“I have to go in.”

I said that, and then I just stood there. You know, like someone who didn’t have to go in. I hadn’t moved, even as I begged and pleaded with my body to move away, to go just like I said I would.

But the deepest part of me, the one that feared losing what I’d just – who I’d just found, wanted to move closer to him, to glue him to my side, to never lose sight of him. It was unrealistic. It was… extremely illogical. I knew that…

The moon shone down on the back of his head. Some of the strands of his hair fluttered in the gentle breeze. His eyes shone bright, if even holding a bit of sadness.

Noah…

He nodded at me, to the words I’d already forgotten I’d said.

I still couldn’t bring myself to move. If anything, his nod made me want to run back down the steps to him. I held myself back.

If he just left first…

But he wouldn’t.

I knew that.

He smiled at me, and it was lopsided and confused and perfect.

He was…

I didn’t want to go.

And I sure as heck didn’t want him to either.

All parts of me agreed and I was moving before I could really think it through. Noah and I were strangers hours ago. We became acquaintances. I learned he’d lost touch with his brother. I learned that he was mute and he mouthed words and letters as he signed them with his strong and nimble hands. He smiled when he felt it, and not all the time, making the moments he did… so precious. He liked communicating. He wanted me to understand what he tried to say and accommodated my lack of skill in the way he spoke.

He was a twin.

He could grow plants.

He was warm and comforting.

And I really liked what I knew now, about him.

I liked him.

I couldn’t hold myself back from holding his face in my hands, righting the small confused tilt and lifting his chin just a bit.

I stared into his eyes, trying to determine if this was, in fact, okay on his end. I hadn’t really asked or determined whether this was alright given the circumstances between us.

He just gazed right back at me.

“Noah… is it… okay if…”

Suddenly, I was nervous. I couldn’t finish the sentence. Gosh, what a mess. First, I didn’t ask, then I couldn’t finish asking. I begged him to understand without the need for words.

Begging wasn’t needed.

He placed his hand on mine that rested on his face and nodded his head just a little. His eyes squinted that little bit that happened when he smiled gently.

I gulped.

That was… a yes.

My eyes flicked down his face and by the time I worked up the courage to lean closer, he’d closed his eyes already.

I felt a smile start growing on my face as the distance closed. Briefly, with parted lips, we met in a new way.

And it was electric, his lips on mine. I wanted to pull him in deeper, nip playfully at his lips, soak in the feel and taste of Noah. To run my hands through his hair and over his head and pull him closer. If I took another step or two closer, I could press myself against him, feel the heat radiating off of his body, warm mine in his presence.

And I almost did let those things happen.

But I thought better of it while coming back to my senses.

What was I doing? Like seriously?! We just met! We didn’t talk about True Mates with each other! We didn’t discuss this at all! Despite everything between us, our future was still very uncertain right now.

I pulled back and turned, sprinting up the steps and into the house without a word or glance at the expression he might be wearing.

Leaning against the closed door, I held my hand to my chest, where my heart was beating wildly inside. I closed my eyes, letting a deep sigh fall from my tingling lips.

I just…

I just kissed…

Faintly, I heard the creaks of the wooden steps outside.

Panic gripped me. Was he coming up? Was he going to say something? What if he knocked?! What was I supposed to do?!

Ugh!

I didn’t even say goodnight, did I?!

The heck!

Was he mad?

Upset?

I stood frozen against the door, hoping I wouldn’t feel the wood rumble against my spine if his fist hit it.

And he didn’t. He didn’t knock.

It was silent.

I opened my eyes as I heard him retreat back down the steps, hearing the sand move as he walked away.

He… was leaving?

Oh my gosh! Pick, I scolded myself, do you want him to stay or go?!

After I couldn’t hear his steps over the crashing of the waves outside, I turned and quietly opened the door. At first, I didn’t spot anything. Then, I looked down.

It was sitting there, right on the doorstep, colorful and bright. With a smile on my face, I reached down to pick up the beautiful bouquet of flowers. I brought the bundle up to my nose just for a sniff, an instinct, if anything else. And it was just the perfect note to end the night on.

I was smiling, biting my lip gently as I turned and wandered back in the house.

These flowers, these specific flowers.

I remembered reading a book on the meanings behind flowers before.

These were…

Innocence and purity.

And…

And everlasting love.

Tears almost fell from my eyes. This gift was so precious. This was beyond anything I’d dreamed. I hugged it gently to my chest, my eyes falling closed again as the scent of the flowers overtook my senses.

Until there was a different noise.

A voice.

Just a short distance away.

“Who was that?”

My eyes shot open and my shoulders hunched up in surprise, only to find the source with my eyes a mere second later. I stared in shock at Jane, leaning against the wall, standing on the bottom step.

“How long have you been standing there?”

“Too long, it seems.”

Ah.

Who?

I smiled. “Hm. That was Noah.”

Immediately, Jane groaned heavily. I could hear her head thunk lightly against the wall.

“Oh no, not you too,” she muttered. “I can’t handle this many at the same time. Why is everyone going into a love bubble all at once?! Will, Lynn, now you. Lizzie too…”

“Hmm?”

I hadn’t really been paying attention to what she was saying. I was too busy looking at my flowers again. When Jane didn’t respond, I touched a petal lightly.

“He left me flowers, Jane.”

And they were so pretty…

He was pretty too.

“Yikes.”

“Aren’t they pretty?” I asked, referencing both him and the flowers in my muddled happy mind. To think all it took to feel so joyous was a bundle of flowers… though, maybe it was because he’d thought about it.

It’s the thought that counts, right?

I didn’t care if that was the correct usage of the phrase. In my mind, it made sense. These flowers were very thoughtful. I appreciated them.

I loved them.

“Where was he hiding those? Huh? Up his sleeve?”

I heard the sarcasm.

But I didn’t feel the sarcasm.

So, all in all, her sarcasm was ignored.

I took a deep breath in, the flowery scent overpowering my nose again. Pretty. I felt warm and bubbly all over.

Noah had said yes to my sudden desire to kiss him. He’d said yes. We’d kissed. I bit my lip.

Where was he hiding them, she asked?

Huh.

I felt a sort of stunned silence go through the whole of me. My mouth fell open.

He wasn’t hiding them.

He…

The vines the boys tripped over…

Noah was a twin.

“I think he grew them. He did the vines, too.” I grinned, recapturing my bottom lip with my front tooth. “That’s so incredibly sweet.”

“Okay. Well, then. Great. I’m going back to sleep. You’re all exhausting.”

“Okay.”

As she was trotting up the stairs to her room, I heard her mutter to herself. Though, maybe it was more of a grumble. Something about how this was supposed to be a relaxing vacation.

With a skip in my step, I climbed the stairs, beaming even brighter.

He’d grown these flowers, on a whim.

We’d talked, walked, shared moments in silence and learned how to communicate with each other.

I held the flowers to my nose as I danced through the doorway of my room and heaved myself onto the bed, being careful not to hurt the flowers. I set them down gently on the nightstand and stared at them a moment longer. I caressed another petal with the tip of my finger.

We kissed. He gave me flowers.

I smiled, crawling under the covers.

Tonight had been perfect. Wonderful. Amazing. Fantastic.

I ran out of words too fast.

Noah…

I drifted back through the night again, unable to truly feel exhausted enough to sleep. I mean, Noah was great, and he happened to be my True Mate. What could be more exciting than that?!

I couldn’t wait until–

A cold question slammed into my mind and I sat upright in the bed, clutching the blanket in my shaking hands. My eyes widened in horror.

What if – what if we never see each other again?