Aria by Jennifer Hartmann

21Chapter Twenty-One

Two weeks had passed. Chelsie was propped in front of the television on Lisa’s couch with a tub of peanut butter fudge ice cream in her hands. Lisa sat beside her, flipping through the new Netflix releases and texting Miles.

“I don’t understand men,” Lisa said with exasperation. “They are so hot and cold – one minute their entire universe revolves around you, and then the next day they can’t even text you back.”

Chelsie wiped at the ice cream dribbling down her chin. “You know how Miles is,” she shrugged.

“Disinterested?” Lisa pouted. She tossed her phone onto the couch cushion between them.

“No, Lis. He’s flaky… distracted. Busy. You know, doing famous people stuff.”

Lisa clucked her tongue. “Noah’s never too busy for you. And you’re not even his girlfriend.”

Her heart fluttered at the sound of his name. “Noah’s… different.” Chelsie handed the pint of frozen dessert to her friend. “You need this more than I do,” she said with a sympathetic smile.

Lisa snatched it up without hesitation. “Do you think now that it’s over between you and Devon… something might happen with Noah? The chemistry you two have is undeniable.”

A warmth crept up in Chelsie’s belly and she squirmed in her seat. The thought had been weighing on her mind. There were moments when she fantasized about barreling through Noah’s front door and leaping into his arms. She wondered how it would feel to give in. But then the logical part of her brain reminded her that Noah was still recovering from near-fatal gunshot wounds he received because of her. It was her past – her baggage. Chelsie was the reason he was temporarily wheelchair-bound and had little feeling in his left arm. She was a tornado of darkness and bad luck. Her own questionable choices led to Noah’s life being forever changed. The guilt and self-loathing had been keeping her away. “Oh, I don’t know about that. I think it’s better if I just stay single for a while.”

Lisa popped the lid on the ice cream tub and rose from her seat. “I hear you. Can I get you anything?”

Chelsie slunk back against the couch. “A job. A shiny, new savings account full of unspent money. Assurance that I’m not actually back at square one after all my hard work.”

“Oh, Chels. You’ll get back on your feet soon.”

Chelsie sighed. This was her home for the time being. She had broken things off with Devon shortly after visiting Noah at the hospital. Chelsie had stopped at the police station to discuss the case with Detective Brennan. She had finally been able to compose herself with grace and a clear head. The detective had thanked her for coming by, and considered the case closed. That dark chapter of her life was over.

Chelsie knew in her heart there was another chapter that needed closing.

“I had a feeling you’d be stopping by,” Devon had said after discovering her standing in his doorway that afternoon.

Chelsie had entered the condo, fidgeting with the sleeves of her fleece jacket. “Sorry to show up unannounced,” she had replied.

“I mean, you do live here.”

Chelsie recalled looking around and basking in the unfamiliarity of it all. Devon’s condo had never felt like home. There was no warmth or laughter or nostalgic memories. There were no feminine touches or any trace of Chelsie’s occupancy, save for a closet filled with her clothes, and her toothbrush on the sink. There were no photos adorning the walls or canvas art pieces they had lovingly picked out together. Perhaps, that was her own fault. Perhaps, Noah Hayes had held her heart long before she’d even realized she’d given it to him.

On the flip side – it made everything so much easier.

“It’s over, Devon,” Chelsie had proclaimed, dropping her arms at her sides with a heavy sigh. Months of stress, anxiety, and indecisiveness had escaped her in that moment. It was the right thing to do. It was a long time coming.

There had been no noticeable reaction from Devon during the few seconds of silence that had passed between them. No tensing of his jaw or stiffening of his limbs. Chelsie had watched for a flicker of sadness or regret in his eyes, but there was nothing.

“Yeah,” he had said, leaning against the back of the couch. “I guess it is.”

“I’ll find a way to pay you back for the car.”

“No. It doesn’t matter,” he had said flatly. “None of it matters.”

That had been it. Chelsie’s whirlwind romance with Devon Sawyer had come to an end. Even though Chelsie knew it was for the best, she couldn’t help but reflect on their fonder memories together. It had all felt so right in the beginning – they had been filled with infatuation and high hopes. That’s how it always began, right? Chelsie knew their relationship wouldn’t be easy due to Devon’s notoriety.

But she had never anticipated Noah Hayes.

Chelsie’s thoughts were interrupted when Lisa strolled back into the room.

“Do you think Miles is cheating on me?” Lisa wondered.

Chelsie blinked. “W – What? Cheating on you?”

Lisa crossed her arms over her chest and pursed her lips together. “There have been signs. He’s always flirting with other women and checking them out in front of me. Then he will go days without texting me back. Sometimes he’s vague about where he’s been or what he’s been doing.”

Chelsie’s face flushed with shame. She had suspected Miles was cheating on Lisa for months and she hadn’t said a word to her friend. “Lisa… I – I should probably tell you something.”

Lisa’s eyes widened and her fiery red curls bounced around her as she stormed over to the couch. “Tell me what?” she asked in a panic.

“I mean, I don’t have any concrete evidence, but there was something… suspicious,” Chelsie said. “It was my last day at the Pit. I had just told Jerry I quit and when I started leaving, I ran into Miles. He was there with another woman.”

Lisa looked as if she’d been slapped.

Chelsie continued speaking, feeling flustered and guilty. “I didn’t want to say anything without proof. You were so happy, Lis. I didn’t see anything sexual going on between them – I suppose it could have been innocent. A – And then the Grammy’s happened and I didn’t want you to miss out on such an iconic event. You deserved to be there…”

“I’m such a fool,” Lisa whispered, tears brimming in her eyes. She looked down at the llama slippers on her feet, then returned her gaze to Chelsie. “I trusted you. I trusted you to have my back.”

Chelsie’s cheeks grew hot and she stood up to face her friend.  She reached for her hand, but Lisa pulled away. “Lisa, please. I never meant to hurt you. It was the opposite – I was trying to protect you.”

“I don’t need your protection. I need your friendship and your loyalty.” Lisa shook her head in disappointment, her expression twisted with anger and disdain. “You betrayed me.”

Chelsie’s eyes watered. Could she ever do anything right? How could one person make such a mess of everything? “I’m so sorry, Lis. I screwed up.”

“Yeah,” Lisa agreed, stepping away from Chelsie and turning on her heel. “You’re good at that.”

Chelsie flinched as the bedroom door slammed shut. She collapsed back onto the couch, burying her face into her hands. It was true. She was a bona fide genius when it came to dissolution and disappointment. She had a magical way of sabotaging relationships and bringing chaos down upon those she loved.

Noah’s face popped in her mind. He had received the shittiest end of her destruction stick. Chelsie had managed to exacerbate his friendship with Devon, thus triggering Noah’s departure from the band and a thriving musical career. She had ruined any possible romance between Noah and Beth. And how could anyone forget how she had inadvertently caused him to be shot – twice – by her psychotic ex-boyfriend? She almost killed him.

Chelsie was poison.

No wonder Noah couldn’t admit to his love confession. How could he possibly love her?

Chelsie’s phone began to vibrate in her pocket and Noah’s name lit up the screen – it was almost as if he had known she was thinking about him.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Combs. It’s great to hear your voice.”

She couldn’t help the smile that crept across her face. Chelsie wiped her nose and cleared her throat. “How are you?”

“Oh, you know,” he sighed. “Hanging in there. Glad to be home.”

“I’m so glad you’re home,” she agreed. Chelsie felt a pang of guilt in the pit of her stomach. She had only visited him once in the last two weeks, right after Noah had been released from the hospital. Rosa had a background in nursing and seemed to be holding down the fort just fine. Chelsie had helped Noah settle in and had enjoyed a Paw Patrol marathon with Sam. But when they had insisted that she stay for dinner that night, Chelsie declined. She had wanted to stay – more than anything. But seeing Noah sitting in his wheelchair, unable to play on the floor with his son or cook his own meal… it was heartbreaking. She had felt wholeheartedly responsible. They had stayed connected with the occasional phone call, but Chelsie thought keeping her distance was for the best.

“I’m not gonna lie… I miss you,” Noah told her after a few moments of silence had passed.

The guilt in Chelsie’s belly turned into a kaleidoscope of butterflies. “I – I miss you, too, Noah. I’m sorry I haven’t been over to see you.”

“Me, too,” he said.

She gulped. “It’s not that I don’t want to…”

“You feel responsible,” Noah finished. “You think you’re the reason I was shot.”

How did he do that? How was he always able to strip down her walls and access her tormented center? “Noah… I’m so sorry.”

“Stop being sorry.” Noah’s tone was adamant and firm. “You’re not responsible for what happened to me. You’re not responsible for what happened to you. You need to get the hell away from that toxic mindset and realize that sometimes bad shit just happens. Bad people happen. It’s not your fault.”

Chelsie absorbed his words with careful consideration. Her mother had always told her that her self-deprecating thoughts would be the end of her someday. “You’re right,” she conceded. “I’m just making everything worse. When can I see you?”

Noah seemed to hesitate, thrown off by her acquiescence. “Oh… well, I’m free right now.”

It was Chelsie’s turn to be thrown off. Her insides hummed with a slow burn of anticipation. She glanced at the time on her phone – it was a few minutes after eight o’clock. If she hurried, she could tuck Sam into bed. “Okay,” she said.

“Really?” Noah sounded surprised. Hopeful.

“Is that okay?”

“Of course,” he said.

There was a tension between them. It was thick. It was heavy. It was full of unspoken words, months of pent up feelings, and something so powerful it made Chelsie’s hand start to tremble as she held the phone to her ear. “I’ll see you soon.”

“See you.”

The call disconnected and Chelsie raised a hand to her heart. It was thumping wildly beneath her pink hoodie. She squeezed the fabric between her fingers and sucked in a nervous breath.

She felt like a frumpy mess in her hoodie and Target leggings. Her hair was thrown up into a sloppy bun and yesterday’s mascara still adorned her eyelashes. Chelsie jumped off the couch and stepped into the room adjacent to Lisa’s, careful not to disturb her friend. She changed into a pair of skinny jeans and threw on a tank top and cardigan. She spritzed her favorite perfume onto her pulse points and pulled her hair down, untangling the golden strands with her fingertips. Chelsie touched up her mascara and reached for her blush, only to realize her cheeks were naturally flushed pink. She touched the rosy stains on her face, cursing herself for feeling like a giddy junior-high girl with her first crush.

“It’s just Noah,” she said to herself, studying her reflection in the mirror. Chelsie gulped back a lump in her throat and flattened out the wrinkles in her cardigan. She wondered why she even cared about her appearance. Noah was used to seeing her in sweatpants and no makeup. Why did this visit feel so… different?

Because it was different. Everything had changed in that alleyway.

Chelsie stepped out of Lisa’s apartment complex, biting her lip at the sight of the freezing rain. The temperature had warmed over the past couple of weeks and the snow had turned into icy droplets. She pulled her hood up over her head and made a mad dash to the BMW Devon had bought for her.

When she pulled into Noah’s driveway, she sat in silence. She watched as the windshield wipers darted back and forth, unable to keep up with the falling rain. Swish, swish. Chelsie glanced into the living room window, squinting her eyes through the half-parted curtains. A welcoming, yellow light beckoned her inside as shadows scattered across the room. She didn’t know why she was stalling. It was just Noah.

The front door opened, and Rosa stepped outside with a giant, red umbrella. Chelsie removed her keys from the ignition and hopped out of the car to greet the caretaker before she disappeared into the night.

“Rosa!” Chelsie called, her voice trying to overpower the sound of the howling wind.

“Señorita!” Rosa answered, quickening her pace. “You’re going to freeze out here in this storm. Hurry on inside and get warm.”

Chelsie huddled in close, sharing Rosa’s umbrella. “I just wanted to say thank you for everything,” she said.

“Que?”

Chelsie didn’t know why she needed to say it, but she did. “Thank you, Rosa. I hope someday you’ll see your Paco again.”

Rosa’s eyes widened and then glazed over with a thousand memories. “Muchacha…”

“It’s never too late, Rosa. You can screw it up a million times, but love is love. It will always be there, waiting.”

The rain and wind seemed to go silent as the two women faced each other. Chelsie was unsure of where her words had come from. She had no intention of offering sage wisdom to this woman in Noah’s driveway, freezing cold and soaking wet.

Rosa reached out her free hand and cupped the side of Chelsie’s face. “The song in your heart… it only plays for one.”

Chelsie smiled and closed her eyes.

“Chelsie?”

She turned her head and saw Noah standing in the doorway, his arm in a sling.

“Adios, mi querido.”

Rosa gave Chelsie’s cheek a strong pinch before hurrying to her car. Chelsie returned her attention to Noah and made her way up the pebbled path to his doorstep.

“Hey.”

Noah moved aside so she could enter. “Jesus, Combs. You’re drenched.”

Chelsie pulled back her hood and shook her arms, watching as the raindrops dispersed across the room. She glanced up at the mirror across the way and chuckled at her appearance – she had put effort into not looking homeless, and she still ended up resembling a drowned rat. She scrubbed the mascara streaks from under her eyes and slipped out of her soggy coat.

Noah was leaning against the wall with his good arm, holding himself steady. His wheelchair was abandoned next to the sofa.

“Are you walking okay?” Chelsie inquired, hanging her jacket up on an adjacent hook.

Noah gave a dismissive shrug. “Working on it,” he said. “I’m improving with my physical therapy. I’m moving on my own pretty well now.”

He removed his hand from the wall and stood up straight, then approached her on unsteady feet.

Chelsie closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around his neck. She felt his right arm circle around her waist, pulling her into a tight hug. “I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time,” she whispered against his shoulder.

Noah gave her a gentle squeeze in response. “I can’t say I haven’t missed having you around.”

“Miss Chelsie!”

Sam was darting down the staircase, his feet eliciting a loud ‘thump’ from each step.

Chelsie pulled away from Noah, careful so he remained balanced, just as Sam came barreling into her. “Oh, Sam,” she greeted. She lowered herself to his level. “Did you get taller?”

He beamed, swaying back and forth, his arms swinging in time with his body. “Uh-huh! I’m growed up now.”

“I see that,” she smiled. “Are you taking care of your dad?”

“Yes! I’m helping him get better with my doctor tools and my thermometer. Daddy had a bad fever today.”

Noah chuckled behind her. “Sammy has been very attentive. I feel better already.”

“It sounds like you’re in excellent hands,” Chelsie agreed. “Sam, do you want me to help you pick out your pajamas and tuck you into bed?”

He bounced up and down. “Yes, please! I want my dinosaur jammies.”

“I think that can be arranged.” Chelsie glanced at Noah, who was leaning against the door frame. “I’ll be right back.”

Noah nodded, a ghost of a smile lingering on his face. Sam snatched Chelsie’s hand and pulled her toward the staircase.

“You were gone a long time, Miss Chelsie,” Sam said as they made their ascent up the stairs. “Were you sick like my dad?”

Chelsie guided the boy to his chest of dresser drawers, sorting through the assortment of bright colors and patterns. A green set of pajamas decorated in cartoon dinosaurs came into view and Chelsie pulled it out with a triumphant smile. “I was waiting for your dad to get better, Sam. I didn’t want to bother him while he was healing. Does that make sense?”

Sam had jumped onto his bed and was sitting Indian-style, tracing the stiches in his comforter with a clumsy finger. “I think so. Maybe like how I stay in my bed under my blankets when I’m sick, so I don’t get my friends sick, too?”

Chelsie sat down beside him and handed him the pajamas. “Just like that,” she grinned.

“Miss Chelsie?”

“Yes, Sam?”

“My dad won’t die… will he?”

Chelsie’s heartbeat sped up at his question. The last two weeks raced through her memory like an old movie reel. “Oh, no, Sam. Your dad is very lucky. He’s going to be okay.”

Sam nodded, pleased with her answer. He changed into his special pajamas and Chelsie helped pull his feet through the small foot holes.

“Will you read to me, Miss Chelsie?”

She ran a hand through his brown mop of hair. “I would love to. Curious George?”

“Yes!”

Chelsie spent the next thirty minutes snuggling next to Sam, reading him outlandish adventures of a curious monkey. He would giggle every so often, pulling the blankets up to his chin and nuzzling his head against her shoulder. Chelsie savored every moment. She had almost finished the story, when she looked down to see that his eyes had closed. His breathing became rhythmic and his arms had fallen still against his sides.

“Sweet dreams, Sammy,” she whispered, placing a delicate kiss on his head and carefully removing herself out from under him. Chelsie switched off his lamp and turned on his Buzz Lightyear nightlight. She closed his closet door so there would be no conjuring of monsters or boogie men. Chelsie turned to leave, then halted in the doorway. She was overcome with emotions she could not pinpoint. A solemn disquiet washed over her.

“Chelsie?”

She poked her head out into the hallway and spotted Noah at the bottom of the staircase. “I – I’m coming.” Chelsie spared Sam a final glance and closed his door. “Sorry… we got caught up in Curious George,” she explained as she made her way down the stairs.

Noah was leaning against the railing, his right hand holding up a glass of sparkling wine. “It’s okay,” he said. “It took me that long just to get the damn wine bottle open.”

Chelsie accepted his offer, eyeing the glass curiously. “Are you trying to get me tipsy, Mr. Hayes?” she teased.

“You know I would have brought out the whiskey in that case.”

Noah’s eyes sparkled with flirtation. Her mind wandered to the last time she’d had whiskey with Noah. Her cheeks burned as the memories swept through her.

“Where’s your drink?” she wondered.

His eyes darted towards the kitchen. “On the table.”

Chelsie walked over to find two plates of spaghetti and a bottle of champagne set up at the table. It had been adorned with silverware, napkins, and a sea breeze candle burning in the center. She blinked her eyes, unsure if her mind was playing tricks on her. Her lips parted to speak, but no words escaped them.

Was this… a date?