Crossing lines (Noah and Aiden) novel Chapter 226

Chapter 226

Aiden

“Leaving? You’re really going to leave me?” His voice cracked painfully on that one word, raw and desperate. “No! That won’t fix anything! Even if I wanted to pin all the blame on you—which I don’t, not ever—my face and voice are in that damn video too. I’m just as clear, just as… caught up in it, enjoying your attention.”

God, if only he didn’t sound so damn sure, so defiantly convinced. That certainty made what I was about to do feel ten times harder, like a weight crushing down on my chest.

“I can make sure no one judges you for it,” I said softly, trying to keep my voice steady. “I’ll spin the story enough so it looks like something else. Something… I forced on you.”

The shock in his eyes hit me like a slap across the face. “You did not force me! Jesus, Aiden, we talked about this!” He sprang to his feet, anger rising in his voice.

I kept my tone calm, measured, detached. It was the only way I could hold myself together. “Noah, I’m a thirty-five-year-old failure who’s already wasted half his chances. I’ve made mistakes I can’t undo, and this one—this is mine to fix. But you… you still have a chance at something real, Noah. Not just to stand beside the greats—but to rise above them all. Don’t throw that away.”

He shook his head, his anger bright and raw. “Don’t say that. Don’t act like your life is over. You’re incredible, Aiden! You inspired me to stop being a screw-up.”

“I manipulated you into not being one,” I said bitterly. “I used my position. I broke every rule meant to protect you.”

“Don’t you dare say you regret what we had.”

“I’m not sorry,” I snapped before I could stop myself. The word hung between us, ugly and honest.

He froze, caught off guard by the brutal truth in my voice.

“I should be,” I said, softer now, staring at the floor because I couldn’t meet his eyes. “But I’m not. I’m not good enough to regret it. You were good for me, Noah. Maybe the best thing that ever happened to me. But it can’t last.”

His jaw clenched tightly. “So what? You’re just going to take the blame and set me free? That’s your solution?”

“It’s my choice,” I said, lifting my gaze to meet his. “Not yours.”

“No way!” he shot back. “I won’t let you do this!”

I almost smiled at his stubbornness—his refusal to give up was one of the thousand reasons I loved him. And that’s exactly why I had to break him now.

“So what’s your alternative?” I asked, voice steady but my pulse pounding. “You want to fake it for the rest of your life? Smile for cameras, play house, pretend you’re straight while the whole world watches?”

He looked at me with something close to desperation in his eyes. “I never had to fake it with you. Why can’t we just—”

He stared at me, waiting, trembling somewhere between anger and heartbreak when I stayed silent. “I guess it was stupid,” he said quietly, “thinking I could marry Lexie and still keep you. I didn’t realize being with you was never really an option.”

I looked away, finishing the last of my drink. The burn did nothing to dull the ache inside. I could feel him watching me, waiting for something I wasn’t going to give. And God, I hated myself for letting him believe—even for a second—that I didn’t want him.

He exhaled sharply. “Is this because of that Micah? You’re back with him, so now you don’t want me? You don’t want to fight for us?”

I forced myself to meet his eyes. “Micah’s easy,” I said. “He’s calm. Safe. He’s not tangled up in all of this. With him, there’s no risk, no press, no goddamn blackmail.” I paused, hating every word as it left my lips. “It was selfish of me to drag you into this mess. I don’t regret loving you, Noah. But if taking the blame means you walk away clean—means I get to breathe again—then maybe that’s what I deserve. To finally live without fear. Away from all of this. Away from you.”

I saw the anger flash across his face—the humiliation, the hurt—and it almost broke me. But I had to let him hate me. Hate was safer than love right now.

He turned toward the door, shoulders shaking, then spun back one last time, voice rough. “If you don’t want me, then why the hell do you care if I marry her?”

I took a deep breath, steadying myself. “Because I don’t want to see your life ruined,” I said quietly. “By anyone. Not even me.”

His eyes hardened. “With all due respect,” he said, voice trembling with fury, “fuck you, Aiden.”

The door slammed behind him, and I just stood there, listening to the echo fade—knowing it was the sound of everything I’d just lost.