He was silent. All you could hear was the sound of coffee percolating. What struck me was the lack of amusement on his face. He looked seriously concerned for my mental health.

I couldn’t blame him.

I wanted to run for the hills, but instead, I came right out with it. “I saw Kira Shaw here. I was looking out my window, and I saw you open the door and let her in.”

His brow lifted. “You did, huh?”

“Yes, I swear.”

“You sure you saw me open the door?”

“Yes. At least, I think I did, but now I’m wondering if I was hallucinating.”

The coffee made that loud bubbling sound it always does when it’s finished brewing. Noah sauntered over to the pot and poured some into a mug.

“Cream and sugar?”

“I’m good. I already had some. I’ve had my fill.”

“Apparently, in your wild imagination, so have I this morning.”

Jesus. I was truly doubting my sanity.

“Want some quiche?” he asked.

Quiche?

“What?”

“Quiche. It’s this egg pie with—”

“I know what it is, but no, I’m not hungry.”

“Oh, that’s too bad… Because unbeknownst to me, Kira entered my place while I was in the shower and left me an entire quiche.”

My eyes followed as he walked over to the quiche on the other side of the counter. I hadn’t noticed it until now. There was a little note on top of the pie dish.

He handed it to me.Noah,I knocked and there was no answer. Your door was open. Thought I’d catch you, but you’re in the shower. I considered waiting but didn’t want to startle you. I made you a spinach, tomato, and feta quiche. Figured since you haven’t taken me up on dinner, I’d bring breakfast to you. I hope you enjoy. The dinner offer still stands. Or anything else you might desire.xoxo

KiraNoah stared at me as I looked up at him.

Handing him the note, I said, “Okay. So, I overreacted.”

“You think?”

“It just seemed so real. I mean…I saw her come in. I could have sworn you let her in. I know it’s not any of my business, but I just had to know. And then I heard the shower. Then I heard you…making sounds.”

He closed his eyes and spoke under his breath. “Fuck.”

It occurred to me all of a sudden that the sound was him…masturbating. I’d been obsessed with the idea that he was having sex with Kira. And now I’d just admitted that I’d listened intently while he jerked off in the shower. Great. This morning just kept getting better and better.

“I assumed she was in there with you. I’m sorry. There’s no excuse. I guess old habits die hard. I feel like such an idiot.”

Noah looked at me for the longest time.

I expected him to scold me, but he didn’t.

“Tell you what…how about you stop beating yourself up about this, and we pretend it never happened?”

“You’re gonna let me off that easy? No ridicule? No scolding about how it’s none of my damn business?”

“Well, that’s true. But you’ve got a lot on your plate. I’m not gonna add to it. Let’s just forget about it.”

I blew out a sigh of relief. “That sounds really good to me.”

Noah nodded and kept staring at me in silence. I felt like I needed to leave while I was ahead.

Pointing behind me toward the door, I said, “I’d better go. I have an appointment with the realtor this morning.”

He nodded. “Good. Keep me posted.”

“I will.”

When I was almost out the door, he called to me.

“Hey.”

I turned around. “Yeah?”

Noah stepped forward until he was right in front of me. My pulse quickened, and to my shock, he placed his hand on my cheek. It was the first time he’d ever touched me like this, and my nipples stood at attention as I closed my eyes and savored every second.

What’s happening?

“I told you I wasn’t interested in her,” he finally said.

Too flustered to speak, I simply nodded. He slid his hand down my face, and his fingers grazed my neck.

And that was the end of it.

He walked over to his coffee and sipped it as if he hadn’t just rocked my world.

I somehow made it out the door and floated all the way home, unsure what to think.***Later that day, on my way home from the realtor’s office, I was still thinking about the way Noah’s hand felt on my face, about his need to assure me he wasn’t interested in Kira. It felt different than just a simple admission for some reason. My body tingled at the memory of his touch and his words.

Now that I’d spoken to the real estate agent, I felt more confident about putting the house on the market. The next step was to break the news to my mother that this sale was happening. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to tackle the Vermont conversation yet, so I decided to play it by ear.