“We’re. Just. Friends,” I shout, sick of defending our relationship.
“This is too complicated,” she mumbles to herself. “I just really needed you. I can’t explain it.”
I can’t help but release a sinister laugh. “Yep, that’s what they all say.”
Her face contorts to a shocked yet angry stare. “Excuse me? I’m not like your other girls, Noah.”
“No,” I say, looking her directly in the eye. “That’s the problem here. You’re not at all like them.”
Standing apart, silence falls over the room.
“I can’t do this anymore. This fighting—”
I interrupt her. “And running away?”
“I’m not running away.”
“So why can’t you cancel tonight? Or even invite me? God,” I tell her, embittered. “Are you embarrassed to be in a relationship with me?” It kills me to say it, but I can’t deal with her fucking secrecy anymore.
“Of course, n-not,” she stutters. “Tonight is just…”
I grab my cell that’s sitting on top of the dresser. “I’ll call Scarlett.”
“Why?” she asks, panicked.
I scroll through my contacts and dial her number. When Scarlett answers, I place her on speaker.
“Hi, Scarlett,” I say in a much sweeter tone. “I had a meeting with Morgan, and she mentioned she had something to attend tonight with you.”
“Hi, Noah,” she responds cheerfully. “Yes. There’s a red-carpet party on Sunset. You should come. And bring some friends.”
I stare at Morgan, satisfied.
She turns her head away, looking toward the window as she folds her arms.
“You know what, I’ll take you up on that. We ran out of time, and I was hoping to catch her there.”
“Sounds great. I’ll have her text you all the details. I’m really looking forward to seeing you, Noah.”
I say goodbye and hang up the phone. “So, I guess you better forward me those details,” I remind her, sarcastically.
“You’re a fucking stubborn ass, you know that?” she huffs.
“It’s like looking in the mirror, isn’t it?”
“Fuck you,” she mouths, before storming off and slamming the door behind her.
NOAH
I should’ve known better than to invite Charlie and Kate to the red-carpet event. Lex warned me it would create this bizarre frenzy within them. I laughed it off, being the naïve dickhead who underestimated the power of a woman possessed by Hollywood.
With Mom in town and willing to babysit the girls, Charlie jumped at the chance to go out for the evening. Both Charlie and Kate went into ‘wardrobe meltdown’ as they called it, spending a good hour in Charlie’s closet trying to figure out what to wear.
Morgan left with her dad, apologizing to everyone that she had to be at an event. Max was kind enough to say goodbye. Morgan chose to ignore me, without a goodbye, taking her stubborn and childish ass along with her.
We arrive at the party in separate cars, Charlie taking it upon herself to invite Haden and Presley. I don’t mind so much. It just put Kate and me in an awkward position being surrounded by married couples.
The room’s large, an ample event space that’s decked out like a nightclub, dimly lit with a stream of neon lights. The bar area takes the whole back wall, each barstool occupied with guests. The music is playing loudly in the background, making it difficult to hear each other.