Chapter 1
Mia Santos stared at herself in the mirror for almost twenty minutes.
The red dress hugged every curve she spent years trying to hide. Her stomach. Her hips. Her thick thighs.
“You’re seriously overthinking this,” her cousin Elena called from outside the bathroom door.
Mia groaned. “I look like a stuffed enchilada.”
“Elena laughed. “You look hot. Open the door.”
Mia slowly stepped out.
Elena gasped dramatically and grabbed her chest. “OH. MY. GOD.”
“Stop lying.”
“I’m literally offended you think I’m lying right now.”
Mia looked down, nervously pulling at the fabric around her waist. “Maybe I should wear black instead.”
“No.” Elena grabbed her shoulders. “You always hide yourself. Tonight you’re not doing that.”
Mia swallowed hard.
She wanted to believe her.
But confidence didn’t magically appear because someone told you to have it.
—
The engagement party was packed with music, fairy lights, and laughing couples dancing under the warm California night sky.
Mia instantly regretted coming.
Every skinny woman in the room looked effortless while she felt too noticeable. Too big.
She headed straight for the dessert table.
“Honestly? Respect,” a deep voice said behind her. “Everyone else went for champagne first. You went for mini cheesecakes.”
Mia turned around.
And nearly forgot how to breathe.
Tall. Broad shoulders. Dark hair. Soft brown eyes.
The man smiled slightly.
“I’m Noah.”
“Mia.”
He glanced at her plate. “So which one’s the best?”
“The strawberry swirl,” she answered automatically.
“Good. I trust experts.”
She blinked. “Experts?”
“You look emotionally connected to cheesecake.”
A laugh escaped her before she could stop it.
Noah’s expression softened immediately like hearing her laugh was his favorite sound in the world.
And somehow that made her even more nervous.
—
Later that night, Mia stood near the patio alone, scrolling mindlessly through her phone.
“You disappeared,” Noah said, walking over.
She shrugged. “Crowds aren’t really my thing.”
“Same.”
“You? Really?”
He leaned against the railing beside her. “You think firefighters are automatically social?”
“I mean… kinda.”
He laughed quietly.
God, even his laugh was attractive.
Mia stared down at her heels. “You probably talk to beautiful women all the time anyway.”
Noah frowned immediately.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
She froze.
“I’m just saying—”
“Mia.”
The way he said her name made her heart stumble.
“I’ve noticed you since the second you walked in.”
Her cheeks burned.
“The red dress,” he admitted softly. “Kind of ruined my ability to think.”
Mia stared at him in shock.
“You’re joking.”
“Nope.”
“You don’t have to flirt to be nice.”
“I’m not flirting to be nice.”
His eyes moved slowly over her face not judgmental. Not mocking.
Admiring.
“You’re beautiful.”
The words hit harder than they should’ve.
Because nobody had ever said them like they truly meant it.
Mia looked away quickly before he could see the emotion in her eyes.
“You barely know me.”
Noah smiled gently. “Then I guess I should fix that.”
—
By the end of the night, Noah walked her to her car.
“You got home safe?” Elena texted immediately.
Mia ignored it.
Because Noah was standing there with his hands in his pockets looking at her like she was something precious.
“I had fun tonight,” he said.
“Even with the cheesecake lecture?”
“Especially because of the cheesecake lecture.”
She laughed again.
God.
This man made her feel soft in places she thought had hardened forever.
Noah hesitated before speaking again.
“Can I see you again?”
Mia’s stomach flipped.
Every bad memory tried screaming in her head at once.
Too big.
Too much.
Not pretty enough.
Men like him don’t choose girls like you.
But Noah waited patiently.
Like her answer mattered.
Like she mattered.
Slowly, Mia smiled.
“Yeah,” she whispered. “I’d like that.”
Noah smiled so hard it looked uncontrollable.
And for the first time in a very long time…
Mia felt wanted.
