Until Then

7. Noah

SEVEN

Noah

She’s standing right in front of me, the woman who got away. A connection I craved the moment she left my condo almost a year ago. There she is, right next to my brother, my friends, looking at me like I’m some sort of ghost.

I’ll be glad to haunt you every day, Wildfire.

If I can shake this strange, jagged sort of hurt that’s taken up home under my ribs. Why do I care? So she didn’t feel the same. It happens. I’ve no reason to be annoyed or hurt or whatever turmoil is going on inside my chest.

Almost as though I can soothe the chaos, I press my palm over my heart and tighten my gaze again.

It’s even more aggravating that she’s stupidly gorgeous. All curves and freckled skin in that little, tight dress.

I’m lost in my glare and longing until a petite hand smacks my shoulder.

Briar seethes at me. “It was Hayley!”

“Don’t get mad at me,” I say with a forced bit of indifference. Rees is the only one who rolls his eyes. Doubtless my brother knows exactly how unsettled I am with all the scrutiny pointed my way. I gesture at Hayley with my glass. “She ghosted me.”

“For good reason.” The woman standing next to Hayley snaps. She has tight curls and brown skin and a touch of fire in her gaze like she might strike at any second. “You didn’t exactly say who you were, right?”

“I mean, I am famous, so.” I tilt my drink back, all to still my stupid tongue before I dig any deeper into immaturity.

Hayley snorts. “Clearly not that famous.”

My mouth parts to shoot back something pathetic, no doubt, but I stop when Briar steps forward.

“Wait.” Briar waves her hands, a furrow to her brow. “Did you know I knew her? Is that why you never told us Miss Unicorn’s name?”

“I still love that he called you a unicorn,” whispers Hayley’s friend.

My face burns like it’s been buried in hot coals. That was definitely a name she was never supposed to hear. But it’s true—it was a meeting that felt more like catching a unicorn only to have it disappear before you could prove it ever happened.

“I didn’t know you knew her,” I tell Briar. “I just didn’t want anyone Googling her.” I look at my sister-in-law. “As you do.”

Vienna holds up her palms. “Forgive me for caring about who actually gets you, sir. I’ll stop loving you tonight.”

“No, don’t do that, Vi,” I say, a little lighter. “Then I’ll never be able to rub it in Regina’s face that his wife loves me more.”

“Shut up, Nancy,” Rees grumbles and wraps an arm around Vienna’s waist.

In the next breath, Carter steps up behind me, but pauses. “Whoa. Why does it feel tense?” Almost on instinct, my friend takes a step back like he might take off running.

He’s not alone. I wouldn’t mind disappearing right now. But at the same time, there’s a strange need to stay in Hayley’s vicinity. Like some twisted part of me doesn’t want to lose sight of her again.

Carter is my stunt double, meaning he’s fearless. Still, his voice is hesitant when he whispers toward my brother, “What’s going on?”

“Unicorn girl,” Rees replies.

I fight the urge to slug my brother. If he uses that stupid nickname one more time, I’m going to keel over from embarrassment. True as it is, I don’t want the woman who ghosted me to know she was a perfect, impossible to find again woman in my memory.

Jaw tight, I face her, emotions buried beneath a mask I’ve practiced since I started acting. “We don’t really have to cause tension at Briar’s party. It’s not like one night mattered, right?”

A red flush splotches on her neck, but she lifts her chin. “Right. Honestly, I’m surprised you remember my name with the way you make dates.”

“Ah, but that’s why I use nicknames, Wildfire.” I remember everything about her.

“But that’s the problem with this, right? It’s why you’re mad—you got burned first. Not the other way around.”

My smirk fades. “Hard to get burned when there wasn’t even a spark.”

Someone scoffs—pretty sure it’s Rees—but we don’t break from the sharp daggers we’re glaring at each other. Almost as though the first to turn away will lose again.

Won’t be me this time.

I don’t know how long we stand there. I don’t know when we took closer steps, but her chest is rising against mine and I’m near enough I could lean down and kiss her if I wanted.

I don’t. Not in the least.

For a long, drawn pause it’s only the two of us, facing off in a battle I never wanted. I don’t know what went wrong that night. From the hints, I can guess she’s angry I never gave up my role in Wicked Darlings .

Fine, maybe it was a little sin, but there were reasons.

A throat clears. Tyrell and his boxer body fills out the space next to his future bride. Briar nudges his ribs, urging him to step forward.

Tyrell is a good guy. Older than me by about ten years, but solid. Loyal. And brilliant with storytelling and running a tight set.

“So, Bry told me this might get awkward.” He glances back at Briar. She dips her chin, a subtle nod. Tyrell adjusts his collar. “See, my, uh, my cousin who was supposed to be paired with you in the wedding, Noah, was recently moved by the wedding planner to be with Briar’s nephew. Something about height aesthetics?”

I look over his shoulder to where Briar stands. She’s too close to Vienna and Hayley’s friend.

No, not buying it.

I tilt my head and lift one brow, looking back to Tyrell. “Is that so?”

He nods and fiddles with his tie. “So, the next pairing is the two of you.” He’s not even meeting my gaze. “So, get along. If you mess up my wedding, I’ll fire you from the show.”

He wouldn’t, but he definitely could.

Hayley’s lips part. “Briar?”

“Sorry, Haze. Don’t mess with the wedding planner’s aesthetic. It was his decision and he’s a tyrant. I planned to tell you both tonight when I introduced you.” She peers at me. “Since I didn’t know you’d already met.”

“I bet you were,” I mutter.

“So.” Hayley’s friend claps her hands together. “Looks like you two better call a truce tonight and behave for the wedding. I’m sure you’ll be spending most of the day together.”

“All day,” adds Briar.

“And I’m sure each pair in the wedding party will need to dance,” Vienna says.

Briar’s smile looks a little devious. “Naturally.”

Before I realize what they’re doing, the group scatters, all with different mumbled excuses. Rees is the only one who looks back, and it’s all to laugh and give me a rather rude gesture because my brother sucks.

I keep my attention forward and take another drink, sensing Hayley standing at my shoulder. “You know they did this on purpose, right?”

“They’d never be able to commit a crime. They’d be caught instantly.”

I grind my teeth to keep from smiling. “Then, we need to play their game. For Briar and Tyrell.” I cast a quick look at her. She’s staring at her iridescent fingernails and I want to slip my fingers through hers. “I’m not going to ruin their wedding.”

“I’d be the last one to ruin their wedding.”

“Debatable.

She shakes her head. “Are you capable of being palatable for a day?”

“I’m an actor, it’s my job to pretend.”

For a moment I think I went too far, for a moment I swear there’s a slight wash of hurt on her features.

She quickly schools her face into something hard. “Good. I guess pretend you never met me.”

“Oh, no. That’s not so simple, Wildfire,” I say, leaning close to whisper next to her ear. “That would take a lot of rehearsal.” I don’t know what causes me to keep words going, I have a proclivity to ramble when nerves take hold. “I didn’t tell you about the show because maybe, for a second, you wanted to eat a scone with me because you thought I was a normal guy. Not because of my connections.”

Her sea blue eyes turn to glass when she looks up at me. “But you took a choice from me by not telling me everything. You let me believe you were someone you weren’t. I didn’t know who I was with. Not really.”

“Would you have chosen differently?”

She hesitates. “I understand men with your level of clout and lifestyle, more than you know. I never wanted to be a notch for a celebrity who would never settle for a simple life with a simple woman like me. Connections should mean more—to me, they do—than that.”

There is hurt in her voice. I go out on a limb and guess she felt more than she’s letting on tonight.

She’s right. In a way, I let her believe a ruse. She enjoyed a café and sorbet and a night with a guy she thought was someone else.

Shame, hot and potent, tightens my chest. “I should’ve told you. I’ve just had experiences with—no, it doesn’t matter. No excuse, I should’ve told you.”

Hayley blinks once, twice. “Thank you.”

I take a step back, my own hurt slipping over my lips. “But I don’t think you know men like me as well as you say. If you know celebrities so well, do you think I’d ever give my personal phone number to a woman I planned to make a one-night stand? Or do you think I would’ve slapped you with an NDA instead?”

Her face falls and she bites her bottom lip, like the truth is finally hitting her.

I down the rest of my drink and turn away as I say, “Stew on that for a bit, Wildfire. Let me know what you think when we see each other again. Until then, I guess”

I don’t look back as I turn into the crowd, and this time, I walk away.

I groan when a hand slaps my shoulder. White, blinding sunlight scorches my eyes. I flip onto my back, heels of my palms digging into my eyes. “Regina! Shut my damn blinds.”

Rees chuckles and keeps fiddling with the remote that closes my blackout shades. “It’s a good thing your nephew doesn’t hear his uncle’s bad mouth.”

I snap up in bed. “Jude!” My palms wave in an excited sort of applause.

My nephew with his static white-blond hair claps his cute little hands and reaches for me, then pats Rees’s face.

We take that to mean Jude is a little baffled why his dad is two people.

It’s a good thing Rees likes to ink his skin or the poor kid wouldn’t know who’s who.

I take the kid in my arm, tucking him against my side, and handing him one of my Wicked Darlings action figures I keep just for him, then pinch his sides all to get him to let out his breathy little laugh.

I love this kid.

“What time is it?” I ask my brother.

“Almost eleven. Vi’s making brunch for you since you missed pancakes.”

“You made pancakes and I slept through it?”

“You looked hammered.” Rees sits in the chair in the corner from my bed. “So, you going to tell me about her?”

“I already have.” I kiss the top of Jude’s head, flashing him a quick I love you sign—because he needs to know.

“Dude.” Rees’s face sobers. “You called me after you met her and talked like I’ve never heard you talk before. It’s okay to say you got hurt.”

My jaw pulses. “It’s just . . . dumb. I don’t even know her.”

“Yeah, and I didn’t know Vienna once, either. I met her in that elevator, thinking it would be a hot moment, and I’d never see her again. I couldn’t shake thoughts of her after that first night. Sometimes a connection happens unexpectedly.”

I cover Jude’s ears. “Your kid doesn’t need to know about his parents’ raunchy elevator escapades.”

Rees chuckles. “You found her again, man. That’s all I’m saying. What are you going to do with it?”

“She doesn’t want me,” I say in a low voice. “She wanted normal Noah. Not a guy on the screen.”

Rees leans forward so his elbows are on his knees. “I think you’re wrong. She could’ve pretended like she didn’t see me, but she called me out, thinking I was you. You’re still under her skin, we all could see it.”

“Yeah, you all conspired in fifteen seconds to pair us at the wedding.”

“Hey, her lawyer friend was all for it too. She knows her and wouldn’t do it if she didn’t feel anything for you.”

A lawyer? Makes a bit of sense, the woman looked ready to go on a tirade in Hayley’s defense. Except whenever unicorn was used.

“You didn’t tell us her name, but you knew it. You knew she was involved in a ranch,” Rees says. “Are you really going to tell me you didn’t know how to find her all this time?”

I’m glad my door bursts open, halting my response. Vienna beams and chatters, likely thinking she’s distracting me, and insists we all eat brunch on the balcony so Jude can chase the seagulls that land on my railing.

I follow with a forced smile for my nephew’s sake—he’s never really seen me when the cloud takes hold—and tuck my phone deep into my sweats for good measure.

If Rees somehow broke into my phone he’d have his answer. I’ve known where Sweet Cream Ranch has been all this time.

I’ve known Hayley Foster, DOT specializes in spinal injuries, traumatic brain injuries, debilitating anxiety, and other mobility struggles with her clients.

I’ve known where she was all along, but what was I supposed to do? Show up like a creep and demand she speak to me?

Not saying the thought didn’t cross my mind, but I do have some self-control

Still, maybe Rees is right. He would know. Fate or the universe, tossed him back into Vienna’s path years ago, now they’re disgustingly in love and inseparable.

Maybe now, it might be my turn.