Page 94 of Hard Rock Tease
"You jumped to conclusions. You blamed me without even listening to me. You didn't believe me when I told you it wasn't me. You thought the worst of me."
"I wish I could take it back."
"You can't."
"I have trust issues. I know I need to work on that."
"It's more than just trust issues, Noah. I can't be with someone who won't admit when he's feeling vulnerable and instead shuts people out."
"I—" he cut himself off, looking pained.
"You wouldn't tell your friends you were having trouble composing. You threw me out of your apartment the morning after telling me about Lily. You sent your own sister halfway across the world."
"I did that to protect her."
"You did that because you felt guilty and vulnerable."
Noah looked down, avoiding my eyes.
"You can't keeping pushing people away," I continued. "Eventually they're not going to come back."
"I'm sorry."
"I don't know if sorry is good enough. What about the next time something makes you feel uncomfortable and insecure? What happens the next time I try to get you to open up?"
"I… don't know. I told you before. It's hard."
"It's hard not being an asshole?"
"I'm trying." He took my hands in his. "Jen, I promise I'm trying."
I looked up to meet his eyes. They were unguarded for once, open and sincere.
"I realized the betrayal wouldn't have hurt so much if I didn't care about you as much as I do." Noah cupped my cheek and brought his lips close to mine, mere inches away. "Please don't give up on me."
I let him kiss me, soft and slow for several long moments before pulling back.
"I'm sorry, Noah." I slipped my hands out of his grip. "I can't keep opening my heart to you, only to have you throw it back in my face."
I opened the door to the club and stepped through. Loud music assaulted my ears. I looked back one last time. Noah's face was lined with pain. I gave him a sad smile.
"I hope our song does well."
I shut the door behind me.
Chapter Thirty
"Where'd you disappear to?" Natalie asked as I sidled up next to her. She and Ivy had scored an empty corner table to take a break from the dancing. "Last I saw you were dry humping that sexy blond guy over there."
"Noah was here."
Nat let out a happy little gasp.
"Why do you look so thrilled?" I asked. "Weren't you the one who wanted to gut him with a butter knife for hurting me?"
"That was before he showed up to make a grand romantic gesture." She stared at me intently. "He did make a grand romantic gesture, didn't he?"
"He dragged me out to the alley."
