Chapter 131: Are we dating? (M)
TWO YEARS LATER ;
Noah stood in the kitchen, stirring the pot absentmindedly, lost in his thoughts. Two years. Well almost three years when they first met. It had been three years since everything started with Ryder, and yet Noah was still conflicted.
He never expected that all those steamy nights, teasing conversations, and sweet, stolen moments would lead him to this point—falling for Ryder. But he had. Hard.
He never thought those initial steamy hookups would evolve into something that would shake him. The teasing, the lustful encounters, the spontaneous dates...Somehow, they had slipped into a routine that felt so much more intimate than just friends-with-benefits. And it scared him.
But what exactly were they? Noah had asked himself that question so many times recently. They weren’t just friends who had sex and then went their separate ways. That would have been simple. But they spent almost every day together now—whether it was grabbing dinner, going on late-night drives, or just lounging around watching movies.
And then there was the sex, of course. Ryder’s touch was always possessive, always craving more than just a release.
Noah could feel it—it wasn’t just casual anymore.
They were almost like a real couple, but they had never confirmed it. No labels, no definitions. And Noah hated it. He wasn’t someone who liked undefined things. He wanted clarity, something solid. But every time he thought about asking Ryder what they really were, he felt his stomach twist with nervousness. How was he supposed to bring it up?
Every time the thought crossed his mind, embarrassment swelled in his chest. He wasn’t even sure how Ryder would react. Maybe he’d laugh it off, say it didn’t matter.
A sharp ring from the doorbell jolted Noah back to reality.
He blinked, pausing to wipe his hands on the kitchen towel before rushing to answer it. His heart skipped a beat as he swung open the door. And there he was—Ryder, standing on the other side, with that familiar, cocky grin that always made Noah’s stomach twist in both frustration and something dangerously close to fondness.