Page 157 of You Fall First

“That’s not the reason,” he interrupts. “You’ve taken care of Dutton for weeks. We shared a home. You’ve been crucial to our lives for the better part of a month, and on my mind almost every hour of every one of those days. That’s plenty of time for me to know we’re good together, Jo. But I can’t let you walk away from the perfect job.” He nods at the house. “Or this perfect family. Your sisters. Your brother. The new baby on the way. They need you too. They want you. And you want them, more importantly. Take it from someone who packed up and left.” He pauses for a beat and squints, like his eyes are stinging. “You said it yourself just now. You only get one family.”

My vision blurs as tears flow freely down my cheeks. Noah reaches out to brush the dimples on both sides. Well, the spots where there would be dimples if I weren’t crying.

“Seeing you sad kills me,” he rasps. “Please don’t cry, love.”

Love.

I cough out a sob. “You’re not helping.”

I pull my hand free to wipe away the tears in some vain attempt to erase the pain. It doesn’t work.

“I just need more time to think,” he says. “To figure this out.”

Meanwhile, around the corner at the end of the cul-de-sac, my dad appears, all sweaty and red. He’s hustling toward us, arms swinging, AirPods in.

Clueless.

Noah sees him too.

Last night, he wanted to talk to my dad, wanted to know how my father felt about him dating me. Now, everything is different. He takes a split second to consider his options, then cuts his gaze to me. “You want me to stay?”

My entire body aches with the sweetness of the question.

With the sweetness of this man.

He has no idea how my dad will react to finding his daughter in a puddle. Especially when he learns Noah might be part of the cause. And still, he’s offering to be with me. Offering his support. And this makes saying goodbye to him even more awful.

“You should go,” I whisper.

“But I⁠—”

“I’m going inside.” I haul my quivering body up. “I can’t talk to him right now.”

Noah stands too, looking down at me, his eyes haunted and hollow. “Jo⁠—”

“Tell Paige I’ll call her later,” I blurt.

Then I flee for the safety of the house.

Chapter Forty-Two

Noah

“Don’t be an idiot.”

Paige’s brows are so furrowed, she’s practically growing the Grand Canyon on her forehead. We’re out on the porch, afternoon sun casting shadows across the lawn. Dutton’s inside, watching Cars on Paige’s iPad. Headphones on. This conversation off.

“Gotta be honest.” I huff a breath. “That was not the reaction I was expecting.”

Paige folds her arms, leans back in her chair. “You should’ve expected that reaction, because you moving back to Mayville is a ridiculous plan.”

I lean over my legs. “First of all, I didn’t say I was moving. I said what if? We’re playing with hypotheticals here, Paige.”

“In that case, you’re a hypothetical idiot.”

“I was going more for sacrificial hero.”

Her eyes flash. “That makes it worse, bro. You aren’t giving up your life here to follow Dutton and me back to a town that’s way too tiny for you.”