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There had been something so intimate in those moments that it didn’t take much to pretend. It was as if we weren’t pretending at all.
It made me wonder where things were going for us. We certainly were just friends, yet there was something so natural about us. So sincere.
But there was no point in thinking about it, not when it couldn’t happen. He was much older than me, and surely not interested in someone like me.
I was too bubbly. Too overly expressive. He was quiet, reserved, and thoughtful. I couldn’t imagine him putting up with me more than he needed to.
While the thought made my faint smile fall, I tried not to dwell on it.
By the time I reached River’s coffee shop, I spotted Noah standing outside with two cups of coffee already in his hands.
“Hey there,” Noah said, already holding one out for me. “One casual coffee for you.”
“Thanks,” I replied with a smile as I took it graciously. The cup warmed my hand and felt soothing. “I avoided having one this morning just for the occasion.”
Noah flashed his white teeth at me. “I’m glad to hear it.” He gestured ahead of us. “Would you care for a walk through the park?”
It didn’t sound like a bad idea, especially since it was so nice out. “Sure.”
We began toward the park I wasn’t a stranger to, sipping on our coffee as we went. It was quiet and pleasant at first, and I tried to keep my neighbor out of my head despite feeling somewhat withdrawn.
I didn’t want to be rude, not when Noah had been persistent about wanting to spend time together.
“How long have you been working for the Special Forces?” I asked, hoping to seem more engaged.
Noah swallowed his sip of coffee and cleared his throat. “For about three years now. I used to be assigned in the Black Ops, so I know my way around these things.”
My brows lifted with surprise at that. “Really? That sounds intense.”
He nodded and pulled a small smile. “I suppose so. It’s not for the faint of heart, but I guess that’s also why I left it. Those missions really weigh on you over time.”
“I could just imagine,” I added, more curious about what his past entailed. “How did you end up here then?”
“My family moved here after bouncing around for a while, and I decided to follow them when I was done with the Black Ops. They seemed to like it here, so I decided to give it a shot. The Task Force needed some extra hands.”
Nodding as I listened, it was hard to think back on a time when the Task Force needed more help. The team seemed much bigger than it had been, especially after Rowan’s guys got restless and decided to join.
“What’s your family like?” I asked, finding myself more willing to ask questions. It had been some time since I genuinely got to know somebody else.
“Well, my parents are still together luckily, and I’m the youngest of four brothers,” he said, smiling faintly as he spoke of them. “My dad is a shifter, but my mom is human. Because of this, I have one human brother, while the other two are like me. The human one, Peter, left Rose Valley last year, but the other two are on the Task Force too.”
“Wow, that’s a lot,” I commented. Since I wasn’t all that familiar with Noah and those on the Task Force, I didn’t expect it. There were so many shifters in town, it was easy for some to go under the radar. “You have a big family.”
“What about you?”
Holding my coffee for warmth as we passed under shady trees that brought the temperature down sharply, I let go of a deep breath. “To be the exact opposite of you, I’m an only child. My mom is also a witch living here, but my dad is … somewhere far away I assume. I haven’t heard from him in a few years.”
Noah gave me a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
I shrugged. “Thanks, but it’s probably for the best. We weren’t close anyway. He and my mom clashed when it came to parenting, and he wanted me to follow a more traditional path instead of learning about my powers.
“I did what he wanted and got good grades in school even while my magic was begging to come out. I moved out and got a normal job, but it still wasn’t enough for him. By then, my mom was so checked out from repressing her own magic that she didn’t have any fight left to keep him home.”
Still wearing that supportive expression, Noah murmured, “Your dad married a witch and didn’t want her, or you, to be exactly that?”
I nodded. “I used to agonize over that, wondering why he didn’t want it for us, but I don’t think I’ll ever get an answer to it. I think it’s likely for the better that I don’t.”
“It’s a shame he threw it away.”
