The walk through Central Park was wonderful. We applauded the street performers, snapped selfies on picture-perfect bridges, and enjoyed some of the best people-watching you could imagine. We even sort of paid attention when the group stopped to look at a few statues and landmarks and Mr. Wagner tried to lecture us about them. The best part was that it was easy to stay clear of Noah, and I barely noticed him. I was too busy having fun with my friends and admiring the sights.
I didn’t see him at dinner either. There were so many students on the trip we sat at a few different tables, and he was nowhere near me. We went to an amazing Asian fusion restaurant Cress told me was one of the best in the city. The servers brought out a wide array of incredible dishes, most of which I’d never even heard of, let alone tried before. Even so, I found myself sampling every dish and wolfing down anything that hit my plate. I loved my mom’s cooking at the café, but this was a different world of food altogether.
I was growing tired by the time we made it to the theater. Between the drive to New York and the afternoon exploring Central Park, I was exhausted. I’d also gotten a bit overexcited at dinner, and I was feeling very full. It was a short walk to the theater from the restaurant, but Cress, Anna, and I lagged at the back of the group. When we got to the theater, students were already lining up in front of the entrance where Mr. Wagner was handing out tickets.
We joined the back of the queue and shuffled forward as students filed into the theater and went to find their seats. Anna grinned when she glanced down at her ticket and saw where she was sitting. “Wow, they got us good seats,” she said. “We’re so close to the front we’ll practically be able to feel Romeo spitting his lines.”
I looked at her ticket and saw she was in row C. But when I looked at my own, I appeared to be nowhere near her. “You’ll have to tell me all about his spit,” I said. “I don’t think I’ll be getting sprayed by it in row MM.”
Anna glanced over at my ticket and frowned. “What? Are we really not sitting together?”
“It must be random,” Cress said. “I’m in row F.”
“Sorry, girls.” Mr. Wagner’s low voice interrupted our complaints. “Most of the group are in the front rows, but there’s too many of us, so some of you will be sitting elsewhere. Don’t worry, you won’t be the only ones.”
“Damn, I can’t believe they don’t have us sitting together,” Anna said as we left Mr. Wagner in the foyer. “I don’t want to be sprayed in spit without you guys.”
I laughed. “Why do I feel like that’s not something people often say?”
“Ha, you may think that, but I bet it is,” Anna replied with a smile. She started to frown though as she looked at me. “Shit, and it’s your first performance in New York, Isobel. Do you want to swap seats with me?”
I quickly shook my head. “No, I’m fine. I wouldn’t want to deprive you of Romeo’s spit.”
“I’m sure I can live without it. Seriously, let’s swap.”
“I’m happy to swap too if you like,” Cress added. “Though my seat isn’t as good as Anna’s.”
I pulled my ticket in close to my chest. “Nope, like I said, I’m fine.” I started toward the stairs that led up to my seat before they could argue. There was a look in Anna’s eyes that made me feel like she might try to wrestle the ticket from my hands if I hung around. “I’ll catch you guys after the show.”
I wandered up the stairs until I found the door I was supposed to enter through. As I entered the auditorium, I could see I was right at the back of the theater. I wasn’t just a few rows from my friends. I was a whole other level away from them. The place was packed, but I saw a few other students scattered throughout the seats, so at least I wasn’t the only one back here.
I climbed the stairs until I reached my row, which was the very last one in the entire theater. While Anna was being covered in spit from the performers, I’d be lucky to hear them at all. I looked down the row and could just make out an empty seat over the sea of heads. Every seat between me and my destination was taken, so I slowly began to edge my way past the other patrons, keeping my eyes down so I didn’t trip and whispering my apologies as I went. I was just about to reach my seat when I looked up and saw who I would be sitting next to. I froze. My blood turned to ice as I locked eyes with Noah. His look of shock must have mirrored mine. I imagined the universe was having a good old laugh right now.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I muttered under my breath.
The man I’d stopped in front of cleared his throat, and I quickly jolted back into action. “Sorry.” I gave him an empty smile before I slowly continued onward. Every second I delayed was one second less I had to spend at Noah’s side.
When I finally reached him, he stood to let me pass. My body buzzed as I lightly brushed past him. He was too big for such a small space, and it was impossible to get by him without touching. I looked at the number on the empty seat next to him, and my heart sank as it was confirmed. I was sitting next to Noah.
I dropped into my seat and pulled out my program, hoping it might distract me from the boy I could feel at my side. There was only so much time you could spend reading about the actors in the play before it became painfully monotonous.
Noah let out a soft laugh, and I couldn’t stop myself from glancing up at him. He was watching me, and though he’d laughed, there wasn’t a trace of humor on his face.
“What?” I hissed at him.
“It’s nothing.”
“You laughed. Do you find something funny about this situation?”
He let out a sigh. “Only that no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to get away from you. It seems somewhat ironic given we’re seeing a play about fate.”
I folded my arms over my chest. “Yes, well, I’m sure the universe will find some other people to mess with once it realizes no matter how many times it tries to throw us together it’ll make no difference.”
“Perhaps,” he agreed.
His response sliced through me. A part of me still wanted him to fight for us. To fight against his grandfather and choose me even though it was the wrong decision. The way he just seemed to surrender to it all only twisted the broken shards of my heart.
I just wished I didn’t feel such a strong connection to him. That I could ignore how my body urged me toward him even now.
“How was your afternoon?” he asked, somewhat taking me by surprise.
Apparently, we were making small talk now. It was unusual seeing as he hadn’t spoken two words to me all week. “I thought you weren’t talking to me.”
“I never said I wasn’t talking to you.”
I kept my arms crossed and stayed as small as I could in my seat. There was barely any space between the seats, and I felt too close to Noah. “Well, you haven’t been talking to me, and you’ve been acting as though I don’t exist.”
He let out a hard breath. “How could I be acting as though you don’t exist when you’re the only person I can see?”
This boy was more confusing than most of my chemistry lessons—and those were damn near impossible these days. Thankfully, the lights in the theater started to dim, stopping our sad attempts at conversation. I blew out a breath of relief. At least now I wouldn’t have to talk with Noah. I could sit here and simply pretend he wasn’t there.
It was far easier said than done, and as soon as it grew dark, my body only seemed to become more aware of Noah’s presence beside me. His arm was on the armrest between us, only inches away from my own. His legs were close enough that I only had to shuffle slightly to brush against him. The worst part was how clearly I could smell him. His scent wrapped around me, beckoning me to him and tormenting my every breath.
I wondered if he was as plagued by me as I was by him. It practically made me feel sick, and each passing moment only turned my stomach more. I’d always found his presence impossible to ignore, but it had never made me feel quite so nauseated before. Perhaps this was progress. Perhaps I’d gotten to the point in our breakup where he made me feel physically ill.
My stomach clenched, and I lifted a hand to my mouth. Nope. This couldn’t be because of Noah. I wasn’t just slightly queasy; I was ten days spent on the high seas kind of queasy.
“I’m going to be sick.” I jumped from my seat and darted back down the row toward the aisle as quickly as I could. People grumbled as I passed, but I ignored them as I climbed over their outstretched legs and rushed back down the steps and out into the foyer.
Thankfully, there was a women’s bathroom just outside the door, and I ran straight for it. I only just made it to the toilet before I vomited. My eyes watered, and my stomach turned. I hadn’t been sick this way in a long time.
I vaguely heard the bathroom door opening and the scuff of feet as someone entered. Whoever it was had a real treat in store because I wasn’t sure I could keep quiet. I was too sick to care though.
“Isobel, are you okay?”
Oh, God. Anyone but him. Noah had followed me in here, and I officially wanted to die.
I answered him by hurling my guts up again. I heard him swear, and moments later, his hands were brushing against the sides of my face as he pulled my hair back for me. If I wanted to get him to leave me alone by completely repulsing him, I was doing a great job.
When I’d gotten most of the contents of my stomach up, I grabbed some toilet paper from the dispenser and wiped my mouth. I wanted nothing more than to disappear, but that was impossible when I was stuck in a small cubicle with Noah. I slowly turned to him. I felt like hell and probably looked even worse. There wasn’t nearly enough space in the small stall for the two of us, and we were both far too close.
“You shouldn’t be in here,” I said.
Noah ignored my comment. “How are you feeling?”
“I feel like the food at that restaurant isn’t nearly as nice the second time tasting it.” Especially not the calamari. I was never going to eat seafood again.
“Do you think you’re going to throw up again?”
I slowly shook my head.
“Here, let me help you up.” He gently took my arm. I felt weak as a kitten as I tried to stand, but Noah did most of the lifting.
“You’re missing the play,” I said. “And you’re in the women’s bathroom.” Thankfully the play was in full swing, so there was no one else here.
“I’m aware.” He didn’t seem the least bit bothered by either of those facts. “We should get you back to the hotel.”
I groaned and shook my head. “No, we need to see the play.”
“You can barely stand, and you’re as white as a sheet. I’m taking you back to your room.”
“We can’t leave the theater. We’ll get in trouble.”
“Don’t worry about the teachers. I’ll text Mr. Wagner and let him know you’re unwell and I’m taking you back.”
“But…”
Noah’s eyes turned serious, and I could see there would be no arguing with him. I wanted to protest but felt too exhausted to go through with it.
“Fine,” I grumbled. I didn’t particularly feel like seeing a play about Romeo and Juliet anyway. Not when things between Noah and me felt like they’d been ripped from its very pages.
Noah went to help me, but I stepped out of his grasp. “I can walk.”
He slowly nodded, but he looked like he wanted to object. Instead, he hovered close to me as we left the bathroom. He was acting like he thought I might faint or collapse. If I were honest with myself, I didn’t feel that far from it. I couldn’t handle the thought of him touching me though.
We were silent as we left the theater, and I tried to keep as much distance between us as possible as we took a cab back to the hotel.
“You really didn’t have to escort me back here,” I said, as we made our way down the corridor to my room. I still felt really unwell and was grateful Noah had brought me back. I felt terrible he had missed the play though. We had an assignment on Romeo and Juliet due in a couple of weeks. And while we didn’t need to see the play to complete the work, it definitely would have helped.
“It’s no problem.” Noah shrugged. “I’ve seen the play before.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I like watching stage productions. My mom and dad used to take me to the theater a lot when I was a kid.”
“Oh.” I didn’t know that about Noah. I didn’t want to know it about him either. I didn’t like knowing anything that might endear him more to me when things between us would never work.
“Well, this is me,” I said, gesturing to the door when we reached my room.
Noah crossed his arms over his large chest. “You think I’m just going to ditch you at the door and leave you in there alone?”
“I was kind of hoping so, yeah…” My stomach was still rolling uncomfortably, and the last thing I needed was for Noah to see me being sick again.
“That’s not going to happen,” he said. “I’ll stay with you until Anna gets back.”
“How did you know I was rooming with…” Noah had always been observant, so of course, he knew I was rooming with Anna. Instead, I nodded. “Fine. But no barging in on me in the bathroom if I’m sick again. I’ve suffered enough humiliation for one night.”
“Deal.”
I swiped my key card to open the door to my room. It was a gorgeous space with two large beds and a huge window at the far end that overlooked Central Park. It was dark outside, and the curtains were pulled open so I could see the twinkling lights of the city beyond. I felt far too unwell to really appreciate the view, and I collapsed onto the end of my bed.
Noah disappeared into the bathroom and came out with a glass of water for me. I took the glass but didn’t drink from it straightaway. At this point, I wasn’t sure if the water was going to help or make me throw up again.
“You need to rehydrate,” he said, nodding at the glass.
I let out a sigh and did as I was told, taking small, cautious sips as I waited to see how it went down. Thankfully, I didn’t start heaving again.
“I’m going to change,” I said. The dress I’d worn to the theater was tight, and it felt like it was suffocating me. I probably would have had a shower too if Noah wasn’t here, but the thought of trying to shower with him in the room felt far too intimate.
I quickly rifled through my bag and pulled out my pajamas before disappearing into the bathroom. When I caught a look at myself in the mirror I cringed. My skin was sickly pale, my hair was lank, and my eyes were bloodshot. I would have been mortified by Noah seeing me this way if I felt well enough to care.
I brushed my teeth, washed my face. and pulled my hair back, which all helped me feel slightly more human. When I returned to the room, Noah was sitting on Anna’s bed, and he smiled as he caught a look at my pajamas.
“Winnie the Pooh?” he asked, nodding at the print.
I hadn’t really thought about the state of my pajamas when I’d put them on, but as Noah’s eyes slowly trailed over them, I realized just how short the shorts were and how the top was so old it was almost see-through.
They were the only pajamas I’d brought though. They also happened to be the comfiest thing I owned. I’d snuck into my room and grabbed them when Noah and I had visited my mom a few weeks ago. Of course, Matthew’s stylist, who had filled my closet at school, had provided a pair of luxurious silk PJs. But they never felt quite right on me, and I was able to sleep so much more soundly when I was tucked up in something from home. “He was my favorite growing up,” I explained.
“Me too,” he murmured, but his voice was so quiet I wondered if perhaps I’d imagined him saying it.
His eyes tracked me as I made my way across the room. Under any other circumstance I might have been embarrassed to have him in here with me. To let him see me in my old Winnie the Pooh PJs while I looked like something that had just crawled out of the Upside Down. But I didn’t have it in me to care. I pulled back the sheets of my bed and slipped under the covers.
My stomach was still clenching as I curled up under the duvet, and I really hoped it wasn’t gearing up for a second date with the toilet bowl. I turned to look at Noah. He was still watching me from the edge of Anna’s bed.
“Do you want me to call down to see if the front desk has anything for the nausea?” he asked. “Even some dry crackers might help.”
“No, I’ll be okay. I just need to rest.”
He didn’t seem happy with my answer. I got the feeling Noah hated sitting by and doing nothing. He didn’t complain and gave me a brief nod before he glanced away. His gaze roamed the rest of the room as though he wasn’t sure what to do or where to look.
I rolled over in bed and tried to get comfortable but then immediately rolled back. I squirmed around trying to find a relaxing position, but no matter how I arranged myself, I felt restless. I closed my eyes, hoping it would help, but with my eyes shut, I only noticed more clearly how my head pounded and my mouth tasted like acid.
I let out a sigh and focused on Noah. He was staring at the wall across from him, deep in thought. He seemed different tonight. Less bitter than our recent encounters, and I almost sensed that he was resigned to our fate. He was probably just being nicer to me because I was sick and he felt the need to look after me. I had to admit it was so much easier to be around him when we weren’t focused on the painful aftermath of our breakup.
For a moment, I considered pressing him for answers about what happened between our families. I’d had little luck pulling an explanation out of him so far, but something about his attitude tonight made me feel like he might be more open to talking. We certainly had the time if he was going to insist on staying with me. Still, I was nervous to ask. What if he rejected me again?
“Noah?” I asked.
“Mm?”
“Tell me what happened.”
His eyes snapped to me.
“Between our families. What happened?”
He sat up a little straighter, and his eyes darkened in response. “We shouldn’t be talking about this,” he said. “You need to rest.”
“I am resting,” I replied. “And I know you’re worried about how I’ll react, but that’s my decision to make. I want an explanation. I deserve it.”
Noah let out a long sigh, and from the way he watched me, I could see he was trying to figure out the best way to put me off.
“Is it really that bad?” I asked.
“It’s…complicated.”
“You won’t tell me because it’s complicated?”
“I won’t tell you because I don’t want to be the one who ruins the relationship you’re trying to build with your dad.”
I propped myself up on my pillow. “Well, that’s only more reason to tell me,” I said. “If my father isn’t a good person, I don’t want to build a relationship with him. But I can’t do that if I don’t have all the information…”
He still looked hesitant, and I had a feeling my attempt at getting answers out of him was going to be futile yet again.
“Please, Noah…”
I wondered if he could see the desperation in my eyes because he surprised me by nodding. “Fine, I’ll tell you what happened,” he said. “But it won’t change anything. And you can’t get angry if you don’t like what I have to say.”
“I won’t,” I promised. “So…”
He put his arms on his knees and leaned forward, his head low as he began. “Our families have been business rivals for years. It started back when both our grandfathers set up their pharmaceutical companies. The LaFleurs have always taken issue with us. They would poach our employees or sabotage our research. If they knew my grandfather intended to buy a warehouse, they would buy it before him, or if they knew my grandfather was making a deal with a third party, they’d swoop in and steal the contract. It was constant and petty. They did anything they could to make his life difficult. For years, they buried my grandfather in litigation just to be a pain.”
I shook my head, trying to understand. “Why would they do all of that?”
“They’re just not good people.” He glanced down at his hands, like he couldn’t stand to look me in the eyes. “Our grandfathers were once colleagues, but William said your grandfather was always jealous of his success and that’s why he targeted us.”
My brow scrunched in response. I didn’t know how to react to what he’d just said. I’d never met my grandfather, so I could hardly defend him. But Noah still hadn’t explained why he thought Matthew was such a villain.
“But you said this was both our grandfathers, right?” I asked. “So, why are you so angry with Matthew?”
“Matthew is just like your grandfather, if not worse,” Noah said. There was little emotion in his voice, and I got the feeling he was trying his best to sound calm, so as not to upset me.
“What did Matthew do?”
“A couple of years ago, the patent ended on the main drug my family’s company makes. Matthew immediately started manufacturing a generic version of it and practically gave it away. Our sales tanked, and Hastings Laboratories has barely been able to stay afloat since. He knew exactly what he was doing and how it would impact us.”
“Oh,” I murmured. I’d only just met Matthew, and I didn’t know him all that well, but I was surprised he would be so malicious.
“My family’s company is in pieces, and my grandfather has sunk his entire personal fortune into trying to buoy it back to life,” Noah continued. “No one knows just how much trouble we’re in…”
“That’s terrible.”
He nodded, but he was still struggling to look at me. Talking about this had to be hard for him, especially if his grandfather’s company was struggling as much as it was. I still wasn’t sure I understood why my family hated his so much. Why had my father deliberately tried to sabotage them? And had my grandfather really started years of fighting simply because he was jealous? I wouldn’t put it past him considering he’d hidden my existence from my father. Still, it seemed remarkably petty.
As I considered Noah’s explanation, I felt like I was missing something. If my grandfather had acted out of jealousy, then why did my father hate his family? And why had William and Matthew reacted so strongly when they found out we were in a relationship? I felt like there had to be more to the feud than the business rivalry Noah had described.
“So, is that it then?” I asked.
A flash of emotion crossed Noah’s eyes, and I knew he hadn’t told me the whole story.
‘What aren’t you telling me?”
He shook his head. “I think I’ve said enough for one night.”
I sat up in bed. “You can’t just give me half the story.”
“The rest is… It’s personal,” Noah muttered. “It goes beyond just business.”
He stood and started pacing around the room. There was a deep frown line furrowing his brow, and it was clear he was really struggling with what to say. Whatever was next in the story seemed even harder for him to talk about, so I waited silently to see if he would explain.
‘Okay.” He held up his hands in defeat. “I’ve told you this much, I might as well tell you the rest.” He finally stopped pacing and sank back onto the bed across from me.
“I don’t really know how to tell you this. But my father was having an affair with Matthew’s sister, Georgina.”
My eyes went wide, and I stared at him for several long seconds as I tried to compute what he’d just said. I definitely hadn’t been expecting him to say that and didn’t know how to respond.
“My aunt?” I whispered the words almost to myself.
Noah nodded at the shock he saw in my gaze. “I still don’t believe it myself some days. It was so unlike my dad, and with everything that’s happened between our families… Well, at the time it was unthinkable to imagine a LaFleur and a Hastings getting mixed up like that.”
“Are you sure then?” I asked. “That they were having an affair?”
‘I’m sure.” His eyes were fixed on the ground. “They were together in one of our labs one night.” His voice had gone so quiet I could barely hear him as he breathed the words, and my heart ached for him as he spoke. “There was a fire. Some faulty wiring. With all the chemicals in there, the place went up in seconds. Neither of them survived.”
My body went cold. All I wanted was to go to him and hold him. I could see how much he was struggling to recount the story, and I felt awful for pushing him to explain. It was no wonder Noah had been avoiding telling me what happened.
“God, Noah, I’m so sorry.”
He shook his head. “It’s hardly your fault,” he said. “It was an accident. But I think a part of me will always wish that my father had never gotten caught up with a LaFleur. That maybe he wouldn’t have been at the lab so late that night. That maybe he’d still be alive…”
I couldn’t begin to imagine what it was like for Noah to bear that weight on his shoulders. It made sense he couldn’t stand my father’s family. That his grandfather wanted him away from me and Matthew.
We both sat in silence, the enormity of his confession hanging over us. Matthew had said my aunt died before her time, but I’d had no idea of the circumstances surrounding it. It was tragic and heartbreaking for both Noah and my father. Perhaps this was why Matthew hated the Hastings so much too? Why he had warned me away from Noah in the first place.
“You can’t tell anyone what I’ve told you tonight,” Noah said, finally looking my way. “About my father and your aunt, about the financial trouble our company is in. No one knows any of it. Not even Cress.”
“They really don’t know?” Things had to be pretty bad if Noah hadn’t even told his cousin his family was in financial trouble. And I had to wonder how no one knew about his dad and my aunt. Affairs were secretive in nature, but once it had been discovered, I imagined it would have been hard to keep quiet.
“If people knew about the state of the company, it could ruin us completely,” he said. “And the affair? My grandfather managed to keep it secret to protect my father’s legacy. I don’t want him to be remembered for that.”
“No, of course,” I said. “I won’t tell anyone. Not even Cress.”
He released a breath and relaxed a little. “I know it’s a lot to ask, given everything, but my grandfather would freak if anyone found out.”
“I won’t say a word,” I reassured him.
“Thank you.”
We sat there staring silently at one another as I allowed everything he’d told me to sink in. There was a lot to digest, but it meant so much to me that Noah had trusted me enough to share the truth.
“Thank you for telling me,” I finally said. “I’m surprised you can even stand to be in the same room as me after all that’s happened.”
“You’re not the problem,” Noah said. “You never were. I’d look past all that in a heartbeat for you, but…”
“Your grandfather,” I murmured.
“My grandfather.” He nodded. “He didn’t give me any choice. If I stayed with you, he’d see it as the worst betrayal, and…” His voice trailed off, but I knew what he was going to say.
“You can’t lose him too, I get it.” Neither of Noah’s parents were around anymore, and his grandfather was all he had. If being with Noah meant losing my mom, I would have made the same choice too. “It doesn’t make it any easier though.”
“No.” He shared a sad smile with me. “How do you feel? Now that you know.”
“It’s a lot to take in,” I said. “I can’t believe our families have been through so much. I know we can’t change the past, but I just wish there was a way we could mend the pain and hurt we’ve caused each other.”
Noah’s brow furrowed as he looked at me. “That’s impossible.”
“But what about your dad and my aunt? If they were together, it means they put the rivalry and the fighting and the history aside. How did that happen if it’s impossible? How did we happen?”
Noah’s frown deepened, but I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. He probably thought I was silly for wishing our families could change. They had hated each other since before either of us were born, and hostility like that wasn’t easily forgotten.
My phone buzzed, and I glanced at it to see a text from Cress asking how I was. The play was over, and she wanted to know if I needed her to pick anything up on their way back to the hotel.
I sent her a quick text back saying I was fine and didn’t need anything before I lifted my eyes to Noah.
“Everyone’s coming back now,” I said. “You should probably leave. If a teacher catches you in here, we’ll both get in trouble.”
“I’m not leaving you when you’re sick.”
“I’m okay,” I quickly replied. “I’m feeling much better. I just need to try and get some sleep.”
He nodded and started to stand. “If you’re sure…”
“I am. Thanks for looking after me.”
“It was no problem.”
“And thanks for talking to me. I know it can’t have been easy.” Having everything out in the open felt cathartic. But it also felt like the end of something. Now I knew the truth about why he had to break up with me, what more was there left for us to say? Any slim hope I’d retained that maybe this was all some big misunderstanding had been thoroughly crushed.
He came to the bed and lightly brushed a hand over my hair. The gesture was gentle and surprisingly intimate. He seemed to realize that at the same time as me because he quickly stole his hand away. “Text me if you need me, and I’ll be here.”
“I know.”
He smiled down at me, and it struck something deep in my soul. Noah and I might not be together, but I felt like he would always be there for me despite that.
“How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard,” he whispered before he turned and walked from the room.
It was only once the door closed behind him that I realized he’d quoted me Winnie-the-Pooh.
