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Dad only needs awhiffof someone to track them down; and I’ve been so careful for so long. Caught up in my infatuation for Gabriel, I’ve let myself believe that maybe I don’t have to constantly look over my shoulder.
God, I’ve been so blind.
Hurt and anger mix into a deadly cocktail. Biting back tears, I stand up . . . and run into Gabriel. Instantly, he reaches forward, bracketing my shoulders to stop me falling. ‘Noah, are you okay?’
‘I’m fine.’ I run my hands down my shirt. They’re suddenly really sweaty. ‘Definitely. I’m peachy. Absolutely fine. I’m just going to go find the bathroom.’
I step out of Gabriel’s embrace, but I’m not looking where I’m going and crash straight into Blake’s bulky frame. Losing my footing, I stumble backwards. Blake catches me, his large hands hooking under my flailing arms.
‘Noah,’ Gabriel says as I push Blake away. I need to get out of here.
‘I’m so sorry, I—’ Deeply embarrassed, I dash out into the hallway, not bothering to look back. ‘I have to go.’
11
Gabriel
‘Noah, stop!’ I run down the hallway, trying to catch him before the elevator arrives. I knew that if I brought him to Melbourne Park to watch the match, there was a risk he’d figure out who I was, but the last person I’d expected to show up was Phoebe. ‘Let me explain!’
To my surprise, Noah stops a few paces in front of me, whipping around like a viper. ‘Leave me alone, Gabriel.’
I don’t expect the viciousness in his voice. He turns and jams the down button for the elevator like he’s a cornered animal, thrashing and scared.
I glance around to make sure there’s no one else in the narrow hallway. The last thing I need is for this blow-up to appear on a gossip site. ‘Please talk to me.’
‘Talk to you?’ Noah echoes. ‘That’s rich. You lied to me, Gabriel. I’ve asked you a dozen times what you do for work, and youlied. Even now, you—’
‘Iwantedto tell you,’ I interrupt him. It’s the truth. I’d had the whole speech prepared until Phoebe had made her spectacularly ill-timed entrance. ‘You obviously didn’t recognise me. That doesn’t happen often for me, and I admit I really liked it, just being able to be myself, but I know it was wrong.’
‘God, you’resorich and famous, I’m glad I could fulfil that fantasy for you,’ Noah spits back. ‘Get your head out of your arse, Gabriel. You have no idea the kind of shit you’ve stirred up for me.’ He begins pacing back and forth, waiting for the elevator doors to open. ‘I can’t believe I trusted you.’
There’s an edge of emotion to that last sentence, like he’s as upset at himself as he is with me.
‘Noah, please, despite what you think, you know me. The real me,’ I say, trying to grab his shoulders. ‘You see me.’
I don’t care if it sounds clichéd—Noah can’t leave. If he leaves right now, I might never see him again and I don’t know what I’ll do if I can’t make this right between us. ‘Please, just give me the chance to explain.’
Contempt shines in his green eyes, and he looks at me with such disdain it makes my stomach clench. ‘You’re wrong. I havenoidea who you are.’
The elevator doors open suddenly, and before I think too much about it, I barrel Noah inside and hit the button to close the doors behind me. Noah stumbles, his back hitting the wall.
‘What are youdoing?’ he cries. ‘Gabriel, this is ridiculous!’
I back off, giving Noah space. He’s pressed against the back wall and panting hard. Maybe I’ve taken this too far, maybe this is making everything worse. ‘You make me feel sonormal, and I just—I just—’ The words don’t come out; I can’t seem to get them past the big ball of emotions constricting my throat.
‘Just what everyone wants to hear,’ Noah deadpans, trying to move around me. What Noah gains in height, I make up for in body mass. I block him as he tries to move towards the elevator keypad.
‘It’s true. I play all over the world and make an obscene amount of money, and it’s been that way since I was thirteen. But the reality is I don’t have a friend who isn’t on the circuit, and I’ve never evendatedanyone . . . but when I’m with you . . .’ I’m breathing so fast, it feels like my heart’s trying to break out of my chest. ‘It just feels normal. Ilovethat it feels normal.’
I don’t know what this is between us—whether he likes me romantically or otherwise—but I know I don’t want it to end.
Noah presses the balls of his palms into his eye sockets, and sucks in one big, ragged breath and it takes me a second to realise he’s crying. Tears stream down his cheeks as he begins to sob.
‘I trusted you. I thought . . . I’msostupid.’
‘You’re not,’ I say, and really, the worst part of this isn’t that I deceived him, it’s that he feels bad about letting me in. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I—’
‘My life is fucked up in ways you can’t imagine, Gabriel,’ he interrupts. ‘And this . . .’ He waves a hand in front of his face, but doesn’t elaborate further. He lets out a long sigh. ‘I should go.’
