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Especially himself.
He’d spent so much damn time obsessing and worrying about his job and whining about his career that he’d pushed away the most amazing woman he’d ever met. They were complete opposites and he knew that should be enough of a deterrent to feel thankful that she was brave enough to pull the plug first, but…he missed her.
He missed her so much that it physically hurt.
All day Saturday, he sat in front of the TV and let himself simply zone out—tune out the rest of the world because he didn’t want to see or talk to anyone. He ordered food to eat when he was hungry, and watched shows and movies that he really had no interest in just to pass the time.
When he woke up Sunday morning, it was to the sound of someone banging on his door and holding down the doorbell.
“What the hell…?” His first thought was that it was Lily coming to say she made a mistake and that was the only reason he stumbled out of bed, slipped on a pair of sweatpants, and ran for the door. He raked a hand through his hair, pulled open the door, and… “What the hell?”
His brothers were standing there with goofy grins, a tray of coffee and a box from a local bakery. Jax pushed Simon through the doorway. “Quick, before his legion of fans spot him,” he teased before clapping Noah on the shoulder. “Morning!”
“I’ve got to be dreaming…” he mumbled, shutting the door. But his brothers were in the kitchen making themselves comfortable. “What’s going on?”
“Mom called,” Simon said as he took the lid off his coffee and took a sip. “I literally have six hours before a car is going to be here to pick me up, so…what’s going on?”
He looked at Jax, who took a huge bite out of a donut before asking, “You and Lily broke up?”
Shit.
Walking closer, he took one coffee and moved to the living room to sit down. “Yeah. She broke up with me. I don’t see why that means you both had to come.”
“You’re welcome,” Jax said, dripping sarcasm. “Jeez, we’re here because we’re worried, okay? I know I gave you some crap when I was here a few weeks ago, but I genuinely thought things were okay. What happened?”
Leaning back against the cushions, he told them about the day William was taken to the hospital. “It was like a kick to the chest when she accused me of trying to kiss up to her father,” he said, his anger coming to the surface again. “Like…after everything we’d been through, that was her first thought and…it sucks.”
“Okay, but…chalk it up to a bad day,” Simon chimed in. “I’m sure once she calms down…”
Noah was already shaking his head. “She broke up with me that night. Over the phone.” He muttered a curse. “Now I’m stuck working for her family so every day will be a reminder of what I had and what I lost and why.”
“First, you’re not stuck,” Jax reminded him. “You can go work for a million other financial companies. No one’s forcing you to stay here.”
“Exactly!” Simon agreed. “Come work for me full-time. I can hook you up with a few clients and you can do this all on your own. You don’t need a place like Montgomerys. You’re more than capable of starting your own business. With Jax and me as your clients…”
“And it’s not like you’re poaching,” Jax added. “You kept us personal and not part of your Montgomerys clients, so technically, you’re already ahead of the game. You’re more than ready to take the leap, Noah. You’ve proven that you know what you’re doing.”
Sighing, he shook his head. “I don’t know. That wasn’t part of my plan…”
“Neither was meeting someone like Lily and falling in love,” Simon reminded him. “At least…I’m guessing that’s why this is a big deal, right? Because you’re in love with her?”
Noah shot him a look. “What exactly did Mom say to you?”
“Just that she was worried about you, and it was over a woman,” Simon said with a shrug. “That was a first, so I called Jax and we were able to coordinate this little breakfast surprise! So, how can we help?”
Groaning, he took a sip of his coffee.
“Take a few days off and join me on the tour,” Simon suggested. “I’m heading to Atlanta tonight for a show, then it’s on to Myrtle Beach, and Nashville before coming back here. It’ll be fun! When’s the last time you did something fun?”
Every day with Lily…
“I can’t just take off. William’s still in the hospital and…”
“And it’s not your company,” Jax stated firmly. “You’re entitled to a life, Noah! You’re not responsible for holding everything together for the Montgomerys! Besides, if you want a change of scenery where everything’s happy and upbeat all the damn time, go on tour with Simon. Every day’s like a trip to fucking Disneyland with him.”
Fortunately, Simon didn’t take offense. “Nothing wrong with putting a positive spin on life. What’s the point of being miserable? And why would I be? I’m living my dream! I get to sing all the time and make people happy! It’s a great feeling!”
Jax glared at him. “Okay, Pollyanna. Great. Focus that weird energy on Noah. He needs it.”
