The Missing Years - a kissing booth fan fiction

Promise

Elle

Noah and I have been back to the beach house a few times since the 4th of July, on our own and with the other Flynns. Lee's design is incredible, much more conducive to us all being there together, while still having a bit of privacy, which is nice. But this weekend it's just going to be Noah and I. It's been a crazy week for me at work, so I'm happy to be getting away for a couple of nights.

Noah's been a little weird this week, but I'm putting it down to the role reversal. He's not used to being the one getting home first, but it's made a nice change for me. Coming home to a smiling Noah who's made dinner is to be recommended. He even got off work early today and text me to say he'd head to the beach house first to open it up and buy groceries and stuff. Which honestly, is great because it gave me time to go home, shower and change and then just ride my bike there, dodging all the traffic.

On the ride I think about how much life has changed in the last year. Less than a year, actually. A year ago, Noah and I weren't even speaking. It's so strange to think about that. Now we're very much together, we're living together for god's sake. It doesn't feel like we've moved too fast, though. It's felt right, all of it, like puzzle pieces clicking into place. Each piece making the picture more complete. There'd been a lot of time over the years when I'd thought there was no way Noah and I would ever get back together. A few times I thought maybe there might be a chance, however slim.  But there's no way I could have predicted all this, back when I saw Noah at the carnival.

It still gives me a bit of a rush to think about that moment when I first saw his face, his smile, after living for so long without it. I grin as I pull into the driveway, seeing his car parked there. I take off my helmet and jacket and walk to the front door. The sight that greets me when I open it knocks the breath out of me, and suddenly I feel like I'm 18 again.

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Noah

I've set up a kind of do over dinner at the beach house, under the pergola, overlooking the ocean. The same way I did that night that summer, I filled the house and the pool area with candles. I'd taken a half day off work to get ready and set this up. I watch Elle come through the house, her face unreadable.

She stops in front of me, looking uncertain and slightly worried. "I'm getting a very strong sense of déjà vu, Noah."

I smile at her, hoping that this wasn't a stupid idea, that the memories of that other night aren't going to overwhelm this one.

"Yeah, but we never got to enjoy this last time. Come, sit."

I pull her chair out and hand her a glass of champagne. We eat dinner and I try to keep the mood light, seeing that Elle is still a bit hesitant. But I'm trying to gently steer the conversation towards the future. Our future.

Obviously I'm not doing the greatest job though, because the next thing out of Elle's mouth is, "The future? What do you want from me Noah? A five year plan?"

"Elle, shh, hey, I didn't mean it like that." I reach across the table and take her hand. This isn't going how I'd hoped, so I try a different approach.

"Do you know the reason I wanted to have dinner here?"

"Because I ruined it last time?"

Of course she would think that. Maybe I should have prefaced this whole thing a bit better.

"No! Elle, I ruined it last time. I should have known you had something on that night. I should have gone with you. At the very least I should have waited for you. I should have done a lot of things. But the reason I wanted to have this dinner now is the same reason I wanted to then. I want to tell you something."