Page 39 of Glitches and Kisses (The Havenwood #2)

“Charming,” I said through a laugh, stabbing my grilled salmon with more force than necessary.

Evan winked and bumped my knee under the table. “Don’t worry, I’ll still love you when the NPCs rise up and emotionally destroy us all.”

The whole table laughed at that. Such a fucking charmer.

But my brain caught on one word. Love.

Did Evan just say the L word?

I glanced at him, trying to gauge if he even realized he’d said it. He was already reaching for his drink, laughing along with the others like it was nothing.

Maybe it was.

Russell, my boss, was still chuckling as he leaned back in his chair, enjoying his bourbon. “You know, Patel, it’s nice to see you out of your element for once. You’re usually so… “ He waved a hand, searching for the word.

“Tightly wound?” Evan supplied a little too quickly, smirking.

Russell pointed at him with an approving nod. “Exactly.”

I turned my glare on Evan, but he only clinked his glass against mine in a silent toast to my suffering.

“You had that one loaded in the chamber ready to go, didn’t you?” I should have been annoyed. But, goddamn it, I was also enjoying myself.

I let the conversation wash over me, let myself enjoy it all. Claire was still talking animatedly about theater, Milo was spinning more ridiculous stories at my expense, and Russell was laughing at something Evan said.

And Evan? He was having fun. With my people. Like he belonged here.

The offer came out of nowhere.

One second, I was sitting through another dry-as-hell conference session on day two, half-listening to a panel on predictive algorithms in game design while thinking about what Evan and I would do later.

The next, Russell, my boss, was tapping me on the shoulder, motioning for me to step outside with him.

“Need a word, Patel,” he said, voice low but firm.

I followed him out of the conference room, down the long carpeted hall where the hum of voices from other sessions buzzed in the background. He didn’t stop until we were near the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city.

He turned to face me, crossing his arms.

Nervous was an understatement with how I was feeling right now. “Am I in trouble? Did I do something wrong?”

Russell looked very surprised by the questions. “Not at all, Patel. We’re making you an offer.”

I blinked. “An offer?”

Russell nodded as a smile crept across his face. “Senior Lead Developer. Full creative control over our next big project. And a raise. Generous enough that your bank account will wonder what it did to deserve it. It’s yours if you want it. ”

I felt the words land in my chest, a dull thud of realization. “That’s…” I hesitated. “That’s the San Francisco position.”

“That’s the position, Patel. It’s been in the works for months, and frankly, your work speaks for itself.” He rubbed his jaw. “Look, I know you love your quiet little town, but this? This is the next step. The kind of opportunity people don’t turn down.”

I stared past him, out toward the city, toward the hundreds of blinking lights dotting the skyline. The position. My position. The thing I’ve been working toward for years.

Russell leaned in as he said, “Take a couple of days. Think it over. But if I were you, I’d already be packing my bags.” He gave me a small grin before stepping away, leaving me standing there, the weight of his words pressing down on me.

I should have felt elated. Thrilled. Victorious. Instead, all I could think about was Havenwood. And Evan. My stomach felt like it was twisting in knots.

The walk back to the hotel was a blur. I barely remembered leaving the conference hall, barely remembered Russell’s last words to me before he clapped a hand on my shoulder and walked away like he hadn’t just detonated a grenade in my chest.

Take a couple of days to think it over? Right. Because I could just sleep on the fact that my entire life just shifted course.

By the time I reached the hotel, my grip was coiled so tightly around my phone that my knuckles ached. My mind raced through every scenario, every version of this conversation I was about to have with Evan. None of them ended well.

I swiped my keycard, stepped inside, and shut the door behind me.

Evan was sprawled on the bed, flipping through his phone, his bare feet crossed at the ankles. He looked relaxed.

The second he looked up and saw me, his whole demeanor changed.

His phone lowered slightly. “What happened?”

I opened my mouth. Closed it. Then, without thinking, I set my phone on the nightstand like it weighed a thousand pounds.

“Noah…” Evan started, but I shook my head, stepping closer, heart racing.

“Before we get into all of it… I need you to be happy for me,” I said, voice low but steady. “Just for a minute. Celebrate this with me. We can figure everything else out later. But right now, please, can you do that for me? ”

His eyes softened. “Sure. Whatever you need, Noah.”

“I got an offer.”

Evan sat up a little straighter, curious but unaware. “Like… a job offer?”

I nodded, my throat tight.

Evan smiled, tilting his head. “From where?”

I hesitated, knowing the second I said it, it would become real.

“…San Francisco.”

The shift was instant. The smile faded, replaced by something carefully neutral. “Wait. San Francisco?”

I nodded again.

Evan pushed himself upright, crossing his legs, eyes locked onto mine. “Noah. That’s… huge.”

His voice was steady, but something about it put me on edge.

I swallowed hard. “Yeah.”

A beat of silence. Then, Evan asked carefully, “So… what are you gonna do?”

I hesitated.

And that? That was enough of an answer.

Evan’s smile faltered, just slightly, like something inside him had already braced for impact.

“You’re gonna take it.”

It wasn’t a question.

“It’s my dream job, Evan.” The truth of it tasted bitter as I said it out loud.

His throat bobbed, eyes moving across my face like he was searching for something. Something I wasn’t sure I could give him.

“Yeah,” he said, softer now. “I know.”

I wanted him to be happy for me. I needed him to be happy for me. I wanted him to tell me it didn’t change anything. That we’d figure it out. That it would be fine.

But instead, he just nodded.

Because Evan Mitchell wasn’t the kind of person to tell someone not to follow their dreams.

Even if it meant walking away from something that felt this real.

Even if it meant walking away from me.

Evan was quiet for a moment, then drew in a slow, measured breath.

“So…” His voice was careful, almost too even. “What do es this mean for us?”

I opened my mouth. Then I closed it. I wanted to say something. I should have said something. But the words weren’t there.

Because what could I promise him? What could I tell him that wouldn’t be a lie?

I sat in the silence, and I let it stretch.

I watched as Evan registered the weight of my silence, the answer I wasn’t giving him.

His throat bobbed again, and he forced a small, tired smile.

“Right,” he said barely above a whisper.

He just sat there for what felt like forever, then shook his head a little, like he was trying to shake something off.

“Evan, I know this is unfair of me to ask… But please. Just for tonight. Can we celebrate this? I need this.” I felt the words hang between us, heavy, but honest. I swallowed, eyes still on him. “We’ll figure it out when we get back to Havenwood.”

Evan nodded, even though I could see he was crushed. “Okay,” he said. “We’ll celebrate.”