What He's Really Thinking

The game of Truth or Dare ended with me kissing the guy I’ve been secretly in love with for a year.

And somehow, it gave me the ability to read his mind.

After I did it, he retreated to a corner of the couch, his expression as cool and unreadable as ever. He didn't say a word.

But a voice, his voice, echoed clearly in my head.

Her lips are so soft.

I need to figure out a way to make her kiss me again.

1

It was a stupid party dare. The kind of thing you do in college when the music is too loud and the air is thick with cheap beer and bad decisions. I lost a round of cards, and the penalty was a dare.

I squeezed my eyes shut and pulled a card from the deck fanned out on the coffee table. The moment I drew it, the crowded living room erupted.

My best friend, Mia, who was squeezed next to me on the couch, let out a shriek of laughter so loud it vibrated through my skull. My hand holding the card started to tremble. If she was laughing that hard, I must have drawn something mortifying.

“Oh my god, Chloe! Open your eyes, you have to see this!”

Mia slapped my shoulder, urging me on. Bracing myself, I opened my eyes. The words on the card made my trembling worse.

【Kiss the person next to you. Passionately.】

There were only two people next to me. On one side was Mia. On the other was Noah Evans.

He wasn’t even supposed to be sitting there. Earlier, he’d claimed the cigarette smoke from across the room was getting to him and asked to swap seats with some guy. He’d ended up right next to me.

The catcalls and whoops from our friends intensified. Mia put her hands on her hips, her grin wicked. “Just so we’re clear, you are not kissing me,” she declared. “Girl-on-girl is a no-go for this dare!”

With that, every eye in the room landed on Noah.

The noise level spiked again.

My whole body went rigid. I turned to look at him, my palms slick with sweat. He sat there calmly, the dim party lights casting his face in shadow, making him impossible to read. We’d been in the same friend group for a year, but I don’t think we’d ever exchanged more than a dozen words. Kissing him felt less plausible than flying to the moon.

“Chloe, this is your shot! Don’t blow it!” Mia hissed in my ear.

I wanted to. God, I wanted to. But how could I?

As if finally sensing the weight of two dozen stares, Noah slowly looked up. His gaze drifted from me to the card in my hand. His expression remained a perfect blank.

My nerve broke. “Maybe we should just skip it…” I mumbled.

“I’m fine with it.”

My voice died in my throat. Noah cut me off, his eyes lifting to meet mine. His face was still passive, but his voice was steady. “I don’t have a problem with it.”

2

The room exploded.

Mia’s laughter reached a pitch I can only describe as demonic. Propelled by the roar of the crowd, I leaned toward Noah, my heart hammering against my ribs with every inch I closed the distance.

The second my lips brushed against his, I saw his throat move as he swallowed hard.

His lips were warm. And incredibly soft.

I remembered seeing an anonymous post on the campus confession page once, debating who had the most kissable lips. Noah’s name had come up more than once. The verdict was that they looked like they’d be perfect to kiss.

They were. The rumors were true.

Maybe it was just the adrenaline, but for a split second, I thought I felt the corner of his mouth twitch into the faintest hint of a smile.

Is he… smiling?

My heart went into overdrive. The dizzying rush of it all was so intoxicating that it wasn't until Mia practically fell off the couch laughing that I snapped back to reality. I couldn’t bring myself to deliver the “passionate” part of the dare. A simple, soft press was all I could manage before I pulled back so fast I bumped into Mia.

“That’s it?!” she screeched, snatching the card from my hand. “Where’s the passion?”

“That’s enough, that’s enough,” I mumbled, my face burning. I couldn’t look at anyone.

Mia sighed with the dramatic frustration of someone whose favorite TV show just got canceled.

3

After a few minutes, when my pulse had returned to something resembling normal, I realized the spot beside me was empty. Noah had moved. He was now sitting at the far end of the sectional, alone.

I watched him, a knot of anxiety tightening in my stomach.

Why did he move so far away?

He looks… annoyed.

What’s he thinking?

He regrets it!

I ruined his night!

He hates me!

My mind spiraled. I was debating whether I should go over and apologize when a familiar voice echoed in my ear.

She kissed me.

What?

That was Noah’s voice. I scanned the room, but he was still in the corner, perfectly still. He hadn’t moved his lips.

Did I imagine that?

I stared at him, my brow furrowed in confusion.

A second later, the voice came again, clearer this time.

Her lips are so soft.

Noah blinked, a slow, deliberate motion.

I need to figure out a way to make her kiss me again.

What. The. Hell?

4

I sat frozen, trying to process what had just happened, until Mia, fresh from another round of the game, nudged me.

“What’s up? Cat got your tongue, or are you just blissed out?”

“Did you…” I started, choosing my words carefully. “Did you hear Noah say anything just now?”

“Noah?” Mia frowned, glancing over to the corner. “He hasn’t said a word since… you know.” She waggled her eyebrows. “Chloe, are you drunk?”

She patted my head like I was a child. “Just chill here for a bit, okay honey?”

And with that, she was dragged back into the game, leaving me to drown in my own confusion.

Was I really just hearing things? It felt so real.

My thoughts were interrupted by a new wave of cheering.

“Alright, make way, make way! Evans is getting in on the action!”

I watched as one of the guys scooted over, creating a space on the couch.

Right next to me.

Noah got up from his corner seat and, with that same infuriatingly calm expression, sat down in the empty spot.

My heart skipped. His last thought, the one I’d supposedly imagined, came rushing back.

I need to figure out a way to make her kiss me again.

5

Once the game started again, Noah was on an incredible losing streak. He had to chug his drink three times in a row.

Even his friend, Ryan, looked baffled. “Dude, when did you get so bad at this game?”

Noah just shrugged, his expression cool. “Bad luck, I guess. Deal me in.”

Predictably, he lost the next round too.

This time, though, he didn’t reach for his drink. He eyed the deck of dare cards on the table.

Ryan caught his drift and, with a theatrical flourish, swept the cards into a messy pile. “Let’s see what fate has in store for my man Noah! C’mon, something good, like a lap dance for a stranger!”

Noah’s face was a mask of indifference. He stared down at the cards, as if weighing a decision of immense gravity.

Then, I heard it again. That voice. His voice.

I have to pick the one with the crease.

My eyes shot to the pile of cards on the table. A crease? Which one had a crease?

He was taking his time. Ryan nudged him. “C’mon, man, pick one.”

Noah’s gaze swept over the cards one last time before locking onto a single one near the edge. A flicker of something—relief?—crossed his features before being instantly erased. He reached out and tapped it with his finger.

“This one,” he said, his tone casual.

Ryan snatched it up, his eyes widening as he read it. A huge, knowing grin spread across his face.

“Oh, man. Oh, you guys are not gonna believe this.”

He held the card to his chest, milking the suspense. Mia, never one for patience, was about to lose it.

“What is it? Spit it out!”

“This card… this card is just…”

Mia balled her fists. “Ryan, I swear to god, I will punch you!”

After a few playful jabs from her, he finally gave in. His eyes darted between me and Noah, that stupid grin still plastered on his face as he revealed the grand prize.

He flipped the card over. I leaned in to see. And then I froze.

It was my card.

The exact same one. The words 【Kiss the person next to you. Passionately.】 stared back at me. As I looked closer, I saw it—a tiny, almost imperceptible crease in the bottom right corner.

My heart rate skyrocketed.

Ryan nudged Noah, his voice dripping with insinuation. “What a coincidence, huh, man?”

“Yeah,” Noah said, his expression completely flat as he glanced at the card and gave a small nod. “A real coincidence.”

He said it, and then his eyes lifted and met mine.

My breath caught.

His eyes were dark, intense. He held my gaze for a few seconds in the dim light before asking, his voice quiet and even.

“Is that okay with you?”

6

My brain went completely blank.

Okay with… what? Was this really happening?

Mia muffled a squeal, her eyes bouncing between the two of us. After a moment, she exploded with laughter and, leaning over, pushed my head forward in a nod. “Yes! Yes, it’s okay! We are all law-abiding citizens who respect the rules of the game!”

Noah shot her a quick glance before his eyes returned to me, waiting.

As if sensing my hesitation, he added quietly, “I was fine with it before.”

The implication hung in the air. I played along for you. It’s only fair that you do the same for me.

“I… I mean…”

Before I could finish, a hand shoved my shoulder, and I stumbled forward, right into Noah.

I gasped, but a pair of strong hands caught me, steadying me.

The next thing I knew, my lips met his. Warm. Soft.

I looked up and found him already looking down at me. His eyelashes were so long. From this angle, I could see them flutter as he blinked slowly.

And then, the corners of his eyes crinkled.

He was smiling.

7

This was going to kill me.

Kissing my crush twice in one night had my heart doing gymnastics. I was suddenly wide awake, my body temperature rising like a furnace. If I stayed there one second longer, I was going to spontaneously combust.

I scrambled off him and mumbled something about the bathroom, practically fleeing the room.

The shock of cold water on my hands did little to cool the fire on my face. The feeling of his lips lingered, a phantom warmth I couldn’t wash away.

His lips. His smile.

And his thoughts.

Stop it, Chloe. Just stop.

I think I stayed in that bathroom for a century.

When I finally returned to the living room, I overheard Ryan talking to Noah.

“I don’t know, man,” Ryan said, squinting at him suspiciously. “I feel like you’ve been smiling this whole time.”

Noah looked up. “Have I?”

“Yeah,” Ryan insisted, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Ever since you ‘lost’ that last round.” He grinned, waiting for a denial.

“Hm,” Noah said, not even looking up. “Guess I have been.”

Ryan just stared, his mouth hanging open.

The heat rushed back to my cheeks. I took a few deep breaths and found an empty corner to sit in, hoping to become invisible. The party was winding down, and people were scattered around, chatting quietly.

That’s when I heard it again.

How do I get closer to her?

She’s sitting so far away.

My eyes darted toward Noah. He was sitting on the couch, lost in thought. After a moment, his gaze landed on Ryan, who was still trying to process their earlier conversation.

Noah tapped him. “Why aren’t you smoking?”

Ryan blinked. “Huh? Why would I be smoking?”

Noah paused for a beat. “You look cool when you smoke.”

“I do, don’t I?” Ryan preened, pulling a cigarette from his pocket. But just as he lit it, Noah let out a single, sharp cough. It was just loud enough for everyone to hear.

Then he stood up and started walking away.

Ryan stared, the cigarette frozen between his fingers. “What the hell, man?”

Noah’s voice was flat. “Can’t stand the smell of smoke. Got to get away from you.”

Ryan was left looking utterly baffled.

My whole body tensed.

I watched, paralyzed, as Noah calmly walked across the room and sat down in the armchair directly across from me.

8

That night, I couldn’t sleep.

I crawled into Mia’s bed. “Hey,” I whispered. “Can being drunk make you hallucinate?”

“Like, hearing things?”

Mia was more wasted than I was. She grunted from beneath her comforter. “Yeah, Chloe. What’d you hear?”

I clutched my phone and leaned closer. “I heard… Noah’s voice.”

“Huh?” Mia cracked open one bloodshot eye.

“I heard him thinking… that he needed to find a way to kiss me.”

The eye that had struggled to open slammed shut. She rolled over, her back to me, and was instantly asleep.

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean? You don’t believe me.”

A muffled voice came from the blankets. “No… just… go to sleep. We’ll deal with it in the morning.”

“Deal with what?”

“Your daydreaming.”

I kicked her under the covers.

9

To prove I wasn’t crazy, Mia’s plan the next morning was to drag me past Noah’s usual haunts. But we’d barely left my dorm when we heard Ryan’s booming voice.

“Seriously, dude? Do we have to eat at this dining hall? It’s a million miles from our dorm.”

Ryan was rubbing his eyes, looking like death warmed over. “It’s fine,” Noah’s calm voice replied. His gaze flickered toward our dorm building. “The food is better here.”

Is it, though? I thought.

Mia and I froze. We turned and saw the two of them heading toward the dining hall.

“Well, speak of the devil,” Mia grinned, pulling me along. “Hey! Ryan! Morning!”

Ryan and Mia were two of a kind. He waved back with equal energy. “Yo! Fancy seeing you here.”

As Mia dragged me over, she whispered, “Okay, at breakfast, try to see if you can hear him again.”

Before I could ask how we were all supposed to eat together, Mia was already asking. “Hey, since we’re all here, want to grab a table together?”

Ryan was about to agree when he remembered his company. “Ah, probably not. Noah’s not really a fan of eating with… you know, other people.”

“Next time,” Ryan said, patting Mia’s arm. “We’ll do it next time.”

Just then, I saw Noah’s eyes flick almost imperceptibly in my direction. “I don’t mind,” he said.

Ryan stared at him.

Noah continued, his tone perfectly even. “I enjoy eating breakfast with people.”

Ryan’s jaw dropped.

10

Ryan looked like a zombie all the way into the dining hall.

He grabbed Noah’s shoulder, his voice a numb whisper. “When did you start enjoying eating with people?”

Especially girls? was the unspoken question.

Noah’s expression was serene. “Just now.”

11

Inside, Ryan and Mia immediately split off toward their favorite food stations.

I stood behind Noah, silently deciding to just get whatever he was getting. But he wasn’t moving either, apparently still deciding.

I worked up the courage to speak. “What are you getting?”

He looked over his shoulder. “Haven’t decided.”

Okay.

After a moment of awkward silence, I gave up and headed for the pancake line. The second I moved, so did he. He followed right behind me, stopping at the same station.

He ordered the exact same thing I did.

And he sat down at the same table.

He never said a word, but his thoughts were a constant stream flooding my mind.

I want to eat the same thing she is.

She looks so sweet when she’s focused.

I need to figure out an excuse to eat with her again.

I kept my head down, focusing on my pancakes, feeling my ears grow hotter by the second.

After they left, Mia leaned in close.

“So? Did you hear anything?”

“…Yeah.”

“For real?!” Her eyes were wide. “You can hear his thoughts? What was he thinking?”

I paused, the heat rising in my face again.

“He said I look sweet.”

Mia stared at me.

“And that he needs to find an excuse to eat with me again.”

Mia looked at me like I’d just announced I was moving to Mars. “Chloe, are you listening to yourself?”

12

Mia insisted it was absurd.

She was convinced my crush had metastasized into full-blown delusion and suggested a trip to the campus health center. Did Noah, with his perpetually cool and distant expression, seem like the kind of guy who would think things like that?

Honestly, she had a point. If I hadn’t heard it myself, I wouldn’t have believed it either.

But why was he trying so hard to get closer to me?

My phone buzzed, shaking me from my thoughts. It was Mia, texting to say the results from the piano competition last month were in. I got first place. Not a huge surprise, but nice to hear.

As I was about to put my phone away, it buzzed again.

A friend request. With a profile picture I recognized instantly from the campus confession page.

The name read: Noah Evans - Computer Science.

First, search for and download the MotoNovel app from Google. Then, open the app and use the code "249454" to read the entire book.