Getting her frustrations out on her salad helped Violet a little but Noah could tell she was still upset. Both at the jealousy of one of her only female friends and her wayward brother.

At times like this he wasn't always sure what to say, though for some reason she always seemed comforted even when he fumbled his words. He supposed it was the thought that counted.

To make her feel better, Noah ordered some grilled pineapple for dessert. Recently it was a trend for restaurants to offer healthier dessert options. Grilled fruit wasn't against the rules in the same way traditional desserts were, which made it one of Violet's favorites.

She smiled at him gratefully when he ordered it after they finished their entrées. "You read my mind. I really needed a treat today."

"It's my duty as your best friend," he said in a mock-serious voice, making her laugh.

The heaviness that surrounded her earlier had cleared. Thank goodness. Happy Violet was always the best Violet.

Comforting each other was a natural part of their relationship from the time they were toddlers who got upset about stupid things like not getting to play with the toy they wanted. Usually, Noah was able to comfort Violet by trying to talk things through rationally and giving her some sort of treat.

She typically comforted him by problem-solving for whatever was bothering him and offering encouragement. It was a mutually beneficial system. They had a good thing going; the problem was that it wasn't going anywhere else.

Digging himself into the brother-zone was the worst mistake of his life. Because now it might actually be too late to get out of it.

Sure, Noah had always been there for her and cared for her more than anyone else in this world (with the exception of her family), but that meant nothing if she took it for granted. His presence in her life was as natural and constant as any one of her brother's.

Sometimes he wondered if it might be beneficial for him to back away for a while so Violet could see what she was missing. But he worried that doing that would make her feel like she had been burdening him all this time.

She had the ridiculous notion that she was a burden to everyone around her. Nothing he said could make her change her mind. She didn't feel that way around him because their relationship was equally balanced when it came to helping each other out.

Noah couldn't do anything to jeopardize that but he really didn't have any other ideas. Besides, if he did implement that plan he didn't know how he would be able to handle it either since they had always been by each other's sides.

Violet had been present for every major event that ever happened in his life, and vice versa. Every birthday. Every triumph. Every failure.

He had been there for her when she didn't get into Juilliard and she had been there for him when he made it all the way to the semifinals of a karate competition only to not place at all. He honestly didn't know what he would do without her.

Over the years Noah had gotten used to the unromantic nature of their relationship. For a while he hadn't even minded it as long as she remained by his side.

But the older they got the more fear gripped him that someone else was going to take her away. He had to make a move before someone else did.

"Vi, what sort of man is your type?" Noah asked as casually as possible.

She laughed like it was a joke. "Trying to set me up on a blind date?"

Ugh, this was so frustrating! Anyone else in the world could see he would rather die than set her up with another man but Violet just didn't get it.

He shrugged it off. "I'm curious. You haven't been on a date in a while."

Noah knew it was only because her schedule of late hadn't worked out with meeting people. She literally went to work, visited him, and went home. That was it. There wasn't time to meet anyone else.

That had been quite a relief. In college Violet got asked out by her fellow students all the time. Yet none of them impressed her enough to last very long.

What kind of impossibly high standards did his best friend have? Would he ever be able to meet them?

Violet was clearly thinking about it. When she finally looked up at him there was a small frown on her face. "I don't think I have a type."

Noah raised an eyebrow. "There really isn't any sort of common thread between the guys you've dated?"

"Not really. I guess I originally liked them because I thought they did something cute or funny or romantic but aside from that…"

So it all boiled down to romance again. Noah had done romantic things for her in the past—he did bring flowers to every performance of hers he had ever attended—but she didn't see them that way because her brothers did that sort of thing too.

There had to be something more he could do! Something obvious that wasn't brotherly.

His chance came when it was time to pay the bill. Not only did he pay for the dessert; he paid for Violet's salad. She seemed a bit surprised since she knew he didn't make all that much at the dojo but thanked him and moved on.

Well, it was a start.

They ended up hanging out at his family's place for another couple hours, talking and playing card games. When Violet left, Noah immediately pulled out his phone and began a search on what girls considered romantic.

Unfortunately, most of the lists he saw were largely focused on romantic things to do when you were already dating someone. That wouldn't help him!

And to be perfectly honest, he was already doing a lot of those things and she still didn't have a clue. This was what he gets for falling in love with someone emotionally constipated.