. But it was his eyes that got me. The frustration, the hurt, the exhaustion of trying so hard to read between the lines I kept drawing.

“Open up to me,” he said, his voice softer now, pleading. “Tell me what you’re really feeling. Don’t hold back. For once, don’t hold back.”

I turned away, rubbing a hand over my jaw, trying to find my breath.

“I don’t know how to be in something that doesn’t have an exit plan,” I admitted, my voice rough. “I’ve been crushed before by someone I loved. Very much. I don’t want to… I can’t feel that again.”

Evan was quiet for a moment, the wind threading through the trees above us. “So what? You’d rather push me away first? Make sure I don’t get close enough to hurt you?”

I didn’t answer.

His eyes searched mine.

Finally, I said, “What we had was good, right? Why do we need a label? Why do we need a commitment?”

“I messed up when I was forcing a label. I shouldn’t have pushed being ‘boyfriends.’ I’m sorry, Noah.

That wasn’t fair.” Evan’s jaw clenched. “And I think…” he hesitated, eyes searching mine “I think I was listening too much to other people. To Callie, Sam… all those voices telling me what this should be. That wasn’t fair to you either. ”

I felt the heat rise in my chest, the instinct to snap back ‘then why did you let them get in your head?’ But I swallowed it down, forcing myself to breathe. Don’t screw this up again.

Evan’s voice was unsteady now, raw. “I just want to know what is ours. What is ours that’s different from Sam?

From Liam? From Elliott? You can sleep in their beds, and nothing happens but sleep.

You can take them to dinner. You can watch action films and argue with them.

” His voice dropped to almost a whisper. “What is different about us?”

I couldn’t answer. Because if I said the truth out loud, it would be real.

I wanted Evan. In a way I didn’t want anyone else. I was already his, even if I hadn’t admitted it yet.

I clenched my fists at my sides, my nails pressing into my palms. “Evan… ”

He shook his head. “You don’t get to make this decision for me,” he said, stepping closer, his voice firmer now. “You don’t get to tell me what I’m allowed to feel.”

I let out a shaky breath, my ribs tight. He had clearly prepared for this conversation.

I didn’t know how to do this. Didn’t know how to let go of control long enough to trust that he wasn’t going to leave the second I let him in.

But he was right. I didn’t get to make this decision for him.

I swallowed, my voice barely above a whisper. “Stay.”

Evan’s exasperation was evident in his eyes. “Noah…”

“Look, I can’t do labels.” My throat felt tight, the words scraping out. “Not right now. And I don’t want to ask you for something you can’t give.” I forced myself to look at him. “But I don’t want to keep doing this… whatever this is, if it means I keep pushing you away.”

His lips parted, his eyes searching mine.

“And I don’t want you to go,” I admitted, my voice breaking slightly.

For a long, stretched-out moment, we just stood there, the wind moving through the trees, the water running steady behind us.

And then, finally, he nodded.

“Okay,” he said, his voice soft.

We stood there for a while longer, just existing in the space together, the weight between us shifting into something else.

And for the first time, I let myself believe we could figure it out.

After a while, I shoved my hands into my pockets, glancing at him hesitantly. “I have a work trip next weekend. Seattle. Just a long weekend.”

Evan raised a brow. “And?”

“Come with me.”

His lips parted slightly, caught off guard.

“No pressure,” I added quickly, my heart thudding. “Just for fun. Get out of town for a few days. See something new.”

Evan was quiet, but I could see the conflict in his expression.

Finally, he tilted his head, considering. “I’m not going if you’re gonna pretend I don’t exist once we get there.”

I swallowed hard, nodding. “Fair.”

He laughed to himself, shaking his head like he couldn’t believe he was agreeing to this. But then, the corner of his mouth twitched.

“Alright, Patel. I’ll get someone to cover my shifts at work. ”

Finally, it felt like a valve releasing, something unclenching in my chest.

For the first time, I wasn’t running.

For the first time, I was choosing him.

“Can I hold you?” I wanted to touch him so badly. I needed to touch him. I needed a reconnection to this amazing man.

Evan smiled as he said, “I’d really like that.”

I stepped up behind him, wrapping my arms loosely around his waist, resting my chin lightly against his shoulder as we both looked at the creek. “I missed you.”

Evan let out a soft chuckle, his body relaxing against mine as he met my arms and pulled me tighter against him. “I know.”

And this time, I wouldn’t make him doubt it.