Just Pretend

e i g h t

"Dani, it's been too long," a voice called out from across the bar. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as the sound of his voice cut through the noise. I turned slowly, my heart sinking when I saw him standing there—Justin, with that same smug look on his face, his arm still draped around the blonde from earlier.

I forced a smile, trying to hide the turmoil boiling beneath the surface. "What do you want, Justin?" I asked, keeping my tone as even as possible.

He shrugged, stepping closer to the bar. "Just wanted to say hi. You know, no hard feelings."The casualness in his voice made my stomach churn. "Right," I replied, gripping the edge of the counter to keep my hands from shaking.

Justin smirked, clearly enjoying my discomfort. "You look good, Dani. But hey, I see you're still hanging around the same crowd. Noah, right?" He gestured toward where Noah and the others were sitting, his tone dripping with condescension.

I shot him a warning glance, but before I could respond, Noah stood up, his expression hardening as he took a step forward. "Is there a problem here?" Noah's voice was calm, but there was an edge to it that made it clear he wasn't playing around.

Justin's smirk faltered for a second, but he quickly recovered. "No problem, man. Just catching up with an old friend."

"Well, she's working, so maybe you should let her do that," Noah replied, his eyes locked on Justin's. The tension in the air was thick.  Justin leaned in closer, his voice low and taunting. "So, this is who you've moved on to, Dani? Really? This guy?"

I could see Noah tense up, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "Back off, Justin," Noah warned, his voice steady but laced with anger.

Justin chuckled, clearly enjoying the situation. "What are you gonna do about it, tough guy? You think you can just step in and take what's mine?"

At that, something snapped in Noah. Without warning, he grabbed Justin by the collar and shoved him hard against the bar. The entire room seemed to freeze as people turned to watch the confrontation unfold.

"She's not yours," Noah growled, his face inches from Justin's. "And she never will be."

Justin shoved Noah back with a snarl, and that was all it took. The two of them collided in a blur of fists and fury. Nick and Jolly stood up quickly, attempting to break the two men apart as the bar erupted into chaos as they grappled with each other, knocking over stools and sending glasses crashing to the floor. Noah landed a solid punch to Justin's jaw, sending him stumbling back, but Justin quickly recovered and charged forward, tackling Noah to the ground. The sound of their struggle echoed through the bar as they rolled across the floor, each one trying to gain the upper hand.

I watched in horror, my heart pounding as I saw the look of pure rage on Justin's face. "Stop it! Both of you!" I shouted, but my voice was drowned out by the noise of the fight and the shouts of onlookers. Justin landed a punch to Noah's ribs, causing him to grunt in pain, but Noah didn't back down. With a surge of strength, he flipped Justin over and pinned him to the floor, his fist raised, ready to strike again.

"Don't you ever come near her again," Noah snarled, his voice shaking with emotion. But before he could deliver another blow, I rushed forward, grabbing his arm. "Noah, stop!" I pleaded, my voice trembling. "Please, just stop!"

For a moment, Noah hesitated, his chest heaving as he looked down at Justin, who was struggling beneath him. Slowly, the rage in Noah's eyes began to fade, replaced by a mix of exhaustion and something else - maybe regret.

He released Justin and stood up, breathing heavily. The bar was silent now, everyone watching in stunned silence as Noah took a step back, his hands still clenched into fists. Justin scrambled to his feet, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. He glared at Noah, but there was a hint of fear in his eyes now. Without another word, he pushed past the crowd and stormed out of the bar, his pride and face both bruised.

As the door slammed shut behind Justin, I reached out and touched Noah's arm, my hand trembling. "Are you okay?" I asked softly, my voice barely above a whisper.

Noah nodded, but he didn't meet my eyes. "Yeah," he muttered, though the tension in his body said otherwise. 

"Come on," I said softly, pulling on his arm. "Let's get you cleaned up."

I grabbed my phone and keys before clocking out at this door, pulling Noah behind me by his wrist. Once we arrived back at our building, Noah unlocked his apartment and let me lead him to the bathroom. I turned on the sink, letting the water heat up as he swiftly hopped onto the counter top. I felt his eyes on me as I leaned over and dug through the cabinet to find peroxide and some wash cloths. 

I placed a towel over his lap before grabbing his hands and pouring peroxide over the open wounds on his knuckles. He hissed slightly as the cleaning solution bubbled. I carefully dabbed his hands dry before letting them rest on his knees. 

"I need you to take your shirt off," I instructed simply. He pulled it off in one swift motion, not offering any type of argument. I felt my breath hitch slightly at the sight. Tattoos covered nearly every inch of his skin. I carefully traced my fingers along his ribs, checking for any possible injuries. I felt Noah cringe in pain under my touch for a few moments before relaxing. 

"I think your ribs may be bruised but hopefully not too badly." I stated, returning my attention to his face. What was once skeleton makeup has become streaked with sweat, but it didn't distract from how handsome his features were. His offered him a soft smile as I carefully began to clot the makeup and sweat off of his forehead. "I didn't say thank you earlier."

"You don't have to," He responded, his brown eyes meeting mine as he weakly returned a smile. "You don't deserve to put up with that shit. Besides, I wasn't about to just sit and listen to it."

"Still though, I really appreciate it Noah." I replied, moving the wash cloth to his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into my touch gently. "You've done so much for me, Noah. This is the least I can do." 

He opened his eyes then, the warmth in them catching me off guard. "Dani, you don't owe me anything. I'd do it all over again, no questions asked."

The tenderness in his gaze sent a shiver through me, and I found myself at a loss for words. Instead, I focused on finishing my task, dabbing away the last of the makeup from his jawline. His skin was warm under my fingers, and I could feel his breath steadying as he relaxed further.

Noah slid off the counter, standing just a bit too close, his presence enveloping me. "Thanks, Dani," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. His hand reached out, lightly brushing a strand of hair away from my face, his touch sending a jolt of electricity through me. I felt my cheeks warm, but I didn't pull away. Instead, I found myself leaning into him, my hand resting against his chest where I could feel his heartbeat, strong and steady.

"Noah," I began, but the words caught in my throat. I wasn't sure what to say, how to express the jumble of thoughts and feelings that had built up inside me.

He smiled softly, as if understanding without needing an explanation. "You don't have to say anything, Dani. Just know I'm here, okay?"

I nodded, feeling the tension between us ease into something more comfortable, more natural. There was a connection, an unspoken understanding that neither of us had to explain.

For a long moment, we just stood there, the world outside the bathroom fading into insignificance. It was just the two of us, together in a quiet, shared moment that felt more intimate than any words could convey.

Finally, I stepped back, offering him a small smile. "I should probably let you rest," I said, though a part of me wanted to stay.

Noah nodded, though his eyes held a hint of reluctance. "Yeah, you're probably right." But as I turned to leave, his hand gently caught mine, holding me back for just a second longer. "Thank you, Dani. For everything."

I squeezed his hand in return, giving him one last smile before heading out of the bathroom. "Goodnight, Noah," I whispered, feeling a warmth in my chest that hadn't been there before.