Page 4 of The Stalker Snafu

“It’s not as sinister as it sounds.” He lifted a shoulder, not looking even the least bit concerned. “I haven’t mentioned it because it doesn’t change anything. My private life isn’t my boss’s business.”

I bit my lip. “Julian seems to think it changes things.”

“He’s just stressed about vet school and his exams coming up.” Noah tapped the tabletop with his thumb. “He’s projecting his worries on me.”

My frown deepened. It sounded believable enough… but Julian’s concerns about me weren’t the only sketchy things I’d overheard.

“What about when you mentioned taking money to a drop spot?” I asked, flinching back when the candle’s flame sparked higher.

Noah’s smile dropped. “You don’t want to know about that part of my work. Trust me. Now will you please blow out that candle? It’s dripping wax onto your food.”

I glanced down at the bright flame and the pink wax falling onto my waffle, but I wanted to clear things up before making my birthday wish. Those were sacred.

Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I struggled to straighten out my thoughts. “I’m not trying to pry, but I can’t help wondering if there’s something you’re not telling me.”

Noah pulled his plate of breakfast back in front of him. “It was a private conversation about a work issue Julian’s helping me with. That’s all. I don’t want you worrying about it.”

I dragged my teeth over my bottom lip, turning his words over in my head. His friend Julian was in school to be a veterinarian. Why would he be helping Noah with a financial consulting issue?

Especially one involving a drop spot for money.

My gut tightened, warning me to tread carefully.

A small love-deprived part of me still wanted to take Noah’s answers at face value—to believe it was just a simple phone call between friends that I really didn’t need to be concerned about. Friends talked to friends about their significant others all the time.

But I’d grown up with manipulative parents who knew how to twist words into poisoned honey. I didn’t buy everything Noah said, but I wanted to, and that was what scared me the most.

I could hear my mother’s voice in my head, telling me I was overreacting and to stop looking a gift horse in the mouth. She considered dating a distraction from piano—and it’d be suicide to tell her I had a boyfriend—but if there were ever a guy she’d approve of, it would be Noah.

He was elegant. Polished. Successful.

Everything she admired in a man.

It bothered me that I even considered her theoretical opinion of him, and I batted those thoughts aside.

I liked Noah—even loved him.

And while I didn’t think I was overreacting, that didn’t mean I needed to pry Noah’s secrets from him. He’d been a closed book when we met, and he’d already significantly loosened up to me. I could give him time to grow comfortable enough that he wanted to share these things with me.

So, I offered him the best olive branch I could think of. Grabbing my fork, I carved out a piece of the birthday waffle—careful to avoid the burning candle—and stabbed it. After smearing it generously in the pool of syrup, I held it out to Noah. “Here. For you.”

A peace offering.

He eyed the waffle with far too much disinterest for my liking, then raised a brow. “Are we okay?”

I let out a short breath, wondering the same thing. But I didn’t want to spend my birthday arguing.

“I don’t want to be mad at you,” I admitted, wiggling my fork in front of his face. “Just eat it.”

He sat rigidly, not taking the waffle.

I bit the inside of my cheek again, unused to him being wary of me. “You’re entitled to your secrets, Noah. I just don’t like you having any that involve me.”

I held the fork out expectantly, but he didn’t make any move to eat the bite as a muscle in his jaw worked.

“My work is complicated,” Noah murmured, tracing his fingers over the knuckles of my free hand. “That doesn’t excuse me talking to Julian about you, though. It was careless. I’m sorry.”

I swallowed around the tightness in my throat and stretched my fingers out underneath his soft touch. “I appreciate that.”