Hailey's face softened with understanding. But there was also sadness in her eyes as she processed his words.
"You have a different life now," she reminded him gently.
"You are a superstar with millions of views on your music videos," she continued. "You have fans all over the world who love you. Why would you come back here and get yourself hurt like this?"
Noah was quiet for a long moment. His gaze drifted away from her face to stare across the training facility.
When he spoke again, his voice was barely above a whisper.
"When I was over there," he began, his words careful and deliberate. "People came to me expecting something from me all the time."
"Expecting me to be perfect, to always be 'on,' to never show weakness or doubt or fear," he continued.
He paused, his hand unconsciously moving to touch the bruise on his jaw.
"That sounds exhausting," Hailey said sympathetically.
"It is," Noah confirmed. "More exhausting than any training we ever did."
