Page 48 of Love is a Harmony
Ben slid the screen his way. “We wake sleeping beauty?”
“Your girlfriend gets very mad at me when I don’t take the afternoon nap she schedules before a show.”
Ben didn’t even smile at the mention of his girlfriend, Piper, Drew’s assistant. “Tell her it was a Rockstars Anonymous emergency.”
Drew snorted. “Sure. That’ll work on her. Is there really an emergency? Who is pregnant now? It’s Noah, isn’t it?”
Jo reached for the computer and set it in the middle of the table so they could all see him. “That would be funny, Drew, if Noah hadn’t just shown up from Europe with a kid and a wife.”
Drew, the ever-talkative, happy one of the group, didn’t have a response to that.
That was how Noah knew things were really bad.
Melanie lifted her face from her hands. “We…” She shook her head.
Drew’s eyes widened. “Wait, don’t tell me Noah and Mel finally realized they’re perfect for each other and got hitched.” He lifted his arms like they’d scored a touchdown. “I’m going to ignore the fact that my invitation was obviously lost in the mail because this is amazing.”
“Drew,” Jo snapped. “This isn’t a good thing.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s Noah. I love him more than I love anyone in this world, but it’sNoah.This won’t end well.”
“Jo, I’m standing right here.” Noah crossed his arms. He could be in a committed relationship if he wanted to be. He just never had before. “I can be a great husband. You don’t get to decide what Melanie and I have. We’re both adults. If we want to fall in love and get married, that’s our decision.”
“Argh.” Melanie jumped from her seat. “It’s not real. All of you just stop. Noah and I aren’t writing love songs about each other. We don’t expect to last. And no one will get hurt.”
Noah looked to the ceiling, the floor, anywhere but at his friends and their relief that didn’t match his own.
How could they have so little faith in him? He couldn’t stand being in the same room with them anymore. “Dax, can you call me a car? I’d like to take my niece home.”
“Wait,” Drew called. “Niece? What is going on?”
Melanie walked toward him, placing a hand on his arm. “You’re right. It’s been a long day. Take Stella to your place. I’ll explain everything here.”
He pulled her into a hug. “I’m not sure I’ve thanked you enough for everything you’ve done for me.”
When she pulled away, he missed her immediately. “There’s no need. Just take care of Stella. I’m heading back to my apartment tonight, so just call me if she needs anything, okay?”
He nodded. It would be the first night without her under the same roof in weeks, and something about walking away from her felt wrong, but he had to do it, to remember she didn’t owe him anything more than she’d already given.
Noah walked across the massive house to the room they’d put Stella in. He slid his arms under her small frame and scooped her up.
Dax met them in the hall. “There’s a car out front.”
Noah nodded in thanks before joining Melanie near the front door. She placed a kiss on the sleeping girl’s forehead and gave Noah one final smile.
He stepped through the door into the waning sunlight. When it shut behind him, he looked down into Stella’s sweet face.
“Just you and me now, kid.”
14
Melanie
As soon as Noah left, the questions started.
Were she and Noah really married?
