Crossing lines (Noah and Aiden) novel Chapter 214

Chapter 214

Noah

The morning of New Year’s Eve dragged on with a sluggish, hollow feeling. The house around me seemed enormous—too pristine, too cold, and painfully distant from where I truly belonged. Downstairs, Lexie was busy putting the finishing touches on the decorations, her laughter ringing brightly through the marble halls, but I remained upstairs. I locked my door and sat there, eyes fixed on my phone screen, fingers trembling until I finally summoned the courage to press Call.

Emily answered immediately. “Noah?”

“Hey, Em,” I said quietly.

There was a brief silence before she sighed deeply. “So… I guess congratulations are in order?”

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling the weight of the moment. “You saw it.”

“Everyone did. Mom’s acting like she just hit the jackpot, and Dad—well, you can probably guess.”

“How bad is it?” I muttered.

“Bad,” she said, her voice tightening. “He’s already talking about booking a flight here. Says his golden boy finally paid off. That’s his exact phrase. He’s bragging about you like you’re some stock that just skyrocketed.”

I closed my eyes, a bitter laugh escaping me. “Of course he is.”

“I tried telling him to back off, but you know how he gets. Once he smells money—”

“—he’s already counting it,” I finished for her.

She exhaled sharply. “Exactly.”

For a moment, neither of us spoke. I could hear faint music drifting up from downstairs, muffled laughter, the clinking of champagne glasses. It all felt like a world away from the turmoil inside me.

Then Emily’s voice softened, almost hesitant. “Noah… can I ask you something without you hanging up on me?”

“Go ahead,” I replied.

“What the hell is really going on?”

I froze, caught off guard. “What do you mean?”

“I mean Lexie,” she said, her tone wavering somewhere between anger and concern. “Who is she, really? Because I know what I saw when you were here. That wasn’t some rich girl. That was your coach. You and him—you were different. I’ve never seen you like that with anyone. It was real. So why—why this?”

I swallowed hard, the truth knotting in my throat. “It’s… complicated.”

“Complicated doesn’t just end with you being engaged, Noah.”

“I know.”

Emily hesitated before asking, “Did you—did you get her pregnant or something?”

I almost laughed, but it came out rough and bitter. “No. You could say I did something stupid, but not that stupid.”

Silence hung between us, then softly, she asked, “You still love him, don’t you?”

My chest tightened painfully. “Yeah.”

—

“I could tell,” she said quietly. “I just wish you’d stop torturing yourself by pretending you don’t.”

For a long moment, neither of us spoke. The laughter and music from downstairs sounded grotesque against the quiet tension between us.

Then Emily said softly, “Be careful, Noah.”

“I will.”

“Promise me.”

“I promise.”

“Happy New Year, big brother.”

“Happy New Year, little sister.”

The line went dead, leaving me swallowed by a silence that felt deafening.

I gazed out the window at the softly falling snow, the perfect, pristine world everyone believed I inhabited. I wondered how much longer I could keep pretending before everything finally shattered.

—

The New Year’s Eve gala was like a scene from a film—crystal chandeliers dripping with light, towering champagne fountains sparkling under the glow, violins weaving an elegant melody beneath the hum of voices from people accustomed to having everything they wanted.

Lexie was stunning. Her gown shimmered in silver-white satin, the fabric catching every flicker of light like moonlight caught in motion. Diamonds twinkled in her carefully styled curls, and her lips were painted the softest shade of pink. She looked every inch the princess her world expected her to be.

And me? I was dressed to fit the part—a midnight-blue suit tailored perfectly, a crisp white shirt beneath, silver cufflinks gleaming at my wrists.

Inside, though, I felt hollow, a man trapped in a role he no longer believed in.