"I was wrong. I shouldn't have blamed you. I should have listened to you. I shouldn't have shut you out."
"No. You shouldn't have." I gave him no mercy.
"And I never should have…" He looked shame-faced. "I never should have brought up your mom."
My chest ached, the pain I'd felt when I'd first lost her rearing its head. "That was awful of you."
"I'm sorry," he repeated desperately.
"You know how much I was still hurting over what happened with my mom. You know I was only just starting to forgive myself. And you still went there."
"I know," he groaned, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "I was a complete asshole. I lashed out."
"Like always."
"It was Lily," Noah blurted.
"What about her?"
"Lily was the one who leaked it," he said. "She said she knew I was going to try to keep her a secret. She said she didn't want to be kept hidden away. She doesn't care if everyone knows she's Noah Hart's little sister. She said she's an adult and she can handle herself."
I nodded, indicating that I'd heard his words. It made sense. Lily wasn't a kid anymore. I couldn't imagine she would enjoy being treated like a glass doll to be put away and cared for, never having a life of her own.
I met Noah's eyes.
"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.
