Noah’s face was unreadable. “I’m sorry things didn’t work out,” he said carefully. “I’m…sure they will next time.”
The words felt like a cold snap. AJ laughed a little.
Noah frowned. “What?”
There isn’t going to be a next time.“Nothing.”
As their eyes locked, their hands automatically opened against each other’s. Noah’s touch was familiar and shocking and AJ was a heartbeat from doing something truly reckless.
She willed herself to stand, to cross the room. She stared at her own silhouette in the French doors. Outside of Noah’s warmth, she felt a draft and folded her arms across her chest.
“Allison will be back soon.” She forced herself to speak her name.
For a beat, Noah didn’t respond. Then, “No, she won’t.”
AJ must have misheard him. “Sorry, what?”
“She’s on her way to the airport.”
Slowly AJ turned around. Noah had risen to his feet.
“I don’t understand,” she said.
Noah’s hands slid into his pockets. “We’re not together.”
Every muscle in AJ’s body went rigid. Slowly, Noah stepped from behind the table.
“We had a brief thing, years ago,” he said evenly. “Allison was getting over her first girlfriend, and I needed to…This was right afterInto the Blue.It was super casual, and we wound up staying friends. Then eventually, we were cast together, and the media got so hooked on the idea of us being a couple we just…let them run with it. We sold a lot ofByrontickets that way.”
AJ’s temples were buzzing. “But you said—”
“I know.”
AJ shook her head. “No. She was here. She knows Mrs. Gilroy.”
Noah shrugged. “We’re friends.”
There were tears in AJ’s eyes now. “At the Oscars,” she bit out. “Youthankedthe woman in your life. Said you loved her.”
Noah fixed her with his stare. “I wasn’t talking about Allison.”
For a second, all was still except the ticking of the grandfather clock.
“Are you kidding?” said AJ quietly.
Noah swallowed. He shook his head.
AJ’s hands fisted, anger blistering through her. “Are youfuckingkidding?”
He took another step forward. “Age—”
“Youhumiliatedme,” shouted AJ, her eyes stinging. “You told me you feltsorryfor me.”
“I was trying to do the right thing,” said Noah hotly, his cheekbones and neck flushed. “What was I supposed to say? ‘I rearranged my entire year to spend a few hours looking at you, but you’re better off with Brian’? ‘I put my hand through a wall the day I saw that ring, but hang on to it because I have nothing better to offer you’? Forfuck’ssake.”
A vision of his bandaged knuckles surfaced in AJ’s mind, but she shoved it aside. “Youliedto me,” she said, advancing on him. He towered over her, but she was too livid to care.
Noah glared at her. “I had to,” he fumed. “You’re in complete fucking denial that I’m sick. You won’t hear a word about it. That night, you practically begged me to tell you it was all because of Allison. So I did. I couldn’t let you throw away your future.”
