Aria by Jennifer Hartmann
5Chapter Five
Something startled Chelsie awake. It could have been the pounding headache, or it could have been the blinding sunlight that pooled across her face. Or maybe it was the strange bed she was sleeping in, while still wearing last night’s clothes. Chelsie’s mouth was dry, and her stomach was hollow. Her entire body was sore. She blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the light. She sat up and massaged her temples, looking around the room for some sense of familiarity. It appeared to be an upscale hotel room. Had she been date-raped? Kidnapped? A willing participant in a one-night-stand? Chelsie cringed at all three scenarios.
She set her sights on an adjacent nightstand where she spotted a black, leather wallet. Curious as to who her company was, she snatched it up and began to look through its contents.
Oh, crap.
According to the driver's license, the wallet belonged to none other than her best friend, Noah Hayes. Chelsie’s stomach twisted in knots. Why would she be in a hotel room with Noah? She continued to browse through the wallet. She found a large wad of cash, some credit cards, stale pieces of gum, and a photograph. She pulled the small picture out and studied it. It was a photo of a young boy – maybe three or four years old. He had adorable chubby cheeks and light brown hair.
Not finding anything else of interest, Chelsie discarded the wallet and threw her legs over the side of the bed. She squeaked in surprise when her toes touched a sleeping male body lying on the floor next to her. She popped her legs back up as if she'd almost stepped on hot coals. It didn't take long for her to realize the man was Noah.
The whole situation was confusing. Where was Devon? Where were Lisa and Julia? Why did it feel like she had been run over by a semi-truck? Weighing her options, Chelsie decided to climb out of bed from the opposite side and tiptoe to the bathroom. Her full bladder was bordering on painful. When she returned, Noah was sitting up and watching her with interest. Not giving him a chance to say anything, Chelsie crossed her arms and began her interrogation.
"Where the hell am I? What's going on? Where are my friends?" Anger bubbled inside her, as it always did when she was speaking with Noah. No one got under her skin quite like he did.
"Easy there, tiger," he said, holding his hands up. "What do you remember?"
Chelsie thought for a moment. What did she remember? She remembered going to the club, having some drinks, arguing with Noah, talking with Devon. Maybe dancing? "I – I don't remember much. Just the usual stuff. Nothing that explains why I'm alone with you in your hotel room."
Noah stood up. He stretched out his arms with a yawn and scratched his chest. "Well, the short story is that you couldn't resist me. I had no choice but to take you back to my room and make sweet love to you."
Chelsie felt the color drain from her face. "I sincerely hope you're joking."
"Of course, I'm joking. You got hammered and I was left in charge of you."
She stared at him, her mouth agape. “Huh? That doesn't make any sense.”
"It makes perfect sense. You drank a lot of alcohol and you got intoxicated."
Chelsie racked her brain for some sort of trigger. She vaguely recalled a tipsy walk to the bathroom with her girlfriends. That was the last thing she remembered. "So, it's pretty much all your fault," Chelsie concluded. She lifted an eyebrow at him. "You bought me all those drinks."
Noah sniffed at her accusation. "Whatever you say. Just keep in mind I'm the one who took care of you when everyone else bailed."
Chelsie’s expression soured. Why would her friends leave her alone with Noah? And what kind of guy did that make Devon to ditch her like that?
What kind of guy did that make Noah for sticking around?
Chelsie's stance softened and she uncrossed her arms. "Well, thanks… I guess. Why didn't you just take me home?"
"Trust me, I would have loved to have avoided this exact moment," he said. "I didn’t know where you lived. I didn't have your friends' numbers and Devon turned his phone off. What other choice did I have? Should I have left you at the club?"
"No," Chelsie said quickly. "I appreciate that you didn't leave me at the club. I'm just having a hard time processing everything." She took a deep breath and made her way over to the bed. She sat down and ran her hands through her tangled hair. "I don't understand why everyone left me there."
Noah sat down next to her on the bed and the mattress squeaked beneath his weight. "Honestly, it was a misunderstanding. Your friends needed to leave, but you insisted on staying. I offered to take you home with Devon. But by the time they left, Devon had taken off to the studio, thinking you were going home with your friends. That left me," he explained.
She ducked her head in embarrassment. "Wow. I must have made a fool of myself. I don't usually drink like that." She could only imagine what Devon thought of her now. Would he ever want to see her again?
"If it makes you feel any better, I can tell Devon likes you. I wouldn't beat yourself up over it," Noah told her.
Chelsie chewed on the inside of her cheek as she looked up at Noah. She would have thought he'd do anything to get her out of the picture – but here he was, giving her a little bit of hope.
"That does make me feel better," she replied. "Thanks." They sat in silence for a moment before Chelsie asked the inevitable question every blacked-out drunk girl asked. "Did I do anything… embarrassing?"
Noah’s eyes flashed with something curious – something she could not pinpoint. What was he hiding?
Chelsie buried her blushing face into her palms. "I totally barfed on Devon, didn't I?"
Noah laughed, the mysterious look melting into familiar teasing. "Sadly, no. I would have paid to see that. You danced for most of the night," he told her. "I mean… there was the occasional falling on your ass. And we can't forget the passing out in a bathroom stall."
Chelsie cringed. "Oh, God."
"Yeah, I had to carry you out. You were basically unconscious."
"You carried me?" Chelsie’s tone was incredulous. She was appalled by her behavior.
"Well, yeah. Unconscious people can't walk. Don't worry, you'll probably see pictures of it in the tabloids by tomorrow."
Chelsie whimpered into her hands. "I'm such an idiot. Noah… that's not me, I swear. I didn't even drink in college."
Noah's lips curled into a half smile. "Hey, we've all been there. No need to apologize."
Noah’s change in attitude towards her was alarming. He had taken care of her at the club, carried her out, slept on the floor, and now he was engaging in pleasant conversation. Was he up to something? Chelsie was reluctant to let her guard down, but the new Noah was one she hoped would stick around.
"Thank you... really." Chelsie couldn’t hide the sincerity in her voice. “I know we haven't been on the best of terms, but I do appreciate you having my back."
Noah shifted on the bed and scratched the back of his neck. "It's cool. So, should I have the limo take you home? I have some family stuff to do today."
Chelsie stood up, rummaging for her shoes and purse. "Sure, yeah. I'll get out of your hair." As she searched around the room for her personal belongings, she tried to make idle conversation. "So, your family lives around here? Did you grow up in New York?"
Noah glanced at her, his gaze flickering with surprise by her interest. "Um… yeah, actually. I have a house not ten miles from here."
"A house? Why did you get a hotel room then?"
"I assumed Julia was leaving the club with me last night."
"Oh." Chelsie blushed. "Why not just take her to your own place?"
Noah cleared his throat and Chelsie could sense he was not used to talking about his personal life.
"Sorry," she said, slipping back into her shimmery heels. Her ankles were sore and swollen from the previous night’s adventures. "I didn't mean to pry."
Noah didn’t answer right away. He took his time lighting a cigarette before returning his eyes to her. "I have family staying with me.”
Chelsie watched as he blew smoke towards the ceiling and ran a hand through his tousled hair. She could tell he wasn't revealing everything. There was something mysterious about Noah that intrigued her. And what had that look been all about when she’d inquired about her embarrassing behavior?
What was he not telling her?
***
Noah drove into the studio parking lot with his shiny Mustang GT500 and pulled off his sunglasses. It had been a few hours since Chelsie had left his hotel room and he had yet to speak with Devon. He was curious about this "major" thing Devon had referred to in his text message.
Stuffing his keys into his pocket, Noah climbed out of the car and entered the studio. He spotted Devon chatting with their manager and agent, Sean Pierce.
"Yo," Noah called out, garnering the two men's attention.
Devon had an enthusiastic look on his face, which was a welcome contrast to their previous interaction together. Noah had been expecting a well-deserved punch to the jaw.
“I figured you'd be here hours ago. Sorry I bailed, but you’re going to shit yourself when you hear the news.” Devon took a sip of his soda and approached Noah. “What the hell took you so long?”
"I told you, man, I had family stuff to do today. Plus, I had to take care of your girlfriend this morning."
Devon stalled in his tracks. "What are you talking about?"
Noah bristled at the memories from the night before. "Chelsie. I was stuck with her last night. I sent Lisa and Julia home, thinking you would take care of her. Then you left, so I had no choice but to bring her back to my hotel room with me." Noah had to take a step back when Devon advanced on him with murderous intent in his blue eyes. "Whoa, nothing happened, all right? I wouldn't do that."
"You had ‘no choice’? Why didn't you call Julia or Lisa to come back and get her?"
"I didn't have their numbers."
"And you didn't think to check Chelsie's phone for their numbers? Or look at her driver’s license for her address?" Devon questioned.
“I…” Noah paused, realizing he didn't have an answer. Why didn't he do that? He blamed it on the alcohol.
"Awesome.” Devon let out a caustic laugh. "As if you haven't traumatized her enough, she had to wake up to your ugly mug this morning. Real nice."
Noah's defenses flared up and he took a step forward. "Hey, now. I took care of the girl last night. I had to physically carry her sorry ass out of the club after she passed out in the bathroom. Where the hell were you?"
"You know, man, I have no sympathy for you. You made the mess and you deserved to clean it up," Devon shot back.
It was true. Noah rubbed his hands over his face and sighed. "Fine. You're right. I was an asshole. But I don't want you losing sight of the big picture because of some pretty face."
"Losing sight? Dude, I just booked us the gig of the century."
Noah froze, his mind reeling with possible scenarios. "What?"
Devon's smile returned and he pulled a contract out of his back pocket. "The fuckin' Grammy's, man."
***
It was a cloudy Sunday afternoon. Chelsie had yet to hear from Devon after her embarrassing spectacle from Friday night. She was certain she had scared him away for good. He was probably touring China just to get as far away from her as possible. What kind of idiot epically botches their first date with Devon Sawyer?
This girl.
Chelsie was laying on the couch, reading the latest Tarryn Fisher novel and wallowing in her own pathetic misery, when there was a knock at her door. She glanced at the clock, not expecting Lisa to arrive for their lunch date for another hour.
"Coming," Chelsie muttered. She gave a sharp tug to the messy bun on top of her head. She was still in her pajamas and had yet to take a shower. The dreary day complimented her mood quite nicely. Chelsie stepped over to the door and swung it open, prepared to tease her best friend about her early arrival. Lisa had always been the punctual type.
Chelsie was unprepared when she found the person standing on the other side of the door to be Noah Hayes.
"Hey," he said.
Chelsie was so taken aback by his presence, she could only gawk at him.
"Uh, can I come in?"
"No. I – I mean, sure. Um… what are you doing here?" Chelsie found her footing and stepped aside, allowing the musician to enter her apartment. "You're the last person I expected to show up on my doorstep. Especially considering you had no idea where I lived."
Noah cast her a sheepish grin. "Devon had your address.”
Her eyes narrowed. "Why are you here?"
He shoved his hand into his back pocket and pulled out a familiar silver chain. "I found this in the hotel bed yesterday before I checked out. Since you were, unfortunately, the only girl I had in my room that night, I figured it might be yours."
Chelsie couldn't help the rosy stain from flooding her cheeks. "Uh, right. Yes, that is mine. Thank you.”
She held out her hand and Noah dropped the delicate necklace into her palm. He fidgeted in the doorway, looking uncharacteristically nervous.
“So, what do you remember about that night?" he asked.
Chelsie blinked at him in confusion. "I told you," she said. "I remember taking a bathroom break with the girls, dancing a little, um…" She trailed off when she noticed him shaking his head. "What? Is there something I should know?"
Noah scratched his head as he regarded her and began pacing her apartment. "I just meant... well, what do you remember after we got back to the hotel?"
It took a moment for his words to sink in. Chelsie felt her stomach coil with dread. Her mind was reeling with different scenarios – none of them pretty. All of them humiliating. Did she even want to know? "I thought we already had this conversation. I don’t remember anything," Chelsie admitted. She swallowed back the lump in her throat and monitored his expression carefully.
Noah's face remained unreadable at first. Then the corner of his mouth curled into a familiar, taunting grin. "I could really have fun with this, you know."
Chelsie was in no mood. "Noah, please. Just tell me." She paused and added, "And then shoot me."
Noah sighed and folded his arms in front of him. "Okay, look. You told me some things you probably wouldn't have told me if you were sober. Some pretty heavy stuff."
Chelsie’s blood ran cold and she felt her knees start to give out. She lowered herself to the sofa. "W – What?"
"Well, we were having a rare bonding moment over French fries, and then you decided to tell me about your ex. I think his name was Ian?"
This wasn't happening. Was this happening?
Noah continued. "I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable. I just wanted to apologize for being a dick to you and let you know your secrets are safe with me."
Chelsie tried to speak, but it felt as if all the air had been sucked out of her lungs. She was sick to her stomach. All she could do was bow her head and try to hold back her tears. Lisa was the only one she had trusted with her past. How could she have told Noah? He was completely unworthy of knowing her dark secrets. And oh, were they dark. "I – I don't know what to say.”
Noah looked out of his element. He stood back up and rubbed the back of his neck. "We can, uh, talk about it… if you want."
"God, I don't even want to know what I said," Chelsie whimpered. She hated that Noah was seeing her so vulnerable.
"Hey, it's not a big deal. Like I said, I won't tell anyone. Not even Devon."
Chelsie swallowed and looked up at him, her stormy eyes glistening. "It is a big deal. It's a huge deal.” Her voice caught in her throat and she took a deep, shaky breath. "My past is something I try to forget every day."
"You told me that," Noah said. His tone was strangely sympathetic. "But your past is something that happened to you. It's not who you are."
She blinked back the tears and nodded in agreement. "Look at you – being all insightful."
"What, you think I made it this far on just my looks?"
"Not at all. I figured it was a toss-up between your charming personality and your uncanny ability to make a girl feel special,” Chelsie quipped. “I know I was swept off my feet."
"That's true.” Noah shrugged his shoulders with modest accord. "I'm basically a triple threat."
"How am I not falling in love with you right now?"
"I don't know," he laughed. "Where did I go wrong?"
Chelsie couldn't help the laugh that escaped her mouth. She never expected to be standing in her living room, exchanging quips with Noah Hayes. She regained her composure and cleared her throat. "Can I get you anything? Something to drink?"
Noah shrugged and followed her as she headed into the kitchen. "Sure, why not. But I'm going to watch you make it. I don't want you slipping any poison in there."
"You would deserve it." Chelsie gave him the side-eye as she opened the refrigerator. She puckered her lips in disappointment when she realized she hadn't gone shopping in two weeks. There was a half-gallon of Sunny Delight, an assortment of odd condiments, a package of hot dogs, and month-old string cheese. "Uh, my tips were kind of bad this month. Sorry."
"Yikes. Sunny D, it is."
Chelsie pulled a glass out of her cabinet and poured him a drink. "Not exactly a celebrity-worthy cocktail.” She offered him a sheepish glance. "Want to sit down?"
Noah followed her lead as she made her way back to the living room sofa. A silence settled between them. The last thing Chelsie wanted to talk about was their unexpected rendezvous, but she needed to find out what Noah knew about her past. "So," she began, watching as Noah took a swig of his juice. She wrung her hands together and took a deep breath. "What exactly do you know?"
***
Noah found it hard to believe he was sitting on Chelsie's couch, sipping on Sunny Delight. A few days ago, she was just another one of Devon's conquests he had aimed to annihilate. Today, he was her confidante; an unlikely companion. Noah knew all about her dark past – more than Devon may ever know. For some peculiar reason, Noah felt the need to give her solace. Maybe it was the wounded, forsaken look in her eyes – or maybe it was the troubled way she'd spilled her guts to him. Her strong and fiery spirit had been reduced to a lost and lonely, young woman who'd experienced more than her fair share of bad luck. Noah would never forget the way she had clambered into his lap and taken his face into her shaking hands. She had begged him to never speak a word of it to anyone.
Luckily for Chelsie, she would never remember that moment.
Noah sat beside her, repeating the horror stories she had confessed to him the night before. Chelsie had the same damaged look in her eyes. Noah spoke of the physical abuse she had told him about – the black eyes, broken ribs, concussions, and forced sexual encounters. The emotional abuse had been the worst – Ian had isolated her from her friends and family. He had made Chelsie believe he was all she had. One night, he had tackled her to the floor, his fingers wrapped around her throat like the Grim Reaper. He’d asked her if she wanted to know how it felt to take her last breath.
That had been the turning point for Chelsie. She was twenty-two years old when she'd finally had enough. She had found the courage to leave Ian.
After a two-year stalking episode, Chelsie had left her parent's house and moved in with Lisa. During that time, Ian was arrested and convicted of rape by another victim. He was sentenced to fifteen years in prison. It was going to be a while before Chelsie had to worry about looking over her shoulder again – though, that day would inevitably come. It was only within the last year that she'd gotten her own apartment and created a new life for herself. She hadn’t had contact with her parents in years. They had desperately tried to help Chelsie leave Ian, but she was in too deep at the time. The relationship had disintegrated. Things were said that could not be taken back. Insults were thrown. Chelsie regretted all of it. Still, she didn’t have the courage to reconcile – she was too ashamed to go down that road and open those closed doors.
Noah noticed Chelsie picking at a sofa pillow, so he stopped to ask her if she was okay. "We don't have to talk anymore," he said. He set his glass down on the coffee table and found her eyes. "That's basically all I know."
Chelsie gave him a small smile and clutched the pillow to her chest. "Thanks for being so cool about this, Noah. I feel like I've come a long way, but I'll never truly be… you know, free. It will always be this black cloud hovering over me."
"It will always be a part of you,” Noah agreed. “But use it to shape you into an even stronger person.” Noah tried to be thoughtful with his words – they were a powerful tool.
Chelsie’s gaze lowered to her lap. "I'm afraid if Devon even gives me another chance, I'm just going to keep screwing up. Who would want to date a nut job like me? Nobody wants to deal with that kind of baggage. Especially a guy who has his pick of the litter."
"Stop undermining yourself. That's your first problem," Noah said. He was firm in his delivery. "From what I see, you're an amazing girl with a lot of great qualities. And I won’t lie – I noticed you waiting tables long before Devon set his sights on you."
Yikes. Had he gone too far?
Chelsie's head shot up. Her nose crinkled at the confession. "Huh? I thought you hated me from the beginning.”
"I never hated you. I was just being an asshole because that's what I do. You are smoking hot, even sitting here in your sweatpants."
Double yikes. Noah needed to stop talking.
Chelsie inched the pillow up to her chin, trying to hide her pink cheeks. "Uh… thanks.”
The doorbell rang, startling the tension that had developed between them.
"Oh, my God… Lisa." Chelsie jumped to her feet and raced over to the front door. "I completely forgot about our lunch date.”
"I need to get going, myself.” Noah stood from the sofa and followed her lead. He halted in his tracks when Chelsie whipped around to face him. Her eyes were sparkling with genuine candor.
“Thank you,” she said. “Really.”
Noah was about to reply, but the knocking persisted.
"I'm coming!" Chelsie shouted. She ran the rest of the way to greet her friend in the doorway. "Sorry, Lisa, I lost track of time. Noah was just leaving."
Lisa had a perplexed look on her face as she glanced over at him. Noah offered a wave.
"Uh, hey.” Lisa looked back and forth between himself and Chelsie. "Am I interrupting something? Should we reschedule?"
Noah cleared his throat. "Like she said, I was on my way out. It's nice to see you, though."
Chelsie interrupted. "I'm a hot mess, Lis. Let me freshen up. Ten minutes?"
"Of course," Lisa said. As Noah brushed past her to walk out the door, Lisa placed a firm hand on his arm. Her voice turned low and ominous. "Don't go there," she warned.
Noah tensed his jaw. He had to suppress his man pride from saying something scathing. He pulled his arm back and decided to play dumb. "I’m not following."
Lisa crossed her arms over her chest. "You heard me. Just leave it alone."
Noah was aware of a ‘Best Friend's Duty’. It was an unsaid rule to protect your friend from the scum of the Earth at all costs. Noah forgave Lisa’s assumption that he was on a mission to get in Chelsie’s pants and break her heart. She had a right to jump to conclusions – Noah had not been on his best behavior.
He let out a sharp breath and shook his head. "It's not what it looks like.” Noah stepped past her and into the hallway, then headed out to his car. He needed to clear his head because he, too, had a date that afternoon.