“I apologize for interrupting. It’s easy to confuse days of the week with my profession. You see, I happen to be a doctor,” Julian continued confidently. He squinted and crossed both arms over his scrubs. “I’m sure you’re familiar with the term.”
Whowasthis guy? Had Noah really never told him about me?
“It does ring a bell,” I answered carefully, sitting rigidly under Noah’s arm as he fake-coughed into his hand.
“What was that, Kincaid?” Julian asked sweetly.
Noah snorted. He actuallysnorted. I was officially in the Twilight Zone. “You’re avet, not a doctor. And you’re still in school for it.”
Julian frowned. “They’re basically the same thing.”
“You take care of sick puppies,” Noah shot back, and my neck twinged from ping-ponging back and forth between them.
His friend turned to me with a small smile, blue eyes shining. “Pretty heroic, isn’t it? Those poor, poor puppies who would die without me.”
Noah shook his head. “You’re shameless.”
“Well, there’s no shame in saving lives.” Julian sent me a wink as he lowered his voice to a whisper. “I think he’s just jealous that I look so good in these scrubs. Wouldn’t you agree?”
I ignored his wink because I was too busy wondering if I was having a stroke.
“You definitely look like a doctor,” I answered diplomatically, taking a closer look at Noah’s friend. Everything about him looked rumpled, from the wrinkles in his scrubs to his scuffed sneakers. Light brown and floppy, his hair hung down far enough to kiss his chin. He wouldn’t last a minute in my mother’s presence before she dragged him to the barber to chop it all off. Intelligence gleamed in his eyes, followed closely by arrogance.
“Vet student,” Noah muttered under his breath, pulling me out of my inspection. I jabbed an elbow into his side, and he grunted. “I was making sure you were aware.”
“Don’t worry, lovebirds. I’ll get out of your hair. But since I’d been counting on dinner tonight, I’m sure you won’t mind if I grab a quick snack, Noah?” Julian asked with a small smirk as he gestured toward the kitchen door. “Then I can get back to studying.”
“Take whatever you need,” Noah said. He rubbed his hand up my arm until he could wrap his arm around my tense shoulders. The butterflies in my stomach shivered in delight as his thumb trailed across a patch of exposed skin, and I silently scolded them.
“It’s so kind of you to open your home to me,” Julian said as he walked toward the kitchen. “Somehow, I never feel like a stranger when I’m here.”
Noah sighed and rubbed his temple. I sat there feeling more confused than I’d been a minute ago. Why was Julian so surprised to see me? Noah said he was close with his friends—wouldn’t a girlfriend be something important to mention? There were dozens of possible explanations, but one was still at the forefront of my mind, and I frowned.
“You didn’t tell me you had another lover,” I murmured to Noah as his friend disappeared into the kitchen. Noah blanched, choking on nothing, and I realized how wrong I was.
Maybe they weren’t in love after all.
“He’s a friend.” Noah battled back a frown as his brow lowered. “Only a friend. I know it seems strange with him walking in like that, but he’s basically my brother.”
The admission was less than reassuring. I could feel my place in Noah’s life shrink further, and my heart clenched. We’d been dating for weeks, and he never once mentioned me on the weekly dinner dates he had with a guy he’d dubbed a brother.
I forced a smile, hoping it didn’t look as brittle as it felt. “I’m just teasing you.”
He sighed in response and closed his eyes in what I assumed was a plea for patience.
Julian strolled back into the room with a roll of crackers and applesauce, and his eyes zoned in on us immediately.
“Your pantry is pathetic, so I’m going to scavenge for real food at Adrian’s. But won't you at least tell me your date’s name before I go?” Julian sent a sharp smile Noah’s way. “It’s only fair, since she knows mine.”
Noah took his time responding. I waited another moment for him to introduce me—the clueless butterflies in my stomach greedily anticipating the way he’d refer to me as hisgirlfriend—but he just kept staring pointedly at his friend. An uncomfortable weight settled on my chest.
“I’m Emma,” I said, and somehow I managed a small smile despite Noah’s silence. “Emma Fox.”
“And now you can go,” Noah said before his friend could open his mouth.
Julian scrunched his nose at Noah like a displeased child. “Well, somebody’s feeling ornery today. Will Emma be joining us for Sunday dinner tomorr—?”
“She has plans,” Noah said before Julian got the full question out, and my smile thinned.
