The memory of our dinner together the other night, the charged glances exchanged over dimly lit plates, lingered in my mind. And later, at my door, the air had been thick with unspoken words and a tension that was almost palpable. 

I knew, deep down, that he may never be mine again—yet I couldn’t quell the need to be seen by him, to be wanted in return.

As I descended the stairs, Noah’s gaze found me, lingering just a moment too long. A surge of warmth flooded through me, ...