Crossing lines (Noah and Aiden) novel Chapter 190

Chapter 190

Despite everything I had done to wound him, despite the weeks of cold silence between us, he remained by my side. He hadn’t walked away.

“Hey,” Lexie murmured softly, her fingers tightening around mine in a gentle squeeze. “You’re so tense right now. But honestly, you’ll be incredible—whether you win or not. I’m proud of you either way.”

Her voice was tender, filled with a raw honesty that caught me off guard. The guilt nestled deep beneath my ribs twisted tighter, a painful reminder of all I’d put him through.

I slid my arm around her shoulders, pressing a light kiss to her cheek, forcing a smile just for her. “Thanks, Lex,” I said quietly.

She blushed, leaning into me, and somewhere nearby, the flash of cameras lit up the room like stars bursting in the night.

God, I wanted to despise her—loathe her for standing between me and the man I loved. But she wasn’t the villain in this story. Lexie was kind, sweet, and genuine. She was a good person who had fallen for me the same way I had fallen for Aiden—without reason, without warning. Love had never asked for permission; it simply took what it wanted.

She didn’t deserve the anger that sometimes flared inside me.

Her father did.

But Lexie—she deserved the truth. The whole truth. And I couldn’t bring myself to give it to her.

Because if I told her, it would shatter him.

And I would rather carry the weight of my own guilt than watch Aiden burn.

The announcer’s voice boomed through the grand ballroom, cutting through the thick tension: “Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. The presentation will begin shortly.”

William gave my shoulder a firm, encouraging clap, his smile polished and practiced. “Alright, son,” he said, adjusting his cufflinks with precision. “It’s time for the moment of truth.”

The lights dimmed, the stage lights brightened, and the names of the finalists scrolled across the enormous screen. The atmosphere thickened, filled with whispered conversations and held breaths—the universal stillness that comes just before an explosion of applause.

“And the 20—Heisman Trophy goes to…”

A beat. Then another.

“Noah Blake, quarterback, Groveton University!”

The room erupted in cheers. Thunderous applause shook the walls, camera flashes exploded like fireworks, and for a moment I sat frozen, stunned by the reality of it all. Lexie gasped, her hand flying to her mouth in shock, while William was already on his feet, pulling me up with a proud grin.

The crowd cheered louder, the announcer beaming behind me. I took a deep breath, swallowing the knot forming in my throat, forcing myself to continue.

“With only a few games left before the championship, the Texas Wolves are coming for that title. We’ve worked too hard not to finish what we started.”

The applause grew even louder, but I wasn’t finished.

“And I want to share this moment with someone who’s stood by me through it all—my beautiful girlfriend, Lexie.”

I gestured toward her in the crowd. She blew me a kiss, her eyes shining with emotion.

“I love you, baby!” she called out, her voice a mixture of laughter and tears.

The audience melted into warm applause and affectionate awws.

And in that moment, as I turned to raise the trophy high for the cameras, I caught Aiden’s expression shift.

His smile faltered—just a little. Enough for me to glimpse the fracture beneath it, the same ache that gnawed at my own heart.