Page 72 of Resisting You
I snort a laugh. “That’s your definition of love?”
“That’snotyour definition of love?”
I bit my lip, considering her words. Is it true that Noah loved me? Already?
Hazel continued, "Relationships sometimes need an adjustment period. What if Reid and I hadn’t gotten our second chance? Don't let one mistake ruin that bond. I really think you should talk to him, hear him out."
I took a deep breath and nodded slowly. "Okay. You're right, Hazel. I'll give him another chance to make this right."
“Great!” Hazel linked her arm through mine and walked us back toward the front door of the club.
“I’m not going back in there!”
“Oh yes you are! I’m not dealing with the wrath of your mother tonight. Besides, Noah’s inside.”
My eyes went wide. “You want me to talk to him rightnow? At his freaking bachelor party?”
“Why not?”
“Because… what if… what if there areboobsin his face.” I whispered the word like we weren’t already in a strip club surrounded by half-naked dancers.
“I would bet my IRA account there are no boobs in his face.” Hazel checks her phone, distracted for a moment.
“First of all, I’ve seen your financial planning… and that bet doesn’t mean much. Second of all, it’s his bachelor party. Of course there’s gonna be boobs in his face!”
Hazel placed her palms on either side of cheeks. “Would you listen to me for a second? Trust me. Come back inside. And. Talk. To. Noah.”
With a sigh, I followed her through the front door, nodding at the bouncer and showing him the stamps on our hands. “Fine. But I’m coming to you if this blows up in my fac?—”
I froze mid step as Noah stepped out into the center of the stage, shirtless, in a bowtie and tight black pants, microphone in hand. “Rosa… this one’s for you. I’m sorry for today and I just need you to know how much I love you.”
Chapter 27
Noah
Beads of sweat trickled down my forehead, mingling with the pulsing lights of the stage as I found rhythm in every thump of the bass. I had just taken the biggest leap of my life, and not just because I was up here dancing like an idiot for the woman I love. But the words I'd said to Rosa, they were out there now, hanging between us like a dare. I had declared my love publicly, not just to her, but to an entire room full of strangers who cheered on as if they were watching their favorite rom-com scene unfold in real time.
I mean, sure to the strangers it was a given that we were in love, since we were married and all. But between us? This was new information.
"Come on, Rosa! It's your turn!" Hazel shouted from the crowd, egging her on.
God bless that woman. Even when I’m the biggest fuck-up in existence, I can always count on her to have my back. Especially when she knew I had the best interest of her friend in mind.
With the spotlight heating my back, I watched, heart hammering, as Rosa’s best friend—my accomplice in this surprise—ushered her onto the stage. There she was, lookingevery bit the star that stole the night sky, her dark eyes wide with a cocktail of shock and delight. Her smile, hesitant at first, grew as the opening notes of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" crooned through the speakers.
A classic move, sure, but when you're grasping at something as slippery as love, sometimes you gotta throw it back to the '80s.
One of the dancers handed me a microphone and I pressed my mouth to it, starting to sing. Shockingly, my singing voice was more confident than I felt, as I locked eyes with Rosa. I’d been out of the musical theater game for years, even though it was how I got my start when I was younger.
Then, slowly, one by one, the other dancers started to join us on stage, singing. A chorus of off-key but enthusiastic singers, and I stepped closer, drawn by the magnetic pull of her gaze.
She buried her face in her hands, laughing and peeked at me through the cracks of her fingers. Wrapping my hands around her waist, I lifted her so she could sit on the piano at the back of the stage and as soon as she was up there, the other dancers descended up on us, lowering to their knees in front of her as it coincided with the lyrics.
"Bring it home, man!" one of the male dancers hollered from behind me, and I couldn't help but grin, even as my palms started to sweat. There I was, channeling my inner Maverick, serenading the woman who I was hoping to be my Kelly McGillis… and not just as a PR stunt.
"We’ve got a love," I crooned, on cue, the room echoing each word. But before I could finish the line, the male dancers lifted me up and placed me on the piano with Rosa, both of us laughing. I offered her my hand, a silent invitation to join me in dancing while standing on the piano. Rosa hesitated, a brief flicker of uncertainty crossing her stunning features before herhand slipped into mine, warm and tentative and she stood up with me on top of the piano, swaying carefully to the music.
Cheers erupted around us, a wave of encouragement that sent adrenaline pumping through my veins. Together, we swayed to the rhythm of the song, our movements awkward yet somehow fitting, a perfect match to the heart-skipping madness of this moment.
