Birthday Flowers | The Kissing Booth

27. The Longest Lunch

Previously: "Well, better get used to seeing us together again. Especially if you're planning on spending a lot of time with your grandchild, but I'll let Elle tell you about that. Now you two have a nice lunch." And with that, a grinning Noah kisses June's cheek and starts to walk away.

(Elle)

June's jaw drops, and then her whole face flashes with fury as she sets her hands at her hips.

"Noah Flynn, get your butt back to this table." She's not technically yelling, her voice is at a perfectly reasonable volume, but her tone is unmistakable.

I watch Noah freeze, then turn to face us with his best innocent smile.

"I was thinking I'd let you two catch up. Since it's been so long. And this is really more of a girl thing."

"Sit. Down."

If you've ever wondered why Noah's always trying to use his mom to win arguments with me—that June would kill him if she found out he let me sleep on the couch; that June would kill him if I moved to San Francisco—it's because he really does fear his mom to an endearing extent. Not that he actually believes June would ever hurt anyone, because that's not her style. But does he really believe he'd never ever hear the end of it? That she'd guilt him, needle him, wear him down slowly but surely? Yes. And is that belief reasonable? Probably also yes. So this should be fun.

Noah knows he's lost. He pulls a third chair up to the table and plunks himself down on it, looking vaguely sheepish.

"Now sit and be quiet while I talk to Elle." June turns her attention back to me now, and her expression instantly transforms from furious to overcome.

"Elle? Are you really?" Her voice is somewhere between disbelief and awe.

It's all I can do to nod, my voice failing me.

"Oh, Elle, honey." June's tearing up as she reaches for my hand and pulls me up for a hug. I let her wrap me in her arms and I'm so, so glad Noah forced this meeting because I have been needing this hug for a long time. And here come my own tears, because right now even soup commercials get me crying, so you can guess the effect of June holding me tightly and whispering how happy she is.

June finally pulls back and takes a long look at me, her eyes sweeping appraisingly over me. "Six months?"

"Almost," I admit.

"Well, sit down sweetie, because this is going to be a long lunch by the time you two get me caught up on this little development and why I'm just now hearing about it." June is smiling warmly, but she fixes both of us with a steady gaze that is just a little terrifying as she sits down across from me.

"It's my fault you didn't know until now. Not Noah's. He didn't even know until - " I blurt out.

June's eyebrows rise at the start of my outburst, but I clam up when the waitress suddenly appears. Once she's taken our drink orders and disappeared, Noah jumps in before I can finish my admission.

"Elle and I needed time to figure some stuff out before telling you. But we're telling you now."

"And you're telling me this together?"

I can't help but look at Noah and then back at June, confused. "Yes? Since you didn't let him get away with his disappearing act?"

"No, I mean - should I indeed be getting used to seeing the two of you together again, as Noah said before trying that disappearing act? And not your ridiculous avoidance routine of the past two years? Although, clearly you haven't been avoiding each other entirely."