"Just say it," Hailey said finally. "Whatever it is."
Noah turned to look at her directly, his expression serious.
"Are you still mad at me?" he asked quietly.
Hailey was genuinely surprised by the question.
"Huh?" she said, not understanding. "Mad about what?"
But even as she said it, she could see from his expression that he was talking about something specific.
Something that had been weighing on his mind.
"Oh," she said softly, realization dawning. "That."
"No," she said firmly. "Why would I be mad at you? It's been a long time. I forgot all about it."
"But I still remember," Noah said quietly. "Everything you did for me."
"Noah..." Hailey began.
"But I was still really young then," he continued. "So I thought..."
He trailed off, leaving the sentence hanging.
"You thought what?" she prompted gently.
Noah looked down at the ground, his hands shoved deep in his pockets.
"I thought you came to me just to get me into your bed," he said finally, his voice barely audible.
The words hung in the air between them.
Hailey felt her heart clench at the pain in his voice.
"Noah," she said softly, reaching out to touch his arm. "It's not your fault."
"It is," he said miserably. "I should have known better."
"We all know that in this industry, there are lots of people who take advantage," Hailey said firmly. "You were right to be cautious."
"I was so confused back then," Noah said, looking up at her. "You were so kind to me, but I'd heard so many stories."
"What kind of stories?" Hailey asked.
"About what happens to young performers," Noah said. "People who promise to help but want something in return."
"You were protecting yourself," Hailey said. "That was smart. I never wanted you to feel pressured."
"But now I know that you're not like that," he said, his voice stronger. "You were just trying to help me."
"I believed in you," Hailey said simply. "I still do."
"You believed in me when no one else did," Noah said, his eyes bright with unshed tears.
Hailey felt tears prick her own eyes.
"Noah," she said, her voice warm and sincere. "I was never mad at you. Do you know that you're the pride of our team?"
A smile spread across Noah's face.
"Really?" he asked.
"Everyone here is so proud of what you've accomplished," Hailey continued.
"That means everything to me," Noah said, his relief obvious.
"Let me tell you something," Hailey said, her eyes lighting up. "I've seen all your music videos."
"All of them?" Noah asked, his smile widening.
"Every single one," Hailey confirmed. "I can dance to every song."
"Really?" Noah asked. "That's incredible."
"Well, I say dance," Hailey said with a laugh. "It's more like enthusiastic swaying."
She moved as if to stand up, a mischievous grin on her face.
"Do you want to see?" she asked. "Do you want me to dance to a few songs?"
Noah laughed, the sound bright and genuine.
"Maybe two songs," he said, his laughter making his whole face light up.
Hailey immediately sat back down, shaking her head.
"You're supposed to stop me!" she protested, laughing along with him. "You know I can't dance."
"What would I do if you actually let me try?" she added.
They both burst into laughter, the tension finally breaking.
When their laughter died down, Noah's expression became serious again.
"Hailey," he said softly.
"Huh?" she responded, still smiling.
"The actual reason I came back," he said carefully, "isn't only because of work."
Hailey's smile faded as she saw the seriousness in his expression.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"I missed you," he said simply, the words carrying months of separation and longing.
The confession hung in the air between them, changing everything.
Hailey felt her breath catch, her heart beginning to race.
"Noah, I—" she began.
But before she could finish, the door to the pub burst open.
Walter appeared in the doorway, his face flushed and his tie crooked.
"What are you two doing out here?" Walter called out, his voice slurred but commanding.
He walked over to them with unsteady steps.
"The rest of the crew and I are waiting for you inside!" Walter continued.
"We were just getting some air," Hailey said quickly.
"Air is overrated," Walter declared. "Fun is underrated."
He grabbed both of them by the arms.
"You shouldn't ruin the party!" he said excitedly. "I'd like to ask you two to get back to the drunk group!"
"The drunk group?" Noah asked with amusement.
"That's us," Walter said proudly. "We're the drunk group."
Without waiting for a response, he began pulling them toward the entrance.
"Let's party! Let's go!" Walter shouted enthusiastically.
Noah and Hailey exchanged a look over Walter's head.
There was something different in Noah's eyes now, something that hadn't been there before his confession.
---
Meanwhile, back at Hailey's apartment, Eric was pacing restlessly across the small living room.
"Where is she?" he muttered to himself, checking his phone for the hundredth time.
The space felt different without her there, quieter and somehow smaller.
"Still no new messages," he said, staring at her text from hours ago.
He had read it so many times he could recite it from memory: "Going to be late tonight. Don't wait up for me. Having drinks with the team."
"Having drinks with the team," Eric repeated mockingly. "What kind of drinks? With what team? How late is late?"
The apartment was neat and tidy, exactly as Hailey had left it that morning.
"Her coffee mug is still here," Eric observed, walking to the kitchen. "Her training bag is still by the door. But where is she?"
These small signs of her presence only made her absence feel more pronounced.
Eric walked to the window and looked out at the street below.
"Nothing," he said, scanning the quiet neighborhood. "No sign of her."
Only the occasional car passed by, and street lamps created pools of light on the pavement.
"What is she doing?" Eric wondered aloud. "Who is she talking to? When will she be home?"
He found himself asking these questions over and over, but the empty apartment provided no answers.
"I've never been good at waiting," he said to himself. "Even as a kid, I wanted everything to happen right away."
But waiting for Hailey was different.
"This isn't just impatience," he admitted. "This is... something else."
It was a restless energy that made him feel like he couldn't sit still.
He moved to the balcony, stepping outside into the cool night air.
"Look at all those lights," he said, gazing at the city spread out before him. "Thousands of people living their lives."
From this viewpoint, he could see the busy streets in the distance.
"People going about their evening routines," Eric continued. "While I'm here, waiting."
The hours seemed to drag by with painful slowness.
"Maybe I should call her," Eric said, picking up his phone. "No, she'll think I'm clingy."
He put the phone down, then picked it up again.
"Maybe just a quick text," he considered. "Something casual."
But he couldn't think of anything that didn't sound desperate.
"How are you supposed to text someone who has already told you not to wait up?" he asked himself.
He tried to distract himself by reading, but the words blurred together.
"Can't concentrate," he muttered, tossing the book aside.
He turned on the television, but nothing held his interest.
"This is ridiculous," Eric said, switching channels rapidly. "I'm a grown man. I shouldn't be sitting here like a worried parent."
But nothing worked. The waiting continued.
The sound of footsteps on the stairs outside caught his attention.
"Finally!" Eric exclaimed, his heart leaping.
He moved quickly back inside, straightening his clothes and running a hand through his hair.
"Okay, play it cool," he told himself. "Don't let her know you've been waiting all night."
But as the footsteps grew closer, he realized something was wrong.
"Those don't sound like her steps," he said, frowning. "Too heavy. And there are two people."
He moved to the door and listened carefully.
"Voices," he confirmed. "One of them is definitely Hailey, but she sounds..."
Her voice was unclear and unfocused in a way that suggested she had been drinking much more than usual.
"She's drunk," Eric realized, his jaw clenching. "Really drunk."
The other voice was male, younger than his own, with a tone that was both concerned and protective.
Eric felt something cold settle in his stomach.
"She's not alone," he said grimly.