Page 42 of When the Stars Rise

With a sigh, I slowly walk toward him.

He lifts his head when I stop in front of him. “Why am I even here?”

Because I need you. But I don’t want to say the words because it makes me feel weak and pathetic and I’m trying so hard to be strong and hold it all together.

He waves his arm toward the club. “How the fuck would you feel if you walked in on me doing something like that?”

I would feel horrible. But it was bad timing that Noah chose that moment to crash the party. I barely spoke to Asher all night until we got onto the stage to sing. “Nothing is going on with me and Asher. All we did was sing one song, and that was it.”

“Yeah, okay. Keep lying to yourself. Because that’s always worked out so great for you.” He snorts.

My eyes narrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He presses his lips together and shakes his head. “I thought I was on this tour because you needed me. So I rearranged my entire schedule and dropped everything to be here for you. Meanwhile, you’re keeping secrets and running off to be with your ex—”

“I am notrunning off to be with my ex. He’s not even my ex,” I add. “We were just—”

“Hooking up. Yeah, I got that when you jammed it down my throat earlier.”

I cross my arms over my chest and go on the defensive. “If you have something more important to do, then leave.” I wave my hand through the air. “Go now.” I jut out my chin, a challenge in my voice. “I’m not stopping you.”

He stares at me, contemplating. “You don’t get it, do you?”

“No. I don’t get any of this.” I throw up my hands. “You crashed a party you weren’t even invited to, and now you’re accusing me of hooking up with Asher when all we did was sing one song. You and I are not even together, Noah.” There’s a challenge in my tone and I don’t even know what I’m hoping to achieve but I can’t seem to stop myself. This isn’t about Asher. It’s about us.

“So even if I was with Asher, what would it matter?” I taunt.

Noah’s eyes darken. He spins me around and pushes me against the brick wall, caging me in with his body. Gripping my hip with one hand, he lifts the other to my face, eyes holding me captive as he slowly drags his thumb over my lips. “I don’t want you kissing that douchebag or any other guy.”

“Why not?” My voice is barely a whisper, and my heart is pounding out a heavy beat that thumps against my chest like a drum.

No-ah. No-ah. No-ah.

“Why the fuck do you think—" Noah looks over his shoulder before pulling me against his chest and covering me with his body, hiding my face as the flashes go off. I hear feet thudding against the concrete as the paparazzi closes in and I want to scream in frustration.

“Back the fuck off,” Noah shouts. Then to me, “Bury your face in my shoulder.” He leans down and grabs the backs of my thighs, lifting me into his arms, and I wrap my legs around his waist as he turns. “I’ll get her to the car.”

I peek out and see Chris at Noah’s elbow as someone shouts, “Noah, are you and Hayley back together?”

“Let us see your face, Hayley.”

“Hayley,” someone else shouts. “Were you aware that Noah spent the evening with Devin Michaels?”

“Total fucking lie,” he mutters under his breath, and I believe him.

Another shout, “Sources confirm that you and Asher Keating have been spending a lot of time together. Is it back on?”

Noah’s body tenses. “Keep your head down, baby,” he says quietly. “Don’t give these fuckers a single glimpse of that gorgeous face.”

God, I love him.

He doesn’t have to tell me twice. I am sick and tired of the paparazzi chasing us.

We’ve done this dance before, Noah and me. It’s our little fuck you—if they don’t get a good shot of my face, they can’t prove it’s me, and the photos won’t be worth anything.

The car door opens, and Noah sets me down on the seat, blocking their view with his body while I avert my head and put on the black sweatshirt that was on the seat.

Covering my head with the hood, I slip on a pair of sunglasses because I’ve become the kind of person who wears sunglasses at night.