omeone else. She saw Noah take a long drink from the champagne bottle, his eyes locking with Scarle

still chuckling

got her train

riend was that..

air. That' s what she was. Not love

eremony to claim the trophy she had earned. But three years of ingrained behavior were a powerful force. The thou

as all eyes turned to her. Noah' s smile faltered for a second, a brief flash of ann

e were a tardy chauffeur. "Took y

ed vaguely with the bottle. "Pay the bill

the exorbitant bill for their private room and expensive drinks

ck, her path was

. He must have followed her from the awards ceremony. Their eyes met, and for t

ide," he said, his v

should have known you'd be skulking around." He draped a heavy arm over Ava

still on Ava. "Are you okay?" he asked

almost enough to make her break. But Noah's arm was a dea

ooking down at the floor.

ting through to her, not now. He gave a slight nod.

Ava alone with Noah an

. Scarlett was in the back, humming to herself, occasionally making a flirty comment to Noah. Ava drove in silence, her hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly he

ur. The stress, the allergy from the shrimp she' d eaten days before, the emotional turmoil-it

ou now?" Noah asked,

ine." But she wasn't. The pain was getting worse,