Page 30 of Noah

I stopped walking, turning to face him. The words I’d been holding back tumbled out. “But I regret it. Not reaching out. Letting time slip away. I don’t want to make that mistake again.”

Noah’s gaze softened, his eyes searching mine. “Me neither.”

The moment stretched between us, filled with unspoken words and shared understanding.

I wanted to close the distance, to feel the warmth of his lips against mine, but the weight of the summit, my father’s words, and the responsibilities looming over me held me back.

It was a dangerous line to walk, but I couldn’t deny the pull I felt toward him.

“Will you be here again tomorrow?” I asked, breaking the silence.

“No,” he said, a hint of disappointment in his voice. “I have to work.”

“At Griffin’s bar?” I asked, feeling a flicker of hope. Noah mentioned working there.

He nodded. “Yeah, we’re playing tomorrow night.”

“I’ll be there,” I said, my decision made. I didn’t care if it was too forward; I needed to see him again. “I want to see you play.”

A smile tugged at his lips, and his eyes sparkled. “I’d like that.”

Chapter 9

Noah

The final strumof my guitar rang out, the sound echoing through the bar as the crowd broke into cheers and whistles.

Zack’s drums faded into a low rumble, and Ethan’s bassline ended with a smooth slide. My heart raced, but not from the performance.

I stepped up to the mic, forcing a grin that I hoped hid the tightness in my chest.

“Thanks for listening tonight!” I said, my voice slightly hoarse from singing. “We’re taking a short break now, but stick around—the main act’s coming up next, and you won’t want to miss it.”

The crowd clapped again, their energy buzzing, and I gave a small wave before retreating to the side of the stage.

Ethan and Zack were already tidying up, untangling cables and packing up gear. Zack tossed a drumstick in the air, catching it casually before sliding it into his bag.

I slipped the guitar strap off my shoulder and brushed my hair back. I couldn’t help but look back at the crowd one last time, scanning the faces under the dim lights.

My lips pressed together tightly when I didn’t find who I was looking for.

“Noah, you okay?” Ethan asked, coiling a cable as he shot me a look.

“What do you mean?” I asked, unhooking my guitar strap.

Ethan smirked, brushing his hair back in an exaggerated motion. “You’ve been doing this all night,” he said, mimicking me. “What’s up? Did your hair get longer or something? You need me to grab you a scrunchie?”

Zack laughed from behind the drum kit. “Or is it your new thing? Like, the ‘mysterious lead singer’ vibe? Let us know if we all need to start doing it to match.”

I rolled my eyes, their teasing barely registering. “Ha ha. Very funny,” I said. “It’s just… getting in my eyes, that’s all.”

They didn’t stop there, though. Ethan flicked his hair back with dramatic flair, and Zack followed suit, both of them pretending to fix their hair in the most exaggerated way possible.

Was that how I looked earlier? The thought made me want to bury my face in my hands.

I turned back to my guitar, my fingers lingering on the strings. Like hell I was going to tell them the real reason.

It wasn’t the hair at all. It was the damn spotlight blinding me.

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