‘You helped me believe in myself. You see something in me that no one else sees. You look at the work I’ve done and it’s … it’s as if itspeaksto you.’ He smiled softly. ‘I’ve never felt so alive, so ready to fight for what I truly want. I have you to thank for that.’
She couldn’t breathe but nor could she look away. Her skin felt hot all over and she had the sudden urge to move closer, but when Noah inched towards her, she panicked. She knew what it was like to be kissed by him. He made her feel too much all at once. No, before they went there again, they needed to talk.
Tugging her hand from his, she put some distance between them. ‘I-I’m sorry, Noah, I—’
‘God,don’tapologise.’ He cursed and scrubbed a hand over his face. ‘I’mthe one who’s sorry. I misread the signals.’
Beth gnawed her lower lip. It was now or never.
‘Actually, you read them just right.’
His gaze flicked to hers. ‘What do you mean?’
She smiled, an unintentional, outward expression of her nerves. ‘I mean, I would’ve liked for you to kiss me just now, but … well, there’s something I need to tell you.’
He nodded. ‘I’m listening.’
Letting out a breathy exhale, Beth prepared to lay bare the most crippling issue she faced. She knew she’d be fine once she started, but that was usually the hardest part.
‘I’ve had anxiety for pretty much my whole life,’ she told him, forcing the words out. ‘Social interactions terrify me and I usually find it impossible to relate to people my own age. Aside from a friend I made in kindergarten, I’ve never had a close connection with anyone.’
She glanced at Noah, wondering whether he could read between the lines. He was looking at her with such empathy, she wanted nothing more than to curl up in his arms.
‘That must’ve been a lonely way to grow up.’
She considered that. ‘Yes and no. I always craved connection, but the kids I crossed paths with were nothing like me. At least, that’s how it felt. Whenever I tried to interact, it was as if they all spoke another language that I couldn’t quite decipher. And for the most part, I didn’t care to get to know them. The things they valued, their interests, I saw as frivolous and boring.’ She shrugged. ‘And I always enjoyed my own company, anyhow.’
‘Yet you still craved connection.’
She nodded, wondering whether he’d considered the implications of her social isolation, but as she floundered and tried to find the right words, Noah added, ‘You say you enjoyed your own company, and I assume you still do, but do you think there’s a difference between solitude and loneliness?’
His question was unexpected, but when she realised he was actually asking if she was lonely, emotion welled up inside her. She’d never felt so seen.
Eventually, she choked out an honest answer. ‘Yes, I do.’
With that, the dam walls were breached. Because shewaslonely. Or at least she had been, until she’d come here.
Her tears flowed freely and Noah didn’t hesitate. He pulled her to him, one arm around her shoulders, his free hand holding hers. She leaned into him, accepting the comfort he offered.
Once her tears ran dry, he tipped her chin up and stroked the hair from her face. ‘Have you felt lonely here in Karlup?’
‘Maybe at first,’ she said, thinking of the day the two of them had met, how her insecurities had come to the fore and she’d cried herself to sleep. ‘But lately? No, I haven’t felt lonely at all.’
Noah’s gaze fell to her lips, the tension between them palpable.
Needing to defuse the situation—she still hadn’t got her confession out—she sat tall, pulling herself from Noah’s arms in the process, and said, ‘It’s impossible to feel lonely when you live with Ellie.’
Her attempt at light-heartedness, however, fell flat, because Noah’s smile was tight.
‘I’m glad she’s been a good friend to you.’
‘You have, too, Noah,’ she rushed to assure him.
His nostrils flared and he gave a short, sharp nod.
God, she was making the situation worse!
Desperate to make him understand, she grabbed his hand. ‘I just mean that you and Ellie are the first people who’ve ever really been there for me.’
