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Noah glanced at her. “The touching or the fact that you called me honey?” he teased.

She looked away. “I don’t know. I panicked. I didn’t mean to say it. It just slipped out. Why did you have to touch me like that?”

He hesitated. Just long enough for her to notice. That was new. Noah always looked like he had answers ready before people finished asking questions. But now he didn’t.

“I panicked,” he said finally. “I didn’t like the way that guy was looking at you.”

Claire blinked. “You don’t seem like someone who panics. And how was he looking at me?”

“That’s because I’m good at it internally,” he joked. “And he was looking at you like he decided he got to take up too much space in your life just because you were nice enough to listen to him.”

Claire’s grip on her bag tightened slightly. “I was going to handle it,” she said automatically.

Noah nodded. “I know.” His tone softened. “I just didn’t like how you were standing there alone in it.”

Claire didn’t answer. The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Neither of them moved immediately.

Claire looked away first. Of course she did.

CHAPTER 13

The Consequence

On Monday, Claire was at work. It was supposed to be a normal Monday, but it wasn’t. Thanks to her bright idea to let Noah be her fake date to the gala.

She had been hearing about it all day:

“How long have you two been together?”

“You guys are such an adorable couple!”

“When will we be seeing Noah again?”

The correction reached the tip of her tongue. He isn’t really my boyfriend. But then someone said they looked happy together, and Claire swallowed the words.

Every time someone called Noah her boyfriend, her stomach did something inconvenient.

She should’ve said something. She should’ve said he was just a friend. She just brought him to the gala so she didn’t have to go alone. Something. Anything.

Instead, she remained silent. She would correct them later. For now, it was easier to pretend.

As soon as she had sat down that morning, Avery rolled over in her chair. “So?” She raised an eyebrow.

Claire shook her head. “It’s not what you think, Avery.”

“I think you brought the hottest man I’ve seen in my life to the gala.”

Claire fought back a smile. Okay, so maybe it was exactly what Avery thought. Still, she said nothing.

“Chinese food guy?” Avery asked.

“Yeah.”

Avery leaned back in her chair with a smug smile. “I knew it.”

“You didn’t know anything.”

“Claire, nobody brings lunch to a woman they’re ‘just friends’ with.”