Page 41 of I Never Stopped Loving You

“Noah…We really shouldn’t.”

“Shouldn’t what?”

“Go out to dinner and arcades…We can’t date.”

Can’t…Not that we shouldn’t. That we can’t.

My stomach screams in pain like an acid-soaked noose is wrapping around it.

“Why? Tonight was amazing.”

“You’re my soon-to-be boss's son. You’re a partner at the firm, which means you’re above me.”

I’d rather be below you. Fuck. Stop it, Noah. Fix this!

“That doesn’t matter,” I try to plead.

“It does. What would your coworkers think? What would your dad think?”

“Fuck what that old windbag thinks,” I growl, and I can tell I just fucked up even more.

Her body tenses with her hand already on the door handle.

“I’m sorry. Good night, Noah. Thank you for a wonderful time. I won’t forget it.”

She turns, opening the door and stepping out into the cold November night. She leaves me sitting there watching her walk across the driveway, up the steps, and disappear into her house.

The main floor lights all go dark, and I wait for the light upstairs to flick on. I sit there staring at the house, going over and over in my mind how I fucked it up so fast. How she went from melting into our kiss to suddenly being distant and tense. What did I do wrong? I thought once we were back together, and maybe once I kissed her, that she’d remember me again.

Why doesn’t she remember me?

CHAPTER 21

WILLOW

The steam follows me out of the bathroom, clinging around my ankles, begging me to come back inside. To give in and drown myself in the hot water and silence.

“You’re home early.”

“Jesus fucking Christ, Jenna. What’re you doing in here?” I nearly drop my towel from around my body, and the one wrapped around my hair tilts, pulling the mass to the side of my head.

“Well, it’s one a.m., and I told you to stay out until three. So, I’m just curious about how the date went and why you’re home already.”

She’s sitting cross-legged on my bed with her back against my headboard. Her obsidian hair is piled on top of her head in a messy bun, and a T-shirt three sizes too big hangs off her body, draped over her legs. Even sleep-deprived with smudged makeup, this woman is stunning.

“We just decided to call it for the night. I knew you were worried and…”

“Whoa! Hell no. You did not just use me as an escape route,” she snaps, sitting up on her knees. “Give me your phone right now!”

“I didn’t. I just saw you were blowing up my phone, and I didn’t want you staying up all night worrying. Plus, it was late.”

“It was a little after midnight when you strolled in here, Missy. Now tell me what happened.”

I flop onto the bed on my back, clutching the towel around my chest so I can hold on to some shred of dignity. My stomach is tight, and I can feel my heart beating in my skull.

“We went to dinner at The World’s End Burger Bar and played Sequence.”

“Is that a sex game or like truth or dare?” she asks, and even with my eyes closed, I can imagine the fucking smirk on her face.