18. Noah
18
NOAH
I looked out across the room, at people packing up their briefcases and grabbing one last bagel, and had to smile to myself. That had gone better than I expected. The company had sent three execs, which was more than they’d had to do, and while Taylor took on their publicity department I met with the execs themselves. I’d taken my ideas about new music and better publicity, and Lila and Anna adding a new dissension to the band’s music, and they’d bought it all. Lila and Rivers’ romance and the one brewing between Anna and Matt had been the icing on the cake.
I didn’t know if Matt would ever forgive me for throwing him under the bus, but I guessed if we got a new contract out of the deal, he’d be okay with it.
The execs had asked for some samples of our new sound and I’d played the new song from Rivers and Lila, then highlighted how much better Rivers was doing. Our first show was sold out, which was a great look, and most of the tour ahead of us was the same. We were hitting cities that knew us and that helped, but we’d also been on the road for years and knew how to put on a good show, even for audiences who’d never seen us. We were a hot product, and this set of execs knew it. I suspected they’d also liked the idea that one of the band members had come into this meeting to speak for us. The designated bad boy drummer cleaning up had probably helped, too.
All part of the plan.
I glanced to where I’d last seen Molly, my grin growing at the thought of what she must have seen. She had to be surprised as hell, walking in and discovering me all dressed up and schmoozing with the big wigs. She’d always been my biggest fan, but not even she could have anticipated this.
But she wasn’t in the corner where I’d seen her. And no matter how much I searched the room, I couldn’t find her.
What the fuck? Had she left already? I knew she’d been there; I’d watched her come in. She’d definitely arrived. But then just... left? Before she even got to appreciate me impressing the suits?
I didn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe it. How could she have left, when I’d asked her to come and be my backup? I’d thought she was my ride-or-die, there for me no matter what. And the minute I asked her for something, she ducked out on me and left me flailing. I didn’t need that sort of bullshit.
I left the room as quickly as she must have done, both hurt and angry for reasons I could only partially understand. No, I hadn’t actually needed Molly in there, but I’d liked the idea that she was on call if I did. Knowing that she hadn’t stuck around for me felt like someone punching me right in the gut.
With a knife.
I knew it was stupid. Hell, hadn’t I told myself more than once that I needed to stop needing her? And here I was, still falling right into the same trap. I headed for the bare, wanting to get away from the crowds, and though I didn’t know where I was going to go afterward, a bottle of whiskey would make it more pleasant. It would also take the sting off of what had just happened. I wanted to celebrate the win when it came to the execs. Dull the sharp pain over Molly having left.
“Bottle of Jack,” I said when the bartender looked up.
He made a face at me, but this wasn’t the first time I’d presented him with this order and he knew the band would pay for it. He took a bottle off the shelf and slid it my way, his eyebrow cocked. “Slow down at least long enough to taste it, huh?” he said.
I caught the bottle and gave him half a grin. “I’m not promising anything.”
I turned and headed for the stairwell, bottle in hand. I hadn’t known where I was going, but now I did. I wanted whiskey and a sunset. In that order.
B y the time I got to the roof, my temper had burned out, and I slipped through the door quietly. The roof would be quiet, I hoped, and give me some space to think. I might have nailed this first meeting but we had more planned, and I needed to be prepared for them. I couldn’t count on this record label to be the one.
Even if they offered us a deal, the next company might offer a better one. If I did my job.
I looked across the expanse of the roof, ready for some time away from people, and saw... a person.
A familiar back, to be more specific. She was sitting on the edge of the roof against the rail that ran around the sides to keep people from jumping. Her legs hung over the edge, though, and she was pressed against the railing, her eyes on the late evening sky in the distance.
I wanted to remember that I was angry at her. She’d just walked out on my big meeting without waiting to make sure I was okay. And before that, she’d walked out on me when I was practically panting with need for her, angry for reasons I still didn’t understand. She’d ditched me three times in the past week, if you counted her trip to LA, and I had every right to be pissed off.
But I’d never been able to maintain bad feelings toward her, and today was evidently no different. The moment I recognized her everything inside me melted and reached for her, like one magnet to another. She was... home.
She was home, and no matter what happened between us, that would never change.
I let my steps take me toward her, the bottle of whiskey dangling from one hand, and as I walked, I took her in. She was in pajama pants and a t-shirt, her hair in a messy bun on top of her head. When she turned her head, I saw that she’d washed the makeup she was wearing away. She looked young and completely undone. Absolutely beautiful.
God, I didn’t know if my heart could take this.
Then she saw me, though, and I was stuck.
“I hope you’re up here because the meeting went well and you’re celebrating.” Her eyes dropped to the whiskey bottle. “And I hope you’re planning on sharing that.”
“I wasn’t,” I said softly. “But I also didn’t expect to have anyone to share it with.”
I wondered if she’d understand what I was talking about. Maybe she had no idea how lost I was feeling or how much it hurt when she ran out on me. How would she know, after all? I’d certainly never said anything to her about how I felt. And I hadn’t exactly showed her.
Her smile was gentle. “I needed a sunset. And some whiskey.”
That was all I needed to hear. I dropped down next to her, close enough our legs were touching, and set the bottle within reach. “And yet you’re up here without whiskey and asking to share mine.”
She took the bottle, opened it, and took a sip, than held it out to me. “You shouldn’t be finishing a whole bottle on your own, anyhow. It’s bad for your reputation.”
“Why do you think I’m on the roof? No one up here to see me being bad.” I took the bottle with a quick grin and took a longer sip, myself.
She lifted one brow, grabbed the bottle, and took an even longer drink.
Trying to beat me. As usual.
It happened so slowly I barely noticed it. I asked her why she was up here and she told me she’d been in her room, trying to get some stuff sorted, when an email came in. The orphanage had heard from her dad, or a man claiming that title, and had offered to facilitate a meeting. They wanted to do a DNA test to see whether she was his daughter, though the timeline matched up.
He wanted to be back in her life.
I drew her to me at that, knowing exactly how that must have made her feel. She’d been dumped at the orphanage within hours of being born, and her parents had never been back. I didn’t even know if the orphanage had bothered to look for them, and I knew Molly had written them off long ago. Privately, I agreed with her. If they’d wanted to find her, they could have. After all, they knew where they left her.
She never talked about them, but they’d left their scars. She didn’t trust anyone to take care of her. She never had.
Except me.
The idea of one of those parents suddenly coming back into the picture must have terrified her. Or made her furious. Probably both.
“What about you?” she asked, handing the now half-empty bottle back.
I took my longest drink yet, surprised there was still any whiskey left, and slipped it back to her. “I,” I told her, barely slurring the word, “was brilliant.”
She snorted. “Still sporting that huge ego, I see.”
God, she was gorgeous, and as familiar to me as my own face. The way she tilted her head when she was making a joke. Covered her mouth when she laughed. Slid her finger down my arm when she was making an important point.
She was everything.
And I was drunk.
I leaned in and let my tone turn teasing. “Even bigger than you know. Wanna see?”