Sometimes she'd drop by after class, laptop still in her bag, and find him at one of the new restaurants he was helping to launch. He'd glance up from his clipboard or laptop the moment she appeared, his expression softening in that quiet, private way that always undid her.
Whenever she could, Noelle would join him after class, slipping into his car with a quiet thrill of familiarity. Sometimes they'd head straight to one of the new restaurants he was overseeing; other times, they'd stop for bubble tea first, their fingers brushing when they reached for the same straw.
Ren had started inviting her along more intentionally too.
"Come with me to the outlet later," he said one afternoon as they left the university gates together. "You haven't seen the new setup yet. Besides…" He shot her a sidelong glance, a teasing glint in his eyes. "…I don't want you thinking I'm hiding a secret life in the kitchen."
Noelle rolled her eyes but smiled, pretending not to enjoy the way he said come with me so easily, like she already belonged beside him.
He began bringing her along on his visits to the restaurant outlets, introducing her to the staff and letting her glimpse the world that consumed so much of his time and passion. At the restaurant, she'd sit in a quiet corner while he discussed floor plans or sampled dishes, occasionally catching his gaze across the room. Sometimes he'd beckon her over to taste something. "Tell me honestly what you think," he'd say, watching her closely as she took a bite, trying her best to appear composed even as his attention made her pulse quicken.
Noelle would laugh, pretending to scold him for turning her into his personal food critic but she'd still obey. She'd take the fork from him, their fingers brushing as she tasted the dish, trying not to notice how intently he watched her instead of the food.
Between tastings, she'd hover nearby while he went over invoices and staffing schedules, the hum of the restaurant filling the silence between them. Sometimes he'd pass by and rest a hand briefly at the small of her back, not for anyone else to see, just a quiet reassurance that he knew she was there.
Ren had started bringing her along more often, almost deliberately.
"Come with me after class," he said one afternoon, his tone light but his eyes serious. "It's easier if you see for yourself. Then you'll know what I'm really busy with… and what I'm not."
She arched a brow. "Are you saying I'm a jealous, possessive girlfriend?"
"I'm saying," he murmured, leaning a little closer, "that I'd rather you see my world than imagine it."
Noelle went quiet at that, her heart fluttering a little faster than she liked to admit. And so she did. She followed him from one outlet to another, listening as he talked to suppliers, watching the easy authority that came so naturally to him. It was strange, seeing him like this, not just her boyfriend, but someone with real drive and vision.
Still, she couldn't shake the flicker of insecurity that crept up sometimes, when she saw the way others, especially the female staff, looked at him. The way he smiled so easily, how capable he seemed. But then he'd glance back at her in the middle of a conversation, that small, knowing look in his eyes meant only for her and it was enough.
When they finally wrapped up for the day, the restaurant lights dimmed and the air outside carried the scent of rain. Ren leaned against a railing, waiting for his car.
"I like it when you come with me," he said, his voice softer now, the teasing gone. "Keeps me focused. And maybe it helps you see… that there's nothing here you need to worry about."
Noelle hesitated, then smiled faintly. "Maybe. But I think I like seeing you like this too. You in your element."
He tilted his head, that boyish grin tugging at his lips. "You make it sound like I'm more impressive than I am."
"You kind of are," she said quietly, and it made him pause. Long enough for her to feel the weight of what she'd just confessed.
He kissed her then, slow and unhurried, a kiss that tasted like everything they weren't saying out loud. And when he finally drew back, he whispered against her lips, "Let's go home."
Noelle rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her smile. "You're exasperating."
Ren laughed softly, his thumb brushing her hand. "I prefer 'charmingly persistent.'"
Noelle rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her smile. "You're ridiculous."
"Ridiculously good-looking, maybe," he teased, earning another eye roll but she was smiling wider now, her shoulders relaxing as they strolled past rows of softly lit cafés.
The street was quieter here, the air thick with the scent of cardamom and roasting coffee beans. Noelle could feel the warmth of his arm against hers, the gentle rhythm of their steps falling into sync.
By the time they reached the car, she was quiet, thoughtful. Ren noticed. "What's on your mind?"
She hesitated, looking at the city skyline glittering in the distance. "It's just… weird," she said. "How fast everything's changing. You with your restaurants, us spending more time apart soon when school reopens… Sometimes I wonder if we'll still fit."
Ren turned to face her fully, his expression tender but steady. "Hey." He lifted her chin gently until she met his eyes. "We're not something that fades just because life gets busy."
She blinked up at him, uncertain. "You sound really sure about that."
"I am," he said, voice low but unwavering. "Because I've never wanted anything to work as much as I want us to."
The air between them shifted, charged, quiet, real.
Noelle felt her chest tighten, a swirl of affection and ache mixing inside her. She wanted to tell him how deeply she felt the same, but the words got tangled somewhere in her throat.
Instead, she reached out and brushed her fingers against his wrist. "You talk too much," she whispered. Ren smiled, leaning in until his breath mingled with hers. "Then stop me."
And she did.
The kiss started soft, hesitant, almost shy, as though neither of them quite knew how to bridge the space between what they felt and what they could express. It was innocent, tender, Noelle's lips pressing gently against his, uncertain at first, like she was testing the waters of something much deeper. But then it deepened, slowly at first, then with a quiet urgency, as if the sweetness of the moment wasn't enough anymore, and something inside them both shifted. Ren couldn't stand it, this pure, unguarded innocence, the way she leaned into him with such trust, as though she can lean on him for anything and everything. Ren felt his control melted away as their kiss grew more urgent, more necessary.
When they finally broke apart, Noelle sank into his embrace, her cheek brushing against the steady rise and fall of his chest. "Next time, I'm not letting you talk your way out of it," she said, though the corner of her mouth curved upward.
He chuckled softly, wrapping his arms around her. "Then I must be doing something right."
"Barely," she said, but her voice was lighter now, almost affectionate.
He smiled against her hair. "Come on," he whispered. "Let's go home."
The drive home was quiet at first, the kind of quiet that wasn't empty but full of thoughts, of unspoken things. Rain streaked softly across the windows, city lights melting into a blur of gold and red.
Ren sat beside her in the back seat, his jacket draped loosely over her shoulders. His hand rested on the space between them, fingers idly tracing the seam of the leather seat until, almost without thinking, Noelle's hand found his. He turned, catching the faint reflection of her face in the glass with her hair still a little damp from the drizzle, her eyes distant but calm.
"You're thinking too much again," he murmured.