He starts toward me, but I’m rooted to the spot, watching him advance until he stops in front of me. He reaches for me, but I flinch away, my heart breaking as I watch his hand drop and his throat work on a thick swallow.
“What is it?” He asks.
“Did you do it?” I whisper but he hears me.
“Did I do what?”
Flicking my eyes between his, “Did you go on my phone and change his number?”
For severallongseconds, he says nothing. But then his shoulders lower and a heavy breath leaves his lips, “Yes.”
Chapter Twenty-seven
No. No. No.
This isn’t happening. Not now. Not here.
“I need to go,” Sidney pushes past me, her steps heavy and quick as she makes a beeline for the door. But I don’t let her go alone. There’s no way she’s leaving right now until she lets me explain myself.
Fuck. I should have just come clean. I knew this would happen.
How did she even find out!?
“Sidney!” I call her name, shoving people out of the way to get to her, but I’m not quick enough to stop herfrom rushing out the doors, almost knocking a server carrying a tray of champagne over.
“Sidney, wait!”
“Leave me alone, Noah.” She calls back, holding onto the rail to rush down the steps. Heads swivel our way, questions murmured, asking what’s going on.
“Sid, please,” I finally reach her, my hand circling her arm to pull her to a stop. She spins to face me, her eyes glazed, but no tears have spilled out.
“How could you?” She asks thickly, her voice wavering.
“Just let me explain,” I don’t let go of her, far too afraid that if I release her, she’ll slip right through my fingers.
“What’s there to explain?” She snaps, “You lied to me. You let me believe thatIwas the problem. That there was something wrong withme!”
“I didn’t—that wasn’t my intention, Sid, you have to know that.”
“Do I?” She laughs without humor. “How many other times did you intervene, hm?”
I snap my mouth closed.
“Once?” She presses. “Twice? How many, Noah?”
“Just three.”
“Just three.”
“They were never good enough for you!” My voice rises a little, drawing even more attention to us. Cameras turn our way, and I turn us slightly, shielding her from the vulture’s lenses. “Sid, they were never goodenough. Not those mediocre men you found on the street, and certainly not Isaac Shaw.”
“So, you pretended they ghosted or stood me up?” She accuses, “You led me to believe that I had done something to warrant that!”
“I understand you’re hurt because you didn’t get a chance with them, but I—”
“No!” She cuts me off sharply, “I’m not hurt because I didn’t get a chance with them, Noah. Why would I care when I had been in love with you? It never would have worked with them anyway because every single one of themwasn’t you.”
“Sid…”
