“I know. But... but don’t look that way.”
She was still looking down, but she heard him let out a breath. “How was I looking?”
“Like... like...” Yearning. Longing. Like he wanted something desperately. “Like you’re not... not happy. Like you don’t have everything you want.”
That wasn’t exactly right, but it was as close as she could articulate without curling up into a ball of mortification.
“No one has everything they want, Serena.”
“I do. I’m perfectly happy right now, and I’m really scared of messing it up. But I want you to be just as happy.” She finally had the courage to look up and see his expression. It wasn’t terrifying anymore.
It was his normal clever, dryly amused self. “I’m doing pretty well for myself, Serena. You don’t have to worry about me.”
His words were a relief, but the moment before had really rattled her. “I do worry about you. I can’t help it. I’m a worrier, and I care about you a lot.”
“Well, I care about you too. And I think we’re both doing just fine, as long as you don’t try to control how I look.” He made the words lighter by the slight quiver of his lips.
She stuck her tongue out at him, but his comment had broken the tension completely. She gave him a quick hug and started the dishwasher and then went to kiss Eva goodnight and turn off the light.
It was fine. Everything was fine. She and Keith were still good.
And a passing look didn’t mean that much. It could have been prompted by anything.
It didn’t have to mean what she’d thought it might.
It didn’t have to mean that at all.
YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE about The Mission here.
about Noelle Adams
NOELLE HANDWROTE HER first romance novel in a spiral-bound notebook when she was twelve, and she hasn’t stopped writing since. She has lived in eight different states and currently resides in Virginia, where she writes full time, reads any book she can get her hands on, and offers tribute to a very spoiled cocker spaniel.
She loves travel, art, history, and ice cream. After spending far too many years of her life in graduate school, she has decided to reorient her priorities and focus on writing contemporary romances. For more information, please check out her website: noelle-adams.com.