Behind the Scenes

14-Noah

Stella being the girl she was, completely put a facade up and acted as if nothing was wrong. "Hi, Noah." She smiled warmly. "It's good to see you again."

"And you are?" Audrey asked rudely.

"Oh, sorry, I'm his manager Yvette's daughter, Stella, and this is my best friend Gracie. It's nice to meet you."

Almost like a wave of relief flooded over Audrey, she smiled at her finally and glanced disapprovingly over her outfit. "You knew this was a party, right?"

"I told her the same thing." Gracie sighed. "I mean, come on, who wears a hoodie and jeans to a place like this?"

Noah liked what she was wearing. She looked comfortable unlike Audrey and Gracie and the rest of the girls here wearing tight dresses and heels. It was refreshing. Then again, everything about Stella seemed to be refreshing.

"I don't really care about dressing up." Stella shrugged. "If this were a college party then a lot of people would be dressed like this."

Audrey eyed her up and down again and gave her a fake smile. "Well, if only this were a college party then. Excuse me, I'm going to use the ladies' room."

She brushed past Noah but froze when she got closer to Stella. "What is that scent you're wearing?" she asked suddenly. "It smells like-"

"Lavender," Stella finished for her. "It's my shampoo."

Audrey smiled a devilish grin at her before looking back at Noah. "Well, it's lovely. Noah, could I steal you away for a few moments?"

Noah hated how proper she got in front of others. She was a completely different person in the spotlight, and it was so fake that Noah couldn't stand it. He tried to send an apologetic stare to Stella before he followed Audrey down the hall and into one of the guest bathrooms.

"What did you need to-"

Before he could answer, Audrey pushed him up against the bathroom door and pressed her lips to his. It was so intense and so rough, and it was so unlike her that Noah didn't know what to do at first.

"Audrey." He pulled away and narrowed his eyes towards her. "What are you doing? What is this?"

Audrey placed her lips to his neck again and sucked gently, Noah closing his eyes in response. Every time she pleased him he imagined Stella, and he just couldn't help himself.

The one girl he'd ever been seriously into and she wanted nothing to do with him. What were the odds?

"Audrey..." Noah warned when he recollected himself but sucked in a sharp breath when her hand went to his crotch, massaging gently over his jeans.

"Hm?" she whispered.

Thoughts of Stella flooded his head, and he suddenly began to feel hot. Too hot.

He quickly pulled away from her and shook his head. "We have to stop doing this," he said. "It's not right."

"Why?" she asked. "You never had a problem with it before?"

"That was before-" he stopped himself when she arched her brow up. "Before we started this stupid contract. I don't have feelings for you like that, Audrey. I know that you're into me, I could tell from that very first night we hung out, but I don't have the same feelings for you as you have for me."

Audrey blinked a few times from being caught off guard. It wasn't hard to tell that she had feelings for him. She wouldn't have kept trying to please him over and over again if she didn't. Their contract is strictly business. That's all.

Before meeting Stella he appreciated the pleasure Audrey gave, especially since she was a virgin. She wanted nothing done to her and everything done to him. How could he say no?

But now things are just... complicated. He and Stella aren't a thing, but he's trying to make it a thing. Leading Audrey on when it isn't going to go anywhere just doesn't make any sense. He realizes that now.

"I don't have feelings for you," she huffed in disbelief and stepped away from him. "Excuse me if I got heated and wanted someone to take it out on. I've always taken it out on you, and you've never had a problem with it."

She seemed embarrassed and insecure, but there was nothing Noah could say at this point to make her feel any better. He finally told her the truth. It's not like he was ending the contract with her. He was still going to do what he needed to do in public, but this thing they kept doing behind closed doors needed to come to an end for her sake.

"Whatever, it's fine." She plastered on another one of her bitchy smiles and straightened her shoulders. "Won't you be uncomfortable now though not being able to do anything with someone else until next year when the contract is officially done?"

The look in her eyes was dangerous, and Noah felt his mouth dry out. She couldn't possibly know about Stella. There's no way. She must just suspect it.

"I'll manage," Noah finally replied and watched her continue to smile when she reached for the door.

"We'll see." She laughed. "I'll contact your stylist tomorrow to see what her opinions are for us for the VMA's and let you know what she says. Have a great night."

When the door slammed shut, Noah let out a deep breath and pressed his back against the wall. He kept forgetting that there was a contract, and if he was caught breaking that contract then he'd have to shell out a lot of money, not to mention the scandal that Audrey would certainly leak to the press. That would cause his dad and Yvette to go into an uproar.

Deciding to get another drink, Noah left the bathroom and wandered over to the bartender again for another shot. Audrey seemed to have left, so that was at least a relief.

"Oh, Noah, there you are!" he heard Gracie shout. When he turned around to face her, her eyes widened for a second before she cleared her throat. "Oh, I, uh, didn't realize you were..."

"What?" he asked, and then he looked at Stella.

Her face was red with anger, her hazel eyes almost black from how upset she seemed to be. He didn't understand what was wrong until Gracie pointed at her own cheek.

"You have lipstick all over you," she giggled.

Oh, fuck.

Immediately he wanted to reach for Stella, but he knew Gracie was standing right there. How could he get himself out of this one? It seemed like no matter how much he tried to prove to her that he was a good guy he just kept screwing up.

"Oh, um, that's nothing." He wiped away at the lipstick after taking another shot, but it didn't seem to help. Stella wouldn't even look at him.

"Would we be able to talk for a second?" Gracie asked him. "I just never really got to talk to you at the club, and there are just some things I'd like to tell you."

He couldn't deal with another fan telling them their life story. If that made him seem like an asshole then so be it, but he didn't want to be around anyone at this point. He genuinely fucked up again. Just like he always does.

Another crash echoed down the hall from something else made of glass breaking. Noah looked around for Elijah but he was nowhere to be found. Where the hell was he now that he needed him?

"Sorry, but I've got to go wash this off," he explained. "I'll be back."