“Why didn’t you?”
“Wasn’t thinking through decisions particularly well at that point in my life.” He smiles. “Wrong recruiter caught me first.”
When I reach for popcorn again, his hand is already there. Our fingers tangle briefly before I pull back.
“Sorry,” I murmur.
“Don’t be.”
I don’t look at him. But I heard him.
The air between us feels electric.
The storm outside rumbles like a restless animal, rain streaking the narrow windows near the ceiling. On-screen, the stuntman dives through fire, but I barely see it. All I can feel is the warmth radiating from the man next to me, the faint scent of cedar and clean soap.
“You always this quiet during movies?” Noah teases, voice low.
“Only when I’m enjoying them.”
He goes still. Not for long—just long enough to tell me something registered.
His gaze catches mine—steady, direct. For a heartbeat, I forget how to breathe. He leans slightly closer, like he might whisper something, and my pulse trips over itself. The air feels charged, humming. One more inch and?—
What am I doing?
I don’t pull away.
Thunder cracks directly overhead. The lights flicker. Once. Twice.
Darkness.
Complete, absolute darkness.
“Stay there,” Noah says, his voice clipped. Professional. Alert.
I hear him stand, feel the shift of air as he moves. My heart pounds—not from fear of the dark, but from the sudden shift in his energy.
“Generator should kick in,” I say.
“Should have already.” His voice comes from near the hallway. “When did you last test it?”
“Is ‘never’ an acceptable answer?”
I hear him exhale—half amusement, half exasperation. “If it’s the truth. Stay here. I’ll check the panel.”
I reach for my phone and search for electrical outage updates. There’s no point in finding my electrical panel if everyone in Georgetown lost power.
“Ah…it’s in the closet, down here,” I say, getting up while scanning news articles, making my way to show him. Nothing’s coming up about an electrical outage, but it just happened. Maybe that’s why there’s no update.
Using my phone’s flashlight, I shine the light along the wall, looking for the narrow closet door.
Thunder shakes the foundation of the house.
“It’s in that closet,” I say.
Noah opens the door and flips the metal cover open. He uses his phone for a light.
“Hmm,” he says. “Okay. Power’s out, but on the chance the system’s compromised, I want you to come with me while I retrieve something from my room.”