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He overcame a traumatic upbringing and was working hard to make a better life for himself.
And I’m the reason that’s going to get ruined.
Damn.
That thought hit her like a ton of bricks, and she was completely torn. She’d grown up very privileged and had gotten almost everything she’d ever wanted. There were never any struggles and, compared to Noah’s, her life was a damn fairytale. And if she had to answer right now, she’d say with full conviction that she wanted him no matter what. But could she really be that selfish?
For tonight? Yes.
But come tomorrow? She couldn’t be sure.
She cared about him far too much to watch him lose all that he was working toward.
Ugh…change the subject!
Reaching for her glass, she cradled it in her hands and smiled at him. “What’s your dream vacation?”
His bark of laughter was his first response, but then he smiled. “Um…I’ve always wanted to see the Grand Canyon.”
That was…not what she expected. “Like…just see it or go camping and river rafting?”
“Both,” he said with an easy grin. “I’ve talked about it with my brothers, but they’re not interested in the camping part. They’re both used to staying at five-star resorts with room service, so it’s not all that appealing to them.”
“I get that. I don’t think I’ve ever gone camping, but I certainly wouldn’t say no if the opportunity presented itself.” She knew she could make that offer to him right now—for the two of them to take that trip as soon as he had the time off—but she felt like she would come off sounding a little like a spoiled brat.
Which…I am.
“Favorite food?” she asked instead.
“Steak. I love a good steak and when I go out to eat, that’s always what I get.” He studied her for a moment. “But enough about me. I think I’ve overshared here tonight. Now it’s time for me to learn a little about you.”
Leaning back against the cushions, she nodded. “Bring it on.”
“Did you ever want to do anything other than dance?”
She shook her head. “Nope.” Shifting slightly in her spot, she expanded on that. “Growing up, there were a lot of options to go the business or corporate route. I was never good with numbers and I’ve always been a little too fidgety to sit still at a desk. Of course, my mom left the corporate world—she used to be my grandfather’s assistant…”
“I never knew that! I guess I always thought that Rose was his one and only assistant!”
“Nope! Rose was my mom’s assistant. When Mom left Montgomerys, she ended up working at a bakery. That had always been her dream, but she didn’t have the confidence to pursue it and she took the job with Montgomerys because it was more stable.”
He nodded.
“So, my mom always encouraged me to be brave and follow my dream, and once I was old enough to really start thinking about my future, I knew I wanted it to include dance. I know I can’t dance forever, but maybe down the line, I can open a dance studio and teach.”
“What was your greatest dance moment?”
“Ooh…good question! I think it was actually the first time I danced on Broadway. The show had been playing for years, but it was my first night, and when the curtain went up, I almost cried. That was like…a total dream come true.” And even though that was the absolute truth, she couldn’t help but compare her life—again—to his. Unable to look at him, Lily ducked her head slightly and added, “I’m sure that all appears pretty shallow.”
Noah moved closer and gently caressed her cheek. “Hey,” he said softly and waited until she looked up at him. “Don’t say stuff like that. Like you, I made some assumptions when we first met and I was wrong. You’ve obviously worked very hard to get where you are right now and you should be proud of yourself.”
“I am, but…even though I know how hard I work—it’s physically and mentally challenging for sure—it still seems to pale in comparison to everything you’ve had to overcome.”
“It’s not a competition,” he told her, resting his forehead against hers.
“I know,” she murmured. “You just have me looking at things a little differently. I know I can’t change the way I grew up or who my family is, but I guess I never really paid a lot of attention to how it wasn’t that way for other people.” Shaking her head, she let out a long breath. “And it just makes me feel not so great about how I may have treated other people in my life.”
“Lily…come on.” Noah scooped her up into his arms and held her in his lap. “You can think like that and it would be crazy if you think you’ve been so perfect in your life that you never said or did anything that hurt someone’s feelings. We’ve all done it, whether it was intentional or not.”
