Loving you is worse

Chapter Thirteen

As the first light of dawn crept through the windows, we remained locked in our embrace, basking in the afterglow of our moment. Noah's fingers traced gentle patterns on my back, and I nestled closer to him, feeling a sense of peace and contentment wash over me.

Breaking the silence, Noah whispered, "I never expected tonight to turn out like this, but I'm so glad it did."

I smiled, my heart overflowing with emotion. "Me too. This has been the best birthday I've ever had."

We lay there for a while longer, savoring the quiet moment before reality crept back in. With a sigh, Noah sat up and looked at me, his eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and hope.

"I wish I could stay longer, but I have to leave soon," he said, his voice tinged with regret.

I nodded, understanding the constraints of time. "I know. Thank you for everything, Noah. This night has been magical."

Noah leaned in and kissed me one last time, a promise of more moments like this to come. "I'll see you soon," he whispered before reluctantly pulling away and getting ready to leave.

As I watched him go, a smile played on my lips. Tonight had been a whirlwind of surprises, but amidst it all, I had found something unexpected—a connection that had the power to change everything. And as I watched Noah disappear into the early morning light, I knew that this was just the beginning of our story.

The next day, thoughts of Noah lingered in my mind, the memory of our kiss playing on a loop in my thoughts. I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness, unsure of what the future held for us.

I decided to confide in Emma, knowing she would understand. As we sat down for coffee, I took a deep breath and began to recount the events of the previous night. Emma listened intently, her eyes widening with each detail.

"Wow, that's... unexpected," she said, her voice filled with surprise. "But also kind of amazing. Do you think this could be the start of something more?"

I shrugged, unsure of what to make of it all. "I don't know. It's all happened so fast. But I can't shake the feeling that there's something special between us."

Emma smiled, a knowing look in her eyes. "Well, whatever happens, just remember to follow your heart. You deserve to be happy."

Her words struck a chord within me, and I knew she was right. Whatever lay ahead, I was ready to embrace it, knowing that with Noah by my side, anything was possible.

Emma couldn't resist adding a playful twist to the discussion.

"So, are you going to see him again?" she teased, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

I laughed, knowing exactly where her thoughts were heading. "I don't know. We'll see. It's all still very new."

Emma grinned mischievously. "Well, if you need a wingwoman, you know who to call. I'm always up for some matchmaking."

I rolled my eyes, playfully swatting her arm. "Thanks, but I think I can handle it on my own. Besides, I don't want to scare him off with your crazy schemes."

Emma feigned offense, placing a hand over her heart in mock hurt. "Hey, my schemes are not crazy. They're... creatively spontaneous."

We both burst into laughter, the tension from earlier dissipating into the air. It felt good to have Emma by my side, ready to support and tease me in equal measure. With her friendship and Noah's unexpected presence in my life, I knew that whatever the future held, I was ready to face it head-on.

As we joked about matchmaking, the doorbell rang, interrupting our conversation. I opened the door to find a delivery person holding a large bouquet of flowers. Confused, I accepted the flowers and read the note attached: "From your secret admirer. Happy Birthday!"

Emma's eyes widened with excitement. "Ooh, a secret admirer! This is getting interesting."

I chuckled, intrigued by the mystery. "I wonder who it could be."

Just then, my phone buzzed with a message. It was from Noah. "Did you like the flowers?" it read.

I glanced at Emma, who was practically bouncing with excitement. "Noah sent them?" she exclaimed. "This is too good!"

I couldn't help but smile at the unexpected gesture. "Looks like my birthday surprises aren't over yet."

As we speculated about the identity of my secret admirer, the doorbell rang again. This time, it was a delivery of chocolates with another note: "To sweeten your day even more. - Your Secret Admirer."

Emma and I exchanged excited glances, reveling in the mystery and the unexpected turn of events. Little did we know, this was just the beginning of a series of surprises that would change everything.

Then I received a phone call from an unknown number, and when I answered, a familiar voice greeted me.

"Hey, it's me," Noah said, his voice tinged with excitement. "I have one more surprise for you. Meet me at our spot in an hour."

Curiosity piqued, I agreed and quickly made my way to the spot where Noah and I often met to talk and relax. As I arrived, I saw Noah standing there, a sheepish grin on his face.

"Surprise!" he exclaimed, holding out a small box. "I know this might seem sudden, but I couldn't wait any longer. Will you be my girlfriend?"

I was stunned, my heart pounding in my chest. This was not at all what I had expected, but in that moment, it felt right. With tears of joy in my eyes, I nodded, and Noah pulled me into a hug, whispering words of love and happiness.

As we stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, I realized that life was full of unexpected twists and turns, but sometimes, those twists led us exactly where we were meant to be. And as I looked into Noah's eyes, I knew that this was just the beginning of our journey together.