Page 21 of Love is a Harmony
Noah would never do anything to hurt someone, so if he’d lied, he had a good reason. But Melanie could tell he needed time to collect the thoughts and feelings rolling around in his head.
He showed her to a tiny bedroom with a double bed and a white dresser. Down the hall was the bathroom.
After she showered and washed all the plane grime away, she slipped into soft blue yoga pants and a white sweatshirt that said L.A. across the front. She spent her life in stiff business clothes, but in her own home, she opted for comfort. It felt odd being around a client without tailored clothes on, but she reminded herself this wasn’t work. In fact…
She checked her phone, noticing a few missed calls from her dad. She’d sent him an email telling him she was taking a week’s leave. It was so out of character for her, she knew he’d worry. It was too early in L.A. to call him back, so she left her phone in the room, twisted her wet hair into a bun, and padded out into the hall.
Noah sat on the couch with a guitar in his lap, strumming a familiar Beatles tune. He hummed low in his throat, not letting the words escape.
Melanie stood there watching him for a moment, not wanting to take the calm away from him. She’d never had any siblings, so she couldn’t imagine what it was like to lose one.
“You can come closer.” Noah looked back over his shoulder.
She’d gotten used to seeing the guys without all their hair gel, makeup, and fancy clothes, but Noah’s beauty constantly surprised her. He’d probably scoff at the term, but it fit him. His firm jaw led the way to full lips and a defined brow. But it was his eyes that held the true depth.
Every time he looked at her, she felt like he saw everything.
Rounding the couch, she sat beside him. He put the guitar to the side with a smile. “I found the guitar in Carson’s room when you were in the shower. With you here, I’ll have to sleep in there.” He leaned back against the cushions. “He taught me how to play when I was younger. We’d strum for hours until either Mom yelled at us to stop or our fingers bled. Just the two of us.” A smile curved his lips but dropped just as quickly. “I still can’t believe he’s gone.”
Melanie wasn’t a hugger or a touchy-feely person, especially with the rock stars she worked with, but in that moment, she became what Noah needed her to be. She looped her arm through his and scooted closer, leaning her head on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Noah.”
Noah intertwined his fingers with hers. “I guess you want to know about the fiancé thing, don’t you?”
“Might be a good idea to explain that.”
He blew out a breath. “I have a niece.”
Her eyes widened as she pictured the girl who’d stared at her, the one with so much grief in her eyes she couldn’t look away. Melanie wasn’t a kid person, but she’d felt for her. “She was here, wasn’t she?”
He nodded. “Stella. Her name is Stella, and Carson left her to me.”
Melanie lifted her head so suddenly she collided with Noah’s chin. She leaned away from him, studying him in this new light.
Noah wasn’t finished. “But there’s a backup. Mathieu can take her if I can’t.” He pushed up from the couch and paced the length of the room and back again. “But she’s my niece, Mel. A part of Carson, a part of me. I can’t leave her here. I won’t.”
Melanie stood and stepped into his path, stopping him in his tracks. “Noah, are you saying you want to raise that little girl?” Noah could barely raise himself.
“I’m saying I have to. But I can’t… unless I’m married.” He groaned and fell onto the couch.
Melanie took a step back, her brain working overtime. “Explain,” she grit out.
“It’s Carson’s wishes. He didn’t want Stella in my lifestyle unless there’d be two parents. He didn’t expect to die before I got married. And now… I thought I could call Ava—”
“Ava Sinclair?” The woman he’d been caught with numerous times. She clenched her jaw.
He nodded. “Ava is an old friend. She and Carson… She’d do anything for him, even marry his brother so I could raise his kid.” The words came out in a rush, and he sucked in a breath. “But now Mathieu thinks I’m marrying you. I can’t just bring Ava in and say whoops, my fiancé got plastic surgery and lost her American accent.” His voice rose on the last words, and he hung his head in his hands, his fingers pulling on the ends of his hair.
Seeing the normally playful and impish Noah Clarke break down in front of her wasn’t something Melanie would ever forget. She wanted to reach out to him, to tell him they’d figure it out, that maybe they could… no. She shook her head as images of her wedding came back to her.
The day she married Justin was special, but she could no longer hear the music, see his smile.
And she wanted it all back. Tears burned the back of her eyes, but she didn’t let them fall. She couldn’t let anyone see her weakness, that ten years wasn’t long enough for her to forget.
Justin was another life, one before she’d taken the job as a publicist, long before Noah and the rest came into her life, bringing light to it once again. She created the group to support them, but they didn’t know what they’d done for her.
And now… well, now, she’d failed, because she’d seen all the ways fame could break a rock star, all the dark paths they could stumble down.
What she’d never guessed was the greatest threat was outside the world of bright lights and screaming fans. Because sitting here, Noah wasn’ttheNoah Clarke, beloved British rocker. Instead, he was a grieving brother, a lost uncle.
