The sound of the studio door closing softly behind her was the only thing that broke the stillness of the space. Nalani was alone. Alone with her thoughts, with the lingering warmth of the party fading from her skin, replaced by the cold, sterile air of the rehearsal space. The room was dim, lit only by the glow of the distant streetlights sneaking through the thin curtains. It was the kind of solitude she'd been craving all night, a break from the noise, from the whirlwind of emotions that had followed her all evening.The room only amplified the echo of Noah's last words, ringing in her mind with relentless precision.

"I don't hate you."

Three simple words, spoken in that low, rough voice, as if dragged out against his will. They had replayed in her mind on an endless loop since she'd stormed away. But why did it matter? Why couldn't she just dismiss it like she wanted to, like she should? Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him standing there, fists clenched, eyes dark and conflicted under the streetlight. The look of him rooted to that spot as if he was chained to his hesitation haunted her.

She closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of the place—the faint tang of sweat, the musky smell of instruments, and something else, something more permanent. She let her shoulders sag, sinking into the chair by the corner of the room, her fingers curling into her palms as if holding herself together. The chaos from the party still buzzed in her mind—the laughter, the jabs, the music—and at the center of it all, Noah's smile as he spoke with Eloise. It felt like a distant memory now, like something that didn't belong to her. Yet, she couldn't shake the image of him, effortlessly laughing with someone who wasn't her.

It stung. It stung more than she wanted to admit. And the worst part? She couldn't even pinpoint exactly why. Maybe it was the way he treated her, like she was a puzzle he couldn't solve, or the way he pulled away when she needed him the most. She was angry with him, but at the same time, she was hurt in a way she didn't know how to express.

With a frustrated sigh, she ran her hands through her hair, trying to shake off the tension that was settling deep in her chest. There was no one here to see her—no one to ask her what was wrong or offer any unwanted advice. This was the perfect place to be, she thought. It was just her and the music, the only things she could rely on.

But just as she was starting to relax, the door creaked open again, and her stomach lurched. She hadn't heard footsteps, hadn't heard anything—just the unmistakable sound of the door's hinges groaning in protest. Her head snapped up, and her heart skipped a beat. She didn't have to see who it was to know.

"Figured I'd find you here."

Josh's voice, low and warm, cut through the silence like a knife. His figure appeared in the doorway, his broad shoulders filling the frame as he stepped inside. The faintest hint of a smirk played at his lips, but his eyes were serious, assessing her with an intensity that made her feel like he could see through the walls she'd built around herself.

"You knew I'd be here?" Nalani asked, her voice a little rougher than she intended. She cleared her throat, standing up from the chair to face him. The surprise was evident, though she tried to hide it. She didn't expect anyone to seek her out, especially not after everything that had happened. She thought her bandmates would be too tired, too busy with their own things, to care.

Josh shrugged, taking a few steps deeper into the room. "Yeah. You're always the last one to leave when you need space. I figured you'd be here, drowning in your own thoughts."

Nalani frowned, her arms crossing defensively over her chest. "I'm fine," she said quickly, but even to her own ears, the words sounded hollow. She tried to offer him a smile, but it faltered before it reached her eyes.

Josh didn't buy it. He tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing just enough to make it clear he wasn't fooled by her attempt at composure. "Yeah, I don't think so," he said, his tone light but firm. "You've got that look on your face—the one where you're about to pretend everything's okay, but you're really just holding it together by a thread."

Nalani felt her throat tighten. She hated that he could read her so easily, hated that he wasn't just going to let it slide. "I'm fine," she repeated, her voice quieter this time, more insistent.

Josh stepped closer, his footsteps steady and calm, like he was walking through a battlefield with the kind of ease that only comes from knowing exactly what you were facing. "You're not fine, Nalani. I can see it in your eyes. So, what's really going on?"

The question caught her off guard, her breath catching in her throat as she fought the urge to pull away, to shut him out. She could feel the weight of her emotions pushing at the surface, the rawness of everything she was holding back, but she wasn't ready to let it spill over—not yet. Not to him.

"I'm just... tired," she muttered, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to keep it steady.

Josh didn't respond right away. He just stood there, watching her with a mixture of understanding and quiet persistence, his expression softening a little. "Tired? That's all?" he asked, his voice low and a little teasing. "I don't think that's it. So, come on. What's really bothering you?"

Nalani opened her mouth to say something—anything—but the words got caught in her throat. She wanted to tell him. She wanted to explain how Noah's behavior had torn her apart, how the confusion and hurt were gnawing at her insides. But every time she tried, she felt a wave of vulnerability crash over her, threatening to overwhelm her.

"I don't want to talk about it," she said finally, her voice more fragile than she wanted it to be.

Josh didn't let it go. Instead, he raised an eyebrow, a teasing smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Come on, you can't hide forever. I'm not leaving until you tell me what's going on. This isn't just 'tired,' and you know it."

Nalani's heart raced as she looked at him, the space between them feeling charged, like the tension was finally spilling over into something she couldn't control. She didn't want to open up—didn't want to let him see how fragile she really was—but she could feel the dam inside her weakening. The anger, the frustration, the hurt... it was all bubbling beneath the surface, and Josh's persistence was making it harder to keep it locked inside.

"I just..." she began, but then trailed off. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, the energy in her chest swirling with a mix of emotions she couldn't keep up with.

"Just what?" Josh's voice was softer now, coaxing her, his eyes full of genuine concern but still holding that playful edge. He was giving her the space to speak, but he wasn't letting her off the hook either.

Nalani let out a shaky breath, finally letting the words spill out before she could stop them. "It's Noah. It's always Noah," she whispered, her voice cracking as she spoke his name. "I don't understand him. One minute, he's... different. Like he seems like a normal guy, like he actually cares. And then the next, he's pulling away, acting like everything is wrong with me."

Josh's expression shifted, but he didn't say anything right away. He let her speak, let her get it out, knowing that sometimes, all someone needed was to be heard.

Nalani's breath hitched as she continued, her voice growing more frantic, more desperate. "I hate it, Josh. I hate feeling like this. And then I get angry, but I can't even tell him because he shuts me down every time. I don't know what to do anymore."

The floodgates were open now, and it felt like the emotions she'd been holding in for so long were finally spilling out. Tears welled in her eyes, and before she knew it, they were streaming down her face, hot and unrelenting.

Josh's eyes softened, and he stepped closer, his presence a steadying force as he reached out, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it's okay," he murmured, his voice deep and reassuring. "You're not alone in this. Whatever's going on with Noah, whatever mess is between you two, it's not all on you. Don't carry it all by yourself."

Nalani sniffled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, trying to regain some semblance of control. But Josh wouldn't let her retreat. He gave her a moment before adding, "You don't have to do this alone. You've got people who care about you. And I'm one of them, whether you like it or not."

A small, broken laugh escaped her lips at his teasing tone, the tension in her chest loosening just a little. She leaned into his presence, grateful for his support, even if it came with a bit of teasing. She wasn't alone in this, not really. And that thought, as simple as it was, made the weight in her chest a little easier to carry.

Josh kept his hand on her shoulder, not rushing her, not pushing her to say more than she was ready to. He let her cry it out, let her release the hurt she'd been holding in for so long. Nalani sniffled, her tears slowing as she wiped her face with the back of her hand. She wasn't sure why, but there was something about Josh's calm presence that made her feel like she could finally let go. Maybe it was because he didn't demand anything from her. He wasn't trying to fix things, wasn't telling her what to do. He was just there, offering her space to be vulnerable, without judgment.

Josh shifted slightly, still standing close to her, his hand still resting gently on her shoulder. His eyes softened as he looked at her, and for a moment, it almost felt like everything else faded away.

"Hey, Nalani," he said, his voice quiet but firm. "I know you're pissed at him. But have you ever stopped to think maybe Noah doesn't know what the hell he's doing either?"

Nalani blinked, surprised by the question. She lifted her gaze to meet his eyes, her brow furrowing as she tried to process what he was saying. "What do you mean? He's... he's always so sure of himself. He always knows what he wants."

Josh gave her a knowing look, a teasing grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You'd be surprised. He's not as confident as he pretends to be, especially when it comes to people like you."

Nalani's stomach twisted at his words. People like her? She felt an odd pressure behind her ribs, but she said nothing, just stared at him, unsure how to respond.

Josh's grin faded, and he leaned in slightly, his voice softer. "Look, I don't mean to make things more complicated. I just think he's not as put together as he wants everyone to think. Maybe he's scared, you know?"

Nalani shook her head, unable to stop herself from scoffing. "Scared? Of what?"

Josh let out a small, knowing laugh. "Scared of messing things up, scared of not being able to handle someone who doesn't just let him do whatever he wants. Someone who calls him out, like you do."

Nalani's heart pounded in her chest, her mind a blur of conflicting emotions. She felt the pull of something deep, but she refused to acknowledge it. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said quickly, turning her gaze away, trying to avoid the weight of his words. "He's just... complicated."

Josh watched her, the corner of his mouth twitching as if he wanted to say more but didn't want to push her too far. "I get that. But sometimes people act like they have it all figured out when they're just trying to avoid dealing with the mess inside."

She met his gaze again, her eyes narrowing slightly, even though her pulse quickened at his insight. "And what mess is that?"

"I don't know," Josh replied with a shrug, though his eyes were sharp as they held hers. "But I'm willing to bet Noah's got his own stuff to work through. And maybe, just maybe, he's pushing you away because he doesn't know how to be close. Not in the way you need him to be."

Nalani felt a pang in her chest, the words a reminder of the push and pull between her and Noah that never seemed to resolve itself. She couldn't admit to herself, let alone anyone else, that she wanted him to care more. She couldn't admit to herself that she'd spent so much of the last few days, the last few weeks, trying to understand him, trying to break through that cold shell he always seemed to wear.

"Why do you keep saying that?" Nalani asked, her voice quieter than she intended, almost like she was pleading with him to stop, to give her a reason to ignore what he was implying.

Josh smiled, though his eyes softened with understanding. "Because I think you know deep down, whether you want to admit it or not. He's just as lost as you are."

Nalani stared at him for a long moment, feeling a tightness in her chest that she couldn't quite explain. She didn't want to feel anything for Noah, didn't want to let herself care about whatever was happening between them. It wasn't supposed to be like this. She wasn't supposed to be this vulnerable, this open to being hurt again.

"I'm fine," she said quickly, swallowing hard to push down the emotions rising in her throat. "It's nothing. I'm just... tired."

Josh didn't buy it, not for a second. He crossed his arms, a teasing but knowing smile playing at the edges of his mouth. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to convince yourself of that."

Nalani shook her head, exhaling sharply as she wiped her eyes again. "I'm not trying to convince myself of anything."

"Well, you're doing a terrible job," Josh replied lightly, his voice filled with warmth but also a hint of playful teasing. "If I didn't know you better, I'd say you're just afraid of what's really going on in your head."

She froze at his words. Her heartbeat quickened, and her breath caught. The last thing she wanted was for Josh to see through her, to make her face the feelings she was refusing to acknowledge. She didn't know how to feel about Noah. It was easier to stay angry, easier to dismiss him, easier to bury everything that was growing inside of her.

"Don't," Nalani muttered, turning away slightly, as if the space between them could give her some semblance of control over the whirlwind of emotions spinning out of her reach.

Josh leaned in closer, his voice low but firm. "Nalani, listen to me. Whatever is going on, you don't have to go through it alone. You've got me. If you want to yell, if you want to cry, if you want to punch someone in the face—you've got me. But don't keep bottling everything up. You deserve better than that."

She swallowed hard, trying to keep herself composed, but the lump in her throat made it impossible to speak. She wanted to tell him that it wasn't just about being angry or upset. She wanted to tell him how frustrating it was, how deeply confusing it was to feel this pull toward someone who wouldn't give her what she needed. But the words wouldn't come.

Instead, all she could do was shake her head and mutter, "I don't want to talk about it."

Josh didn't let her off the hook that easily. He stepped forward, placing a hand gently on hers. "Nalani, you don't have to say anything. But you're not going to solve this by pretending it's not there."

She blinked rapidly, a tear slipping down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away, cursing herself for letting it fall in front of him. But Josh's touch was a grounding force, the steady pressure of his hand on hers reminding her that he wasn't going to let her hide from this.

"Just... just let it out, okay?" Josh's voice was gentle but insistent. "Whatever it is. I'm here. You don't have to do this alone."

Nalani let out a shaky breath, her walls finally starting to crack. She didn't know how to explain it all—the confusion, the frustration, the aching desire to just know where she stood with Noah. She didn't even know if she wanted to face the reality of how much she cared, how much his actions were slowly breaking her.

"I don't know what to do, Josh," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "It's like... It's... exhausting."

Josh squeezed her hand gently. "It's okay. You don't have to have all the answers right now. Just don't keep carrying this by yourself. And don't let him drag you down with his bullshit."

Nalani managed a small laugh, though it was laced with tears. "Yeah, right. He's so great at dragging people down."

Josh smirked, his playful side making an appearance again. "Well, that's why I think you should punch him in the face. But hey, you do you."

Nalani chuckled softly, the warmth of his support lifting some of the weight from her shoulders. Maybe things weren't perfect, but for the first time in a long time, she didn't feel like she was falling apart completely. She had people who cared—people who understood her, even if she couldn't understand herself right now.

"Thanks, Josh," she said, her voice quieter now, but filled with gratitude.

"No problem," he replied, still grinning. "Now go get Noah. Punch him. Or yell at him. But do it for me, okay?"

Nalani rolled her eyes but smiled, her heart feeling a little less heavy. Maybe she wasn't ready to face Noah just yet, but for now, having someone like Josh in her corner was enough.