"Are you alright?" Noah asked me when we drove to a little town by the beach. Since we were expecting a sunny day today —and we miraculously didn't get stuck at work, we decided to have lunch in one of our favorite lunch bistros at the shore.

I pushed my sunglasses up, shifting my eyes to him. "Yes, of course. Why wouldn't I?"

He shrugged, but his eyes stayed focused on the road. "Not sure. You feel quiet."

"I do?" I asked. "I feel fine. Just enjoying the dry weather for once. I'm so sick of rainy days."

"Yeah."

We weren't the only ones with the idea to hit the beach. Family cars with bikes attached to the rear racks became a familiar sight during our trip. Not only that, car windows were rolled down, music blasted from the stereos, and faces screamed joy as if it was still a summer holiday. People just wanted to make the best of it before the full-blown autumn hit us with no mercy.

"We have less rain in my hometown, but we do have a lot of wind," I said, suddenly feeling nostalgic.

"I would love to see it one day."

Noah had said this a few times already and I always ignored it, but with Lea's wedding drawing nearer, I was seriously considering bringing Noah as my plus one. If Blake came with Kendall, there was no way I would be in the same space with them, looking single and miserable. That would be against the guideline for presenting ourselves in front of our exes.

"Maybe we can make it happen sooner than later," I said, glancing at him. "My best friend's wedding is next month. Lea. Maybe you want to be my plus one?"

A smile grew on the corners of his lips. "I would love to." He slowed down and took the turn to a restaurant that had a huge deck facing the sea. I thought we were early, but at least half of the tables were already occupied. "I need the exact date so that I can clear up my schedule."

"It's the end of the autumn break. I will need to be there for the whole week before the wedding, obviously, but you don't need to take a week off for that."

"I don't?"

"I'm the maid of honor. I will be running errands like crazy. I don't think it's appropriate to let you come, but ignore you almost the whole time."

"I see," he said, turning off the engine. "Then I shall be there a day before the ceremony. Or two. Do we fly back home together?"

I smiled at him and nodded, opening the passenger door. "Of course."

Inhaling the humid and salty air, we walked side by side to the restaurant, the gravel crunching under our shoes. We took a table at the far corner of the deck. It had the hardest wind, but it was the best spot to enjoy the sun. The only thing I needed to pay attention to was the gulls. Those white devils would grab whatever they could steal from our table when we weren't looking, and our table would be on their closest radar.

"About the wedding," Noah said once we sat down. "Are you sure?"

I raised an eyebrow at his question. "Yeah...?" When I realized my reply sounded more like a question than an answer, I added, "Of course, I'm sure. Why do you ask?"

With a smile on his face, he squinted his eyes at me. "It means I will be meeting your friends and family. How are you going to introduce me to them?"

"A...friend?"

"A friend who flew from the other side of the country to be your plus one?"

"Well, you're my date, obviously. A friend I'm dating."

My reply earned a chuckle from Noah. "Alright. So, as your date, I have permission to kiss you in front of your family, your friends, and your no-longer friends?" He stressed the last word and I knew exactly what he meant. He was referring to my exes.

I barely shared my past with Noah because it would feel like I was sharing life with him. And that was never the plan. On the other hand, to him, I must have been like a girl with no history, non-existent friends, and a mysterious family. However, at this point, discovering my past relationship with Blake would be inevitable.

"I guess," I said. "Though I'm not so much of a PDA person."

"I noticed that, of course."

"But yeah, we're dating. What's wrong with showing a bit of affection in front of my folks?" I said, picturing my mom would interrogate me for twenty-four hours when she learned about Noah. She thought I dated a new guy every month. But again, Noah wasn't my boyfriend either. It was going to be a hassle explaining it to Mom.

"Alright," he said as the waiter walked to our table to take our order. After we chose two bowls of salad, fish and chips, and soda drinks, Noah averted his focus on me again. "I have a question, though. It's rather a serious one."

I straightened up my sitting position. For some reason, I knew where this was going. "Okay. Shoot."

He folded his arms on the table, sighing as if he was trying to control his nerves. "We've been seeing each other for almost two years now. I know it was not that intensive because of our schedules, and you were also very clear that you weren't looking for a serious relationship. I didn't plan to be exclusive to anyone either back then, but I have to say, I've been enjoying our time together. You're chill, very understanding when it comes to my inconsistent presence due to my demanding job, and–" he paused before stroking his shaven jaws with his fingers. "I just feel comfortable being with you."

I smiled at his words. "Thank you. I feel comfortable with you too, Noah."

"I'm glad." He nodded. "Having said that, I just wanted to ask if...you have ever considered maybe...taking this to the next level."

Despite knowing that he was going to bring this up, I was still pretty speechless after he actually said it out loud. "Noah, I..."

"I'm not asking you to marry me or something if that's what you have in mind," he said without giving me a chance to finish my line. "But wait, actually, I want to know about something. I've been wanting to ask you this, but you don't have to answer me if you don't want to."

"Okay."

"Are you waiting for someone else in your life? I mean, I'm not sure what happened in the past, but" —he chewed his lower lip— " you're being reluctant to share anything about your past makes me think that you're still not over something or someone. Am I right, Jenny?"

Noah was not stupid; I gave him that. He must have guessed it from the start, but he was considerate enough not to bother me with these questions in the past two years.

"Well, that's not true," I said. "I've been in a few relationships but none of them was successful. The last one hurt the most, but I'm over it. About why I don't want to talk about my past is because I just see no point in doing so."

"So, there is no one else?"

I shook my head. "No, and I'm not holding back because of anyone," I said, shrugging. "I've seen enough, and I just don't think I want to be in a relationship."

Noah frowned and looked down at the wooden table between us. "Do you enjoy spending time with me?"

"Yes, I do. I just told you that, didn't I?" I smiled at him. "I enjoy being with you, but I also need you to know that you're free to leave if you don't feel fulfilled with what we have right now. Or if you maybe meet someone who can offer you more, you can always walk out." Thinking about the day Noah said he met someone and wanted to pursue a serious relationship made my stomach churn. It would make me sad for sure, and I would miss him dearly, but I'd made my decision.

"I wasn't trying to ask if I was free to leave," he replied, pulling me out of my train of thought. "I just want to ask if you maybe want to consider trying to take us to the next level. It doesn't have to be an exclusive relationship, but maybe it's something that encourages us to open up, to get to know each other more."

I frowned. "I'm not sure I'm following you. We know each other quite well."

"Not that well." He shook his head. "I know almost nothing about you, Jenny. Okay, I know what makes you laugh, or how you'd react to certain things. I also know your body and how to please you, but I can't feel you. You're so...guarded."

His last line nailed me on the head. He wasn't wrong there. "Maybe you're right. I'm sorry I–" I paused, trying to look for the correct words, "didn't know it bothered you. I thought you were okay with that."

"I'm not saying I'm not okay, but I do want to know you better." A smile grew on the corners of his lips. "And if I can be honest, you're inviting me to the wedding as your date gives hope. That's why I asked if you're maybe ready to take this to the next step. Not just as a fuck buddy, you know. I want to be your friend, your guy."

I put my hand on top of his. "You are my friend, Noah."

"Nuh-uh." He shook his head firmly. "Bim is your friend. Even that red-haired weirdo is your friend. I bet they know more about you than I do."

I opened my mouth but closed it again, wanting to deny it but there was no point. Because he was right. "So, you're jealous of my weirdo pals?" I teased.

Noah shrugged. "Maybe." His reaction prompted me to giggle, earning me a scowl from him. "Well, they don't get to undress you. So, point for me."

I looked around our table before narrowing my eyes at him. "Dude, there are kids here."

"Oops. My bad."

The waiter came with our drinks and said he would be back to bring the rest shortly. But I'd bet my ass on it that he wouldn't be back until he made sure we finished our drinks. With that, we'd need to order another round of drinks and more money for them.

After I took a few sips of my soda drink, I cleared my throat. "I honestly don't know where this is going. I mean, I didn't have any reservations when I asked you to come as my date. But you might be right. Maybe I'm ready to let you see another part of my life."

"Alright. I'm not going to push further, I swear. I'm just happy that we did this talk." He took his glass and lifted it in the air. "For our new level of friendship."

I grinned and lifted my glass before tapping it slowly at his. "For our new friendship."

"I can't wait to see your family and friends at the wedding."

"Good. You will love them," I replied as I took another sip, hiding my face behind the glass, shoving my guilt to the back of my mind. I asked him merely because I couldn't stand being around Blake and his girlfriend, but I didn't tell him the truth. I just couldn't.