The Luck of Finding You

Five Years, Five Months, and Three Days Ago

If you asked my mom, she would probably say that I am running from my broken heart. 

Normally, I try to do everything possible to make sure my mom isn’t right about me, but in this instance, she is right. I am running. Running far away from my feelings of heartbreak and betrayal. I’m drowning my sorrows in this cute little café I found in Provo. It’s right next to a bookstore, which I plan to check out as soon as I finish eating the chocolate pastries I ordered. It’s the first day of spring break, and I have nothing but time.

I grab my book, which is the newest in Simone Sorrows’s latest fantasy romance series. Simone has been my mom’s favorite author for years, but she wouldn’t let me read any of Simone’s books until I turned eighteen. But, she gave me a copy of Simone’s new book last week for my eighteenth birthday. Dad laughed when she mentioned that she’d purchased a copy for herself too, asking why we would possibly need two copies of the same book in the house. As if he didn’t know that we’d both need our own copy. 

The café is nearly empty; the only other customer is an older woman who is knitting in the corner. I’ve barely read the first line of my book when the café door opens and a guy around my age with dirty-blond hair and legs for days walks in.

I try not to notice him. I don’t want to notice him. But I can’t help it. I look over the top of my book as if it will hide me and watch him as he walks to the counter and starts his order. I frown as the cashier gives him a flirty smile. Moving my eyes away from her, I take a chance to look at the cute guy for a second longer. He’s in a fitted white T-shirt and jeans. It’s not an outfit that would normally attract my attention, but it’s grabbed mine.

“Ugh.” I let out a frustrated breath. This is not helping. The whole point of coming here today was not to run to a new guy. Mom says I’m just like her though—I fall hard and fast at the idea of people and what might be between us. She says I’m in love with the idea of romance. My heart has been broken a thousand times, even though I’ve only really been in love once. He broke my heart too. 

Which is exactly why I’m here. 

Okay. Well. No.

I’m trying not to let that actually be the reason, even though everyone who knows me knows that I’m here in this new-to-me café with a new book to drown my heartache with chocolate pastries. I start on my second pastry and try not to look at Cute Guy again.

I force myself to look at my book, and I only manage to read the first line again before someone (who I’m trying to convince myself is not Cute Guy) approaches my table. 

“Is that book any good?” a deep voice asks. I swear there are butterflies in my belly that come to life when I hear those words. Cute Guy is asking about a book? I think I’m in love. Maybe we can get married and have ten kids.

I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to block out this insane narrative about our future that’s happening inside my mind.

I risk a glance up at Cute Guy and immediately regret it. Up close, he’s even more attractive. He’s got olive-green eyes and his dirty-blond hair hangs down over his forehead. “Um.” I swallow. “I just started it.” I hold out my book and show him the first chapter, as if to prove that my words are true. Cute Guy nods once, then he does something more insane than the thoughts in my brain.

He sits down across from me. I gawk at him for a moment, and his knee brushing mine under the table sends a jolt through my entire body.

I will not make anything out of this. I will not make anything out of this. I will not make anything out of this. 

“I honestly can’t wait to read the second book.” Cute Guy interrupts my mantra. When I look up to see him watching me carefully, I know I’ve lost all hope.

We’d have really beautiful babies. 

I mentally shake myself. I’m eighteen, for crying out loud. I should not be having thoughts like this, especially about someone I’ve just barely met. 

“You…what?” I’m so distracted by our future flashing before my eyes that I must have heard him incorrectly. “You’ve…read this?” I hold up the book.

Cute Guy nods.

I drop the book like I’ve been scalded. From what my mom has vaguely told me about Simone’s books, I can’t believe this guy has read them. Not that guys shouldn’t be reading romance novels; they really are for everyone. But it is shocking to have a guy who reads them sitting in front of me. 

“It’s my favorite of hers so far.” He gives a half-shrug like this information is no big deal. “She’s a really fantastic writer.” 

I gulp.  Is this real life? “She is a great writer.” Except I’ve only read one line she’s ever written, so I don’t actually know that yet. 

He nods and takes a sip from his strawberry smoothie. “What brings you here on this fine day?”

I hold back a laugh because no one I know talks like that. From the look on his face, he seems serious though. For a split second I think about lying. There’s no reason for me to tell this guy the truth, even though he is adorable. “I’m hiding from my ex-boyfriend.” It feels so lame to say the words out loud, even if that is exactly what I’m doing.

Cute Guy watches me for a moment. “He must be a real tool if you feel like you have to hide from him.”

Ugh. Why did I bring up Peter? I do not want to be talking about my ex with a guy I just met. 

“I’m Noah, by the way.” He grins at me and my heart jolts in my chest. Is this just attraction or something more? Do you feel attracted to someone with your entire body? The way he’s staring at me makes me feel like I’m on fire. “I’m visiting my grandma for spring break.”

I look down at my book, moving it on the table just to give my hands something to do. 

“You have a name, Book Girl?” Noah’s deep voice makes my belly flip. I try to ignore the physical reaction.

“Book Girl?” I ask him, raising an eyebrow. “That’s the best you’ve got?”

Noah holds up both his hands, and I notice he’s got a single dimple on his right cheek. “Working with what I know. I don’t know your name yet, but you are reading a book.”

“I do more than just read books.” I cross my arms over my chest.

“Okay.” Noah gives me that grin again. “So tell me about what you like to do, and I’ll come up with a better nickname.”

If talking about yourself was a test, it would be one that I’d fail. My least favorite thing in the world is telling people what my favorite food is or what flavor of ice cream I prefer. But I can do this. “I’m Tally.” 

Noah’s grin grows wider, the dimple in his cheek more pronounced. 

“Nice to meet you, Tally.” He holds a hand across the table. It seems so ridiculous that a laugh escapes my lips as I lift my hand to shake his.

His hand is warm and mine fits perfectly inside it. He moves our hands up and down once before giving me a squeeze and slipping his hand away.

My hand stays in the air for a split second before I realize how awkward that must look with my hand just hanging there.  

“So, Tally,” Noah says, as if he didn’t notice my hand in the air. “Tell me about yourself.” He puts a hand under his chin and stares at me. 

I’m so far gone that I don’t know if I remember how to speak. “I’ve got an older sister. She’s five years older than me and teaches art in a high school in California.”

“I asked about you, not your sister.” Noah says easily, then his eyes widen. “I’m so sorry, I just sat down at your table and didn’t even ask if that was okay. Am I making you uncomfortable?”

I shake my head. “No. No. It’s not you. Really. I’m just really bad at talking about myself.” 

“I get that.” Noah leans forward on the table. “Would it help if I asked questions?”

I laugh. “Actually, I think that would make it worse.” 

“Okay, I can start. I’m Noah. I’m from Colorado, and no, I don’t like skiing, and I think your eyes are the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen.” Noah looks at me so intently that I go warm all over, but I notice a faint blush on his own cheeks and can’t help but wonder if maybe he’s not as confident as he seems. I glance down again. 

I’m about to blurt something ridiculous, like we should get married and have a bunch of kids and read romance novels together (the two of us, not our children) when the door to the café swings open again and Peter walks in.

My heart drops to my stomach, and I sink low into the seat, wondering if the red polyester can swallow me whole. Peter is with her. Sarah. 

“You know those people?” Noah asks quietly. I nearly jump out of my skin at his voice.

“Unfortunately,” I tell him, still watching Peter and Sarah. That’s when the worst possible thing happens. Peter scans the café and his eyes lock with mine. I should look away. I should sit up straighter now that it’s obvious I was trying to hide from him. 

I watch, horrified, as Peter approaches our table. Sarah, thankfully, is already looking at the overhead menu and hasn’t noticed me.

“Hey, Tally.” Peter only has eyes for me.

I swallow. “Hey, Peter.” I hate the tight feeling that’s growing in my chest. He was the first guy I ever loved. And while I’ve always been a bit of a hopeless romantic, I thought he felt the same. We spent hours planning how we’d go to college together and see what the future held for us. 

Then he ruined it all. We haven’t talked much since that day three weeks ago when I went over to his house and found him making out with my best friend on the porch. He tried to apologize, but when I wouldn’t listen, he started dating her anyway.

I lost my best friend and boyfriend all in one day.

“How are you?” Peter’s voice is so gentle that it makes my heart crack in two. But I will not cry, not in front of him. He doesn’t deserve any more of my tears.

“Great.” I paste on a smile, but I’m clenching my hands under the table to keep myself from shaking or crying.

“That’s good.” Peter never looks away from me; it’s like he’s searching for the right words to say. An hour ago, if he’d come crawling back to me, groveling, I probably would have taken him back in a heartbeat. 

But five minutes ago I met Noah. And while I have only known him for less than an hour, he seems to be double the guy Peter is. 

“Yup.” I give him another smile; maybe it’ll give him the hint that I’d like him to walk away now.

“Peter?” Sarah calls from the dessert counter. “You coming?”

He stares at me for another beat. “Yup.” Then to me. “See you around.” 

I take a shaky breath as Peter winds through the empty tables back to Sarah. I clench my fists as he puts his hand on her lower back.

“You okay?” Noah’s voice snaps my attention back to reality. Back to him.

All the reasons I came to this café today come flooding back and I sink a little in my seat. Noah leans across the table, concerned. “What can I do?”

His thoughtfulness makes my eyes fill with tears. 

Noah moves from his seat across from me onto my bench. His arm brushes mine and we sit quietly for a moment. I discreetly wipe at my eyes, trying to get rid of the tears before they fall. Crying is not a great first impression. Noah doesn’t seem to notice though, because when I glance at him out of the corner of my eye, I see that he’s trying to burn a hole in the back of Peter’s head with his stare.

I touch his arm, surprising both of us. “You don’t need to worry about him, he’s just my ex-boyfriend with his new girlfriend.” I say, even though I’m trying to convince myself of the very same thing. 

“I’m not worried about him.” Noah’s staring at the spot on his arm where my hand rests. I pull away, suddenly self-conscious. 

“Then what are you worried about?” I ask when he doesn’t say anything else.

Noah glances over to Peter and Sarah for half a second before facing me, one of his arms moving across the back of the bench and stopping just above my shoulder. “Do you trust me?” 

I narrow my eyes at him. “What kind of question is that? I met you like ten minutes ago.”

“But do you trust me?” Noah’s voice is calm and makes me feel like I’m listening to the ebb and flow of the ocean.

“Yes.” My answer surprises me, but I have a good feeling about him.

“Can I kiss you?” Noah’s cheeks go a light shade of pink as he asks the question.

“Why?” I ask, but I’m leaning toward him already, trying to ignore the fact that I have indeed been thinking about kissing him ever since he walked in the door.

“You don’t need saving.” His free hand moves a stray hair behind my ear. I shiver as his finger grazes the side of my face. “But do you want to show him what he’s missing?”

My heart thuds in my chest. He only wants to kiss me because Peter is standing right over there. 

“I don’t need to make him jealous.” My voice is almost inaudible, even to me.

Noah nods. “The point isn’t to make him jealous.” 

“Then what’s the point?” I ask. I’m so tired of guys not just saying whatever it is they are thinking, whatever it is they want. I want Noah to just tell me how it is.

“I’d like to kiss you.” The blush on Noah’s face makes me smile. That and his words.

My hormones must have taken over because I answer, “All right.” 

One of his hands slips behind my neck and Noah shifts, moving closer to me. His other hand is warm on my arm. Involuntarily I shiver. His eyes never leave mine. 

“I’m going to kiss you now.” Noah whispers just before his lips meet mine. 

Then, right there, in the middle of the afternoon in a quiet little café, Noah is kissing me. HE IS KISSING ME.

That’s all I can process for the first few seconds until he pulls me closer. The hand on my arm moves to my back, and my hands sit awkwardly in my lap. His lips seem to fit perfectly with mine and he tastes like strawberries. I sigh into his kiss, and my hands move from my lap to his neck, the bottom of his hair tickling my fingers.

“Tally?” Peter’s voice sounds far away. “Tally?” 

I wonder for a split second if I should pull away, but I feel my insides melting. Kissing Noah is probably a bad idea. I get attached way too quickly, but I don’t want to stop. Slowly, so slowly, Noah eases away, his hand leaving my hair and traveling down my arm until it stops at my hand. He’s staring at me, and I don’t know him well enough to know what he’s thinking. I wish I knew what he was thinking.

His chest is heaving and I wonder if mine is too.

I just kissed a stranger in public. Fifteen minutes really isn’t that much time to know someone, even though I feel deep in my belly that I’m one hundred percent in love with him. 

“Tally?” Peter. This time his voice sounds strangled. 

Noah still has his eyes locked on mine, as if he’s daring me to look away. Then he squeezes my hand, but I’m not sure why. Reassurance, maybe? He did just kiss a total stranger to help her out, so I’m grateful regardless.

“I, uh, didn’t realize you were dating someone.” Peter says, and I look up at him to see him eyeing my swollen lips and the boy beside me.

Sarah looks furious. I mean, I would be too if I were her because of how Peter’s looking at me right now. Like I’m a tall glass of water and he’s just now realized how thirsty he is. 

But for the first time, I don’t feel a rush of anything toward him. There are no butterflies or hopeful thoughts that maybe he wants me again. If anything, I feel grateful that we’re done. 

“Can we go?” Sarah asks, tugging on Peter’s arm. He doesn’t move.

“I didn’t know you were dating anyone,” Peter repeats. 

Noah slips an arm around my shoulders and I lean into him. “It’s pretty new.” I glance over to Noah, grateful he’s playing the part of the doting new boyfriend. I flash a smile in Peter’s direction, who has no right to be jealous after what he did. I was in love with him. We hoped for a future together. Then he ripped my heart to shreds. 

With my best friend.

“Right,” Peter says, as if he doesn’t believe me.

“I’m Noah.” Noah looks up at Peter. “And I’ve heard all about you, so I think it’s time for you to go.”

My heart feels like it might fall out of my chest. Peter looks at me like it’s just hit him what he walked away from. I give a little petty wave because I’m feeling pretty good after that kiss.

“Let’s go,” Sarah hisses, obviously desperate to get out of this situation. Cause, yeah, awkward for her. I doubt they’ll last after this. 

Peter looks like he might say something, but Noah looks at me, and my eyes are drawn to his as our noses brush. My belly swoops at the realization that he might kiss me again. Peter makes a disgusted noise before heading out the door. Noah doesn’t move, even after they’re gone.

“Thank you,” I whisper, looking down because Noah’s gaze is too intense.

His hand brushes across my chin, tugging gently so that I meet his eyes again. “I have a proposal.”

“Okay?” I’m breathless.

“I’m only in town for one more night. Spend the afternoon with me?” 

That’s not what I was expecting. “Yeah.”

Noah’s still holding my face with one hand and my hand in the other. “I have a few rules.”

Intriguing. “Let’s hear them.” 

“No last names. No numbers. Just today.”

I hate the rules. I hate them. I want to talk about our future and plan our wedding and ask if he wants to have kids and a dog and if he’ll still like me when I’m old and wrinkly.

“Deal.” I’m afraid that if I say no, I won’t even get an afternoon with Noah.

And I want this afternoon. I push away the guilt that rushes to my chest. I told Mom that I needed a day alone when she asked me to help her in the garden today, something I used to love doing.

Noah grins, and I shove the guilt down even further. I can help her tomorrow. We have a thousand tomorrows, I only have this afternoon with Noah.

“Let’s go.” Noah tugs my hand, and I follow him out of the booth. 

“Where?” I’m laughing as I grab my bag and my book.

Noah smiles. “Maybe somewhere with a little more privacy so I can kiss you again.” 

My eyes grow wide.

“And there will be plenty of time for talking too. After all, I still only know that you like books, and I’m going to need more than that.” I follow Noah out of the door. “So we’ll skip that bookstore for now.” He points to the one I was hoping to stop by, but I can always come back. “And we’ll explore a bit.”

“And kiss a bit.” I bite my lip as I say it. Noah stops walking and tugs me closer to him, leaving a feather-light kiss against my lips.

“We’ll definitely kiss a bit.” 

I sigh at that. Maybe I can convince him to bend his rules.