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‘If it’s Noah Drake you’re after, girls, you’ll have to take your place in the queue,’ smirked one of the entourage, shoving his thumb over his shoulder. ‘It’s like this all the time, especially for Noah. Crazy, but, well, heisthe lead singer. I suppose he has to get special treatment. And anyway, he loves it!’
Sophie’s joyful smile melted from her lips to be replaced by a grimace of dismay. Through the tightly packed throng she could just glimpse Noah lounging in his own swivel chair, his snakeskin boots propped up on the dressing table with a bottle of Moet in one hand and a red rose clasped between his teeth as he signed a fan’s autograph book with a flourish. She watched as he drew in a mouthful of the bubbles, swallowed, and ran the tip of his tongue over his lips in a familiar, yet for Sophie shockingly intimate, gesture.
She endured a wave of nausea so strong she felt it breach the back of her throat. A concrete block took up residence in her chest and her heart rate quickened. She felt threatened. The mass of warm, undulating bodies packed so tightly together made her feel light-headed.
Could she do this? Could she stand by and watch Noah become the object of such adulation night after night? Loitering in the background like a spare part, an object of pity, the discarded girlfriend hanging on to her boyfriend for dear life? Or worse, battling against the assumption that she was simply following in his wake in the hope that a little of his stardust would fall onto her shoulders?
Had she made the right choice in coming to the concert tonight?
Clearly she had been naive at the very least in her anticipation that Noah would be waiting for her – and her alone – in his dressing room. Heat filled her cheeks when she acknowledged that she had hoped, after their kiss in the ballroom at Somersby Manor, that tonight would be the first step on the journey to rekindling their relationship.
How could she have been so foolish?
Nothing had changed – nothing at all – so why did she think this time around things would be different? Noah was even more successful now than he had been when they split, with thousands more fans demanding a slice of his attention. She still craved success for Sophie-Louise and was even running an additional branch of the shop! They both had more demands on their time than they had ever had before. It was almost inevitable that if they pursued a long-distance relationship, just like before, it would end in betrayal as they sought solace in other avenues.
She couldn’t put herself through that pain again.
She turned to Nessa, parted her lips to say something, but no words arrived. She slipped back into the dimly lit corridor, annoyed by the intensity of the spasm of jealousy the tableau in the dressing room had aroused in her. Her head told her that leaving was the right decision, despite the vehement objections raised by her heart. In fact, if she thought about it, she had so little time for socialising right now that it wouldn’t be fair to expect Noah to be happy with whatever crumbs she could spare him. She wasn’t in a position to prioritise a relationship at the moment.
What on earth had she been thinking? The past was simply repeating itself – and their inevitable separation would be her fault once again.
As tears gathered along her lashes, she was determined to make as swift an exit as possible. But it was not to be. She chanced a final backward glance over her shoulder and caught Noah’s steel-grey eyes boring into hers. She saw him leap from his chair and plough his way through the crowd, almost knocking Archie to the ground in his determination to stall her escape and prevent a repeat of what had happened before.
‘Sophie, wait!’
Noah caught up with her at the exit door of the theatre. He hooked his arm through hers and spun her round to face him. He nodded to the burly security guy who cracked open the door, checked their route was clear, and guided the two of them into the empty tour bus that was parked at the back of the venue. Sophie fell into one of the front seats and Noah dropped into the one opposite her, their presence obscured by blacked-out windows, while the security man stood guard at the door, nonchalantly smoking a cigarette.
‘Sophie, I’m so sorry, that was a bit manic. It’s not always as bad as that. It’s this wedding fever that’s got everyone overexcited. Just let me finish signing autographs and posing for selfies, and we can share one of those bottles of champagne.’
‘Noah, I’m not sure…’
She decided not to add that she had thought he’d promised to take her to dinner so they could talk, but their reservation had expired an hour ago. She stood and took a step towards the exit, but Noah grabbed her by the waist and dragged her back into his arms, holding her tight to prevent her from walking away. His eyes delved into hers and she was surprised to see his lower lashes sparkling with tears.
‘Sophie, you know that I’ve loved you since we were kids. I still love you. And there’s never been anyone else – you are allI care about. This distance between us is agony. Please, please, give me another chance to prove how much you mean to me.’
‘Noah…’
‘I wrote that song for you, you know that, don’t you? Every word, every syllable was crafted with the image of you firmly centre stage. I’ve reworked a few of the lyrics for Finn’s wedding, but it’s a homily of love from a man who prays every day that he can be reconciled with his one true love. Can we, Sophie? Can we start again? I know you feel the same way I do.’ Noah’s eyes held a heartbreaking plea.
‘Noah…’
She felt her tears slide down her cheeks. Noah reached up, cupped her face with his palms and brushed them away with his thumbs. ‘I met my soulmate when I was thirteen years old, and I’ve never stopped loving her since.’ His eyes scoured the crevices of her soul and she could feel his breath on her lashes, but she needed to be honest with him.
‘How can we start again, Noah? Nothing has changed. We’re both still concentrating all our efforts on our careers. The demands on our time are heavy. It’s for the best, Noah – for both of us. I know how hard it is to walk away, but believe me it’s the right thing to do.’
‘It’snotthe right thing to do! I know you; this is not what you want – what you really want. I can see it in your heart, feel it in your veins. Why are you always running away from your true feelings and forcing your head to rule over all of your decisions? Let your heart have a chance for once!’
Sophie decided to let that scorchingly delivered home truth pass.
‘We’re just not in the right place for a relationship to work right now, Noah. Sophie-Louise will be busier than ever after thewedding, and The Razorclaws will be booked for gigs all over Europe. I can’t bear to think of another girl winding her arms round the neck of my boyfriend whenever he’s away touring. It breaks my heart, but—’
‘Then come with me, Soph! Tour with the band. You know them almost as well as you know me, and they love you. The fans will always be around. Whether I like it or not, they’re part of the tapestry of life as a musician. But they don’t mean anything. I’ve not had a date since we split, not a proper one, not one where all I wanted to do was kiss her until we were chucked out of the Fox & Hounds. You were the first person I ever kissed Soph, and no one else has ever come near to inducing the feelings I have for you.’
Sophie held Noah’s gaze, in no doubt as to the sincerity of his words. His mouth was inches from hers, tantalisingly close, and seconds later he lowered his head and brushed her lips with his, just as he had before.
‘Noah, I can’t—’
‘Noah! There you are. Put her down and get your butt out here for an interview with the Channel 4 reporter. He’s been waiting for half an hour already. Where have you been? Noah?’
