Nicole immediately balked at his words, her lips pulling down into a frown."I never said we could just move on," Nicole answered, her voice carrying a note of defensiveness. Her hands had tightened around his, face twisting in discomfort."I…. I just wanted to try is all…. I know it…. wasn't easy for you." She managed to get out, her words halting and clearly uncomfortable.Noah nearly scoffed at how pained she looked admitting that she was in the wrong."Do you?" Noah leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a low murmur as he appraised her with a raised brow. "Really? Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you're still playing your little games. You're pretending to be the victim Nicky, still acting like you're the one who's been wronged."Nicole's composure finally broke apart at his words. Her face flushed with color, her eyes blazing with anger. "That's not fair, Noah.”"Fair?" Noah's eyes were black with rage as he finally looked at her, his gaze burning with intensity

Noah let out a bitter laugh, not looking up. "And yet you did. You hurt me more than anyone ever has.""I know." Nicole's voice cracked slightly. "I know I did. And I will carry that guilt for the rest of my life."The silence stretched between them again, long and heavy. Noah could feel her presence beside him, the warmth of her body, the soft scent of her perfume. It was familiar, achingly so, and it brought with it a wave of memories he had tried so hard to bury.And she wanted him to let it out huh? To pour out all the ugly disgusting thoughts that had haunted him in the dying hours of the night.Finally, Noah lifted his head, his eyes blank, his expression unreadable. "When did you meet him? When did you meet Crestwood?"Nicole blinked, caught off guard by the question. "What?""When did you meet that asshole?" Noah repeated impatiently, his voice flat. "I need to know. I need to understand when it all started."Nicole was quiet for a moment, her eyes fixed on her hands in her

Noah blinked, caught off guard. "What? But we just got here-""I said I want to go home." Evelyn's voice was sharp, cutting him off before he could even begin. She set her glass down on the bar with a harsh clink, the sound loud in the space between them. "I'm tired, Noah. I don't want to be here anymore."She slid off the stool, her movements quick and jerky, her heels clicking against the polished floor as she walked toward the entrance without a backward glance.Noah gaped after her, his mind struggling to catch up.Because what the fuck was going here?!Shaking his head, he hurried after her, cursing internally at how fast the woman was in heels."Evelyn! Wait!" he called out, increasing his pace Noah caught up to her just as she reached the front of the hotel, her arms crossed tightly over her chest as she waited with visible impatience."Evelyn!" he said, his voice carrying a note of genuine exasperation. He placed his hands on his hips, confused as he spoke, "Just tell me wha

He paused, his voice growing quieter. "Nicole eventually stopped making me go. She said she didn't want to make me uncomfortable, but I think she was just embarrassed to be seen with me.” He licked his lips, "And I was so desperate to stand with her, to be close to her, that I didn't even realize that being uncomfortable was better than being alone. I just wanted to be near her…..I wanted to prove I was worthy of her."Noah's voice grew forlorn, a distant sadness creeping into his words. "Going to this party tonight, knowing I was going to be seeing more of her at the company, knowing I would have to be around her... it made me so scared. I was terrified, really of letting her see that she still affected me." His words dropped down into a whisper, “Of falling apart and letting her win.”Noah fell silent after his shameful confession, the words hanging in the cool night air like a delicate thread waiting to be pulled.The street was quiet in the aftermath of it, the only sounds being

They stood there for a moment, caught in the bubble of their own making, the rest of the world fading into irrelevance. Noah's thumb traced the curve of her cheek, and Evelyn leaned into the touch, savoring the sweetness of the gesture.But then Noah stepped back. It was a small movement, barely a fraction of an inch, but it was enough to break the spell."I should go," he said, and his voice was rough, reluctant. "Before I do something stupid. Before I-" He stopped, shaking his head with a rueful look. "Before I can't make myself leave."Evelyn felt a pang of disappointment, but she understood. They'd already moved faster than she'd expected. He was trying to giveher space and her time to process what had happened.He turned to go, his hands sliding into his pockets, his shoulders hunched slightly against the night air.But Evelyn didn't want space."Noah, wait."He stopped, looking back over his shoulder.Evelyn felt her cheeks flush, but she forced herself to continue. "Aren't yo