AllFreeNovel
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"How was it?" Noah had gotten up from the couch while our friends continued to argue with the team about Harpy's impact on the industry.
I raised a brow, confused and a bit surprised at how quickly she'd snuck up on me.
"The pages?" She played with the frayed edges of her blanket.
I smiled. "They were beautiful. A perfect ending."
Noah let out a relieved sigh, and the small light in her eyes brightened despite her obvious need for more rest. "You think so?"
"Perfect," I insisted. "Tied up your loose ends but still left it open enough for more. Is that the plan? To write more?"
She nodded earnestly. "I have so many ideas, things that'd take at least five volumes to tell…if I win."
"If you win," I agreed with a knowing smile. "I still have something up my sleeve."
She made a face. "I know."
"You want to see it?"
"No." Noah shook her head. "I'll get in my head about it and want to fix things, even though I can't. I'll wait like everyone else. I know whatever it is, it's going to be incredible."
I reached for her. "Sit here for a second."
"On your lap?" She looked toward our distracted guests, who were too busy bickering to notice any public display of affection.
"Humor me." I nodded, still holding my hand out to her.
She chewed on her lip for a second before lowering herself. I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her firmly against my chest. Noah relaxed against me, the steady flow of her breath on my neck.
"If you win," I whispered. "I'm going to be so proud of you…and still a little salty."
Noah laughed. "Same."
"But whatever happens, can we promise not to let it get in the way of us?" I asked.
Her good hand clutched the collar of my shirt. "Nothing's getting in the way of us, not even the art. Not anymore. You're too important to me."
I swallowed, unsure of what to say and how to say it without sounding out of breath, but she surprised me by kissing my cheek. My skin burned when she pulled away. If she asked me to buy her the moon right now, I would.
"I can't wait to give you everything," she said, as if she could read my thoughts. "When I win, I will."
Despite being completely enamored, I laughed at the cockiness. "I'll run the tab up."
"New bike?" She raised a brow.
"Oh, definitely," I confirmed. "Throw in a customized helmet for yourself."
"How generous," she teased.
"We'll ride into the sunset…at a moderate to slow pace," I promised.
"End up at an art shop somewhere and splurge on every pen and pencil they have to offer. I've been wanting to get into oil painting. I could get a gouache set, too. Watercolor. The whole lot. Just us, enjoying the process without a deadline."
I nodded, imagining Noah and me painting together on a lazy Saturday with nothing to look forward to but time together. "Sounds like a dream."
"It will be," she promised.
"Not yet." Noah's hand rested on my chest. I was in between sleep and awake. We'd somehow made our way to bed at a decent time. Our team and her friends stayed the night, finishing the chapters and deciding a movie marathon was the next logical move. Noah and I had slipped out halfway through the second movie, prioritizing sleep over crying at yet another Pixar score.
