Page 27 of More Than Just Friends

I almost told him how much I loved it but stopped myself. Telling your male best friend that they smelt amazing would sound weird.

‘Thanks so much for offering to do this. I really appreciate it.’

‘No worries,’ he said. ‘I know how triggering it can be so… It was Kayleigh’s suggestion.’

‘Oh, that’s really sweet. She’s lovely.’

‘Yeah,’ he said.

Our eyes locked and I noticed how Noah’s sparkled. I’d always thought he had nice eyes but because he typically wore glasses, I rarely got to see them in all their glory. Now I had a completely unobstructed view.

And I liked it.

‘What happened with your glasses?’ I asked as the coach set off.

‘I discovered contact lenses.’

‘I don’t know how anyone can use those!’ I winced. ‘Isn’t it weird putting something on your eyeball? I’m way too squeamish.’

‘You squirm when you see mayonnaise and ketchup together on chips, so it doesn’t surprise me.’

‘But that’s just wrong!’

‘Really?’ He raised an eyebrow.

‘Yes! Ketchup is for chips. If you prefer mayonnaise instead, fair enough, but both of them? Together?’ I shuddered at the thought.

‘Says the woman who has pineapple on pizza!’ He chuckled.

‘What? That’s perfectly normal!’ I protested.

‘Don’t let Sammie’s Romeo hear you say that. That’s the kind of statement that gets you locked up in Italy!’

‘Stop!’ I prodded his bicep. Jesus. It was so firm. ‘And what’s with this too?’ I prodded his arm again.

‘With what?’

‘The muscles?’ I clarified.

‘I’ve always had them.’

‘You have not!’ I insisted. Last night in the restaurant he said he’d always worked out but I would’ve noticed if his arms were that muscular. Despite what he said, the transformation was dramatic. ‘I thought you were hiding from me because you weren’t happy with how you looked, and you just breeze into the hotel like you’re Clark Kent who stepped into a phone box and emerged as Superman.’

‘So you’re saying I look like Henry Cavill?’

‘There have been other actors who have played Superman since then, you know.’ I rolled my eyes, trying to fight the laugh that was threatening to spill out.

‘I’m aware. But I also remember the days when you were obsessed with Henry Cavill, so…’

‘Me and the entire female population. And probably a fair percentage of the male population too.’

‘Did they also pretend to watch The Witcher with me, just so that they could ogle him?’

‘I watched it for the plot!’ I gasped.

‘Yeah, yeah. Sure,’ he said, his voice laced with sarcasm. ‘The plot was any scene that showed Henry shirtless. Thanks for the Superman compliment though. Even though I know I look nothing like him.’

‘True,’ I said, thinking that as crazy as it sounded (because hello, Henry Cavill was hot), Noah actually looked better.