Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

GEMMA

S pending the afternoon with Noah and his bandmates had been incredible. At Thanksgiving, when he’d said they were like brothers, I wasn’t sure I really believed him. I’d figured that they would be close considering the amount of time they spent together, but I hadn’t really bought what I’d thought was their version of the company line.

Having spent a few hours with them though, I’d realized that it had absolutely been true. The guys were like brothers, rough-housing and joking around, arguing, bantering, bickering, and laughing a lot. It was clear that they were close, and that they genuinely trusted each other.

Lewis and Brandon had been surprisingly warm and friendly to me, as if they were somehow accepting me into their family, and once Jack had gotten used to having me there, even he had mellowed out a bit.

It was concert time, and Noah had given me a searing kiss before he’d run out onto the stage with the others. I was getting to watch the whole thing from backstage, and honestly, I couldn’t believe this was my life right now.

I felt like I should’ve been waiting to get kicked out, but Noah had introduced me to everyone and had made sure they knew I had come with him. I had a special lanyard and everything. Standing just a few feet away from their band, I could feel the energy coming from the four guys the audience had come to see, and it was electric.

Thousands of people were out there watching them, chanting their names and singing along to words they had written. It was a totally surreal experience to be watching them from here, knowing that I’d spent all afternoon with them—and that I was going to be sleeping next to one of them tonight.

At this point, I felt attached to Noah in ways I had never expected. Every time he looked at me, talked to me, or touched me, I was on cloud nine. He made me feel things I’d never, ever felt.

He gave me butterflies and made me swoon. Colors seemed brighter when I was around him and my heart was constantly skipping and racing. I got tingles whenever his skin brushed against mine and I couldn’t stop thinking about him.

I still had some insecurities about my past and his age, but there was just something about him that made me feel like none of that really mattered. An old soul with the voice of a literal angel, he was everything I had ever wanted and so, so much more.

During their concert, I couldn’t keep my eyes off him and the pride that surged through me as I watched him do his thing was indescribable. It even brought tears to my eyes.

Noah kept dancing or moving to spots on the stage where he could see me, sending me grins that made me feel so much joy that my toes almost curled, and winks that made me think of all the things he’d promised for later. I sang along with him, having become so much more familiar with the City Lights songs than I had been before, and sashayed to the rhythm of the music, enjoying every second of this special experience.

When their show came to an end, he thanked the crowd and they pretended to leave before “caving” to the requests for an encore, but once they were really done, the stage lights flickered off and Noah rushed toward me. Sweat glistened on his forehead, tracing down his temples and neck.

Before the show, his dirty blond hair had been perfectly styled, but it was now wild and untamed, strands sticking to his neck or standing up in places.

With the energy of the show still humming in his voice, he seemed almost jittery. He caught me in his arms, sweeping me right off my feet and spinning me in a quick circle. “What did you think? It was a good one, right?”

“It was great.”

For a fleeting second, he appeared almost childlike in his excitement. His eyes sparkled with the thrill of the performance. He tilted his head slightly, half-smiling as he held me to him, clearly not having any interest in setting me down just yet.

“You really enjoyed it?”

“I loved it.” I pushed the damp hair away from his face and planted a big kiss on those smiling lips. “You’re amazing, Noah. I could watch you every night and never get bored.”

“Good. I might just hold you to that,” he joked before finally letting me down, but taking my hand as soon as my feet touched the floor. “There’s an after party I have to make an appearance at. Be my date?”

“With pleasure.”

He smirked at me, leaning down to speak against my ear so that no one would overhear. “Well, no. The pleasure will come later. Unless you’re into potentially being walked in on, in which case, let’s just go find a bathroom real quick.”

I laughed, bringing our joined hands to my lips and kissing the back of his. Before I could say anything though, Brandon, Lewis, and Jack were there, all just as pumped up as Noah after their performance.

Noah sighed but released me to hand out fist-bumps and slaps on the back. Then he gathered my hand again when they were called. “Car’s here!”

Brandon grinned at me. “Ready for your first after party? Let’s hope it’s a good one. We wouldn’t want you to think that we’re lame.”

“I definitely won’t think that after what I just saw,” I teased. “Unless your party planners did a terrible job, of course.”

He laughed and pulled me in for a quick, sideways hug. Then we were on the move with yet another team of bodyguards surrounding us. The guys all walked with a confident sway in their step that suggested they were seasoned stars, men who knew their performance had just set this little corner of the world on fire.

We piled into an actual limousine waiting outside, the guys immediately cracking open water bottles and beers before the wheels had even started turning. The AC was cranked up all the way, but since even I still had the adrenaline racing through my system after that, it wasn’t too cold.

On our way to the party, the band did a quick debrief, laughing and ribbing each other over the tiniest things that had happened onstage. Through it all, Noah kept me close to him, either tucked in under his arm or with his hand firmly in mine.

By his side was my new favorite place to be. Even when he was really sweaty. I chuckled as I looked up into those sparkling blue eyes. “Should you have showered before we go to the party?”

He laughed. “Sometimes, we do. I think tonight we’re all in too much of a rush, but there should be showers there.”

“There are showers there,” Lewis supplied helpfully. “It’s at some mansion that used to belong to a country star and is being used as an event space now. Alana told me they’ve had towels and stuff brought over if we want to grab one.”

The others nodded, but no one seemed to be in much of a hurry to get to a bathroom once we arrived at the sprawling mansion. Manicured lawns rolled from the high walls surrounding the property to the porte cochere at the front door.

Fountains dotted the driveway and the garden, and lights had been placed strategically under towering old trees. Warm orange light spilled out from inside, and by the time we walked in, there were already tribes of people milling around.

The band received a hero’s welcome, with people whistling, catcalling, and cheering as they walked in. Brandon lit up like a Christmas tree under the attention, immediately holding up his hand and jogging to those closest to us to start handing out high-fives. Jack looked like he was about to bolt while Lewis grinned and went to mingle with the crowd.

Noah had a cocky smirk on his lips, but he just waved and pulled me closer, bending his head toward mine as he led me deeper into the mansion. “Thanks for coming with me. I love that you’re here.”

Practically preening, I smiled up at him, tightened my grip on his hand, and wondered how long this honeymoon-phase feeling could really last. For both of us. Surely, it couldn’t last forever.

I supposed the only real question was what would become of us once it ended. Would our bond and the relationship we’d have built by then last, or was it that instant connection that would keep us together only until it fizzed out?

The question nagged at the back of my mind, but I decided to ignore it. I’d had the best time at the concert, and I was having a great time with him at the party as well. To my surprise, I spotted a few clients I’d put on events for in the past, and Noah came with me to speak to them.

All the while, that cocky smirk never left his lips and I started wondering if it was there because of me. If it was because he was proud to have me by his side. It seemed unlikely, but as we spoke to my clients and his fans, I realized that it was entirely possible.

More butterflies burst to life in my stomach. Loving my life right now, I laughed and joked with him and everyone we were talking to. When my phone rang with an incoming call from Mariam, I sent it to voicemail and resolved to call her back later.

Noah arched an eyebrow at me. “Are you sure you don’t want to get that?”

“No, it’s okay. We talk almost every night and she knows I went to your concert tonight, so—” My phone started buzzing again, and this time, I frowned.

If she called twice in a row, that meant it was something serious. I looked up from my screen and sent him an apologetic look. “Now I should get it. Excuse me for a moment?”

Releasing his hand for the first time in what felt like hours, I made a beeline for the closest bathroom and shut the door behind me, immediately returning her call. As I pressed the phone to my ear, my heart thrummed. Panic infused my senses as I prayed that nothing was wrong.

“Mimi?” I said when she picked up. “What’s going on?”

“Pictures of you and Noah have blown up the internet, Gem. Do you know about it?”

I laughed. “That’s impossible. There were some paparazzi at the airport, but that whole situation happened less than twenty-four hours ago. If there are pictures blowing up the internet, they’re not of us. Maybe Brandon did something?”

“Nope. This is definitely you, Gemma. I’m literally looking at the pictures right now. Noah is way more famous than he comes off, or at least, way more famous than I realized.”

I had no idea what to say. Shock ricocheted around my insides as I tried to process the news, but I was speechless.

Pictures of Noah and I are blowing up the internet? What are they saying about us? Is it bad?

“I know he’s famous,” were the words that finally made their way out of my mouth. “He said it’s always the worst when he’s here, in California, or in New York, though.”

“Yeah, I know you know he’s famous, but Gem, he’s like really famous. Like proper, celeb level fame.”

I gaped, but I couldn’t get another word out just yet. Thankfully, Mariam seemed to have learned more than enough about Noah to keep silence from falling between us. “There are thousands of comments on those pictures of you guys, babe. It looks like he has a reputation for sleeping around, or he did have a reputation for it.”

My stomach plummeted. “You’re sure?”

“Unfortunately.” I could hear the grimace in her voice. “He’s been linked to a lot of people, Gem. None of them lasted very long, so just do me a favor and be careful. Trust your gut. Famous people can make you feel real good about yourself until they don’t. Sometimes, they love you one minute and disown you the next. I’m just worried that you’re going to get hurt.”

“I won’t, but I will be careful and I will trust my gut,” I murmured, leaning against the door and closing my eyes. I drew in a deep breath through my nostrils. “Thanks for calling, Mimi. I appreciate it, but you don’t have to worry. Noah is different. I don’t really know what to think about this apparent reputation of his, but maybe he’s just different with me. Even then though, the point is that he is different now that he’s with me. There’s absolutely nothing to worry about.”

Yet even as I said it, that little nagging voice at the back of my mind grew louder. I trusted Noah and I was pretty sure I was falling in love with him, but we were definitely in a honeymoon phase and once that was over?

I had absolutely no idea what to expect from him—especially not with a reputation like that following him around. All I knew was that it didn’t bode well for me, and it probably meant I should at least try to put some of my guards back up. However impossible it felt like that might be.