Page 31 of Noah

I couldn’t exactly stand there, constantly shading my eyes like a kid peeking into a dark room, so brushing my hair back had been my only option.

And really, what else could I do? How else was I supposed to see if Jackson had shown up?

I’d been looking for him since before our set began, my gaze flicking to the door every time it swung open.

But he hadn’t come. My chest felt tight just thinking about it.

Was something keeping him? Had he changed his mind?

Ethan flicked his hair back again, this time even more dramatically, and Zack joined in, both of them acting like they were starring in some shampoo commercial.

I sighed and ignored them. Maybe he wasn’t coming after all.

“Noah! Someone’s here to see you!” a voice called from behind me, cutting through my thoughts.

My heart jumped. Finally. I turned quickly, scanning the room. But I still didn’t see Jackson.

“Didn’t know you were in a band.”

The voice that spoke wasn’t Jackson’s. It was smooth and clipped, with a sharpness that made my chest tighten again, but for an entirely different reason.

I turned, narrowing my eyes. Adrian.

“What are you doing here?” I said, my tone sharp.

Adrian leaned lazily against a nearby table. “What? No warm welcome?”

Adrian’s smirk widened as he looked me over, his eyes flicking briefly to Ethan and Zack, who were still clearing their equipment before settling back on me.

“Heard there’s a great band playing tonight,” he said, his voice dripping with faux curiosity. “Do you know when they’re coming on?”

I didn’t take the bait. If I didn’t acknowledge him, maybe he’d lose interest and leave.

No such luck. Adrian chuckled lightly. “No need to be shy, Noah. I’m sorry. Look, tell you what—I’ll buy you a drink.”

My instinct screamed to walk away, but I hesitated. Cooper’s warning rang in my ears: Don’t escalate. Diffuse. Keep the peace.

As much as I wanted to avoid Adrian, I also didn’t trust him enough to let him out of my sight.

With a sigh, I plastered on a neutral expression and turned to face him. “Fine.”

Adrian flicked his hand toward the bar, catching the bartender’s attention.

After placing our order, he leaned casually against the table behind him, his eyes sweeping lazily over the room before returning to me.

“Busy week, huh? Summit and all. It must be a lot of work pulling everything together.”

“It is,” I said shortly, not giving him any ground.

He nodded, his lips curling into a knowing smile. “Well, you’ve been doing a great job. I mean, I’ve seen you and Jackson together a lot these past few days—grabbing lunch, going overplans, running around. Really seems like you’ve got a good system going.”

I stiffened. My mind raced as I replayed the last few days.

I hadn’t even noticed Adrian anywhere nearby. Had he been watching us the whole time? Why? My stomach churned at the thought.

“We do,” I replied, my voice steady despite the tight knot forming in my stomach.

Adrian’s expression didn’t shift, but there was something sharp behind his eyes that put me on edge. “Good to hear. Always nice to see packs working together so smoothly.”

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