Violet had her romantic gesture planned. Noah was arriving in under an hour, and she hoped he'd feel the depth of her love and appreciation.

No one had been more supportive during her excruciating knee recovery. Physical therapy was brutal and frustrating, sometimes leaving her despairing. She feared she'd never dance again.

Noah was her rock, always assuring her everything would be alright. Since childhood, he'd offered rational perspective and calming support. His helpful perspective was matched by his reassuring presence.

He was easygoing and relaxing to be around—the perfect match for her sometimes high-strung self. He was her boyfriend now. She needed a shift in thinking; otherwise, their relationship wouldn't progress. And she desperately wanted it to—to spend her life with him.

As the elevator doors opened, she took a deep breath, bracing herself for the romantic evening. Then she saw her little brother, Nate.

"Nate! What are you doing here?" she exclaimed, quickly extinguishing the candles and turning on the lights.

He slumped dramatically onto her neck. "Everyone abandoned me! You won't kick out your favorite brother, will you, Vi?"

He looked up with his best puppy-dog pout, a tactic that had often worked. She couldn't kick him out, though he was, in that moment, her least favorite brother.

"Fine," she sighed. So much for romance. "Get off, you're crushing me."

He smiled brightly, having gotten his way. Violet fought back a scowl. He'd used the spare elevator key she'd left with her parents. Why hadn't he called?

Worse than interrupting her date with Noah, Nathan was a culinary student. He'd undoubtedly mock her fancy dinner attempt.

She wagged her finger threateningly. "I made dinner, and if you say one word about it in front of Noah, you're never setting foot in this apartment again. Got it?"

Nathan rolled his eyes. "I knew he was coming. You two are even more inseparable lately. I won't say anything, but no promises about not making faces behind his back."

That was the best she could hope for. She accepted, inwardly screaming with mortification. Even without food criticism, he'd know she'd planned a romantic evening.

After searching online for "best date night recipes," she'd made balsamic flank steak with potatoes and a strawberry mousse cake—a time-consuming endeavor. Nathan had made it once for class and complained about the process.

Noah might think it was just a fancy chocolate cake, but Nathan would know the hours of work involved. Surviving the evening without dying of embarrassment would be a miracle.

When the elevator opened again, Violet rushed to Noah, whispering about the change of plans.

"I'm so sorry, Noah! Nate showed up and guilt-tripped me," she whispered. "I'll make it up to you."

He laughed, hugging her. "Your brothers crash our dates way too often."

This was the first time! He'd been thinking of that Coney Island trip where Kaleb and Nathan tagged along—before she'd even dated Jeremy. Had he been wooing her then?

She felt stupid for not noticing. Noah had been, even paying for her share of dinners.

He'd been building up the courage to confess, even before the Jeremy situation. Her heart ached. He loved her so much and had stepped back for her happiness.

Looking back, her relationship with Jeremy would have ended regardless, their personalities and goals were too different.

If Noah hadn't confessed and stuck to his plan, things would have returned to normal after her breakup with Jeremy. She'd never have known.

Would he have ever pursued her again? Or would they have remained awkward best friends, stuck in a cycle of ill-fated relationships until they died?

After a few months with Noah, it became clear he'd subconsciously set the bar for her relationships. She wanted romance, yes, but also support and comfort. Someone she could be herself around.

Only Noah had ever fit that description, and she'd been too focused on the idea of romance to notice.

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