Page 78 of Hard Rock Tease

"Yes, just to sleep, for once. It's been a long day."

"In the morning can we work on the song some more?" I asked anxiously.

"Are you still worried about that?"

"Of course I'm worried," I said. "We're still not done. They're going to want to see something soon."

"It's fine. We'll get it done and it'll be awesome."

"How can you be so sure?"

Noah eyed me silently for a few moments, long enough that I began to get nervous. It was in that curious way he'd been doing since the beginning.

"Why are you giving me that look?"

"What look?"

"That look you always give me. Like I'm a puzzle to be solved."

"It's odd," he mused. "You play multiple instruments. You've composed professional pieces. Your professors all recommend you. And yet you're still filled with all these doubts." He tilted his head, giving me a penetrating stare. "It makes me wonder."

"Wonder what?"

"Why you don't have a big ego. Anyone else would have one. Hell, every person Naomi hired to work with me before had one."

I fidgeted with the beer bottle cap, turning it around in my hands. "You make me sound much better than I am."

"You were chosen to work with someone you look up to as a musical genius. You were chosen out of hundreds of applicants. You were considered worthy enough to work with Noah Fucking Hart. How can you doubt yourself after all that?"

"I don't know." I shifted uncomfortably. "I guess I've just got a good head on my shoulders. Come on. Let's go."

I stood from the table and grabbed my purse before he could continue. I didn't need Noah probing me.

I didn't need him picking at old wounds that had barely scabbed over.

Chapter Twenty-Five

"What's up?"

I turned to face Noah as I lowered the phone from my ear. I'd finally received the phone call I'd been dreading for weeks. My breathing quickened in a near panic.

"Naomi called," I said numbly.

"Why do you sound so…" Noah's brow furrowed. "What's wrong? You look upset."

"She wants to hear our song."

"Did you tell her we're not done?"

"I tried. She said we've been working on it long enough." I buried my hands in my face. "I'm going to get fired."

"No you won't."

"We've been working on this new song for weeks, Noah! And we still don't even have a finished draft, let alone something ready to show other people."

"We'll need to work harder."

"Harderhow?" I exploded. "I know I told you we need to put the real you into the song, but I don't think I know how. I thought I could do it, but I can't."