Chapter 151: Chapter 160

Chapter 0160 Hannah The lights were blinding as Noah and I took our seats behind the long judges’ table, our names proudly displayed on plaques in front of us. I squinted against the harsh glare, trying to make out the rows of empty seats that would soon be filled with attendees for tonight’s pageant.

My heart was pounding already-not out of nerves, but out of that horrible, simmering tension between Noah and me. I wanted to kiss him and wring his neck at the same time, maybe even worse. And that little situation in the makeup room only made it all the more prominent, even more so with the throbbing ache in my forehead.

Zoe and Drake soon joined us, sliding into the remaining two chairs with practiced smiles and little waves to the crew backstage.

I couldn’t help but notice how close Zoe’s chair was scooted to Noah’s, their arms nearly brushing.

Swallowing hard, I tore my gaze away and smoothed my hands over my sleek black dress. I needed to focus-to be professional.

That was the whole point of Noah and I appearing together today; to show the world that we were on good terms, that there was no bad blood between us and that we fully supported each other’s respective causes.

Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. But we had put on this charade before, and we would do it again tonight.

“Alright, ladies and gents,” came a sudden voice through my earpiece-the stage manager giving us our cues backstage. “We’ve got five minutes until showtime. Just a reminder that there are ten contestants tonight, and each of you will ask one question per round after their introductory speeches. We’ll do three rounds, so you’ll each ask three questions total. Everyone got that?”

We all murmured our assent, and I could feel Noah’s gaze practically burning a hole in the side of my head. Out of my peripheral vision, I watched as he uncapped his pen and flipped open a small leather journal.

“What’s that?” Drake beat me to the question, nodding his head toward the journal.

Noah shot him a withering look. “A journal.”

“Yeah, no shit,” Drake laughed. “What’s it for?”

“Notes.”

In the wake of Noah’s terse responses, Drake and I exchanged amused glances behind his back. Zoe, meanwhile, remained impassive-staring at the curtain where the pageant contestants would be hidden. For the next few minutes, the auditorium was utterly silent as we waited for the audience to be seated. My knee bounced anxiously under the table until Noah suddenly reached over and placed a hand on my thigh. I tensed immediately at his touch, my gaze snapping over to meet his frown.

“You’re shaking the whole table,” he murmured. My mouth went dry, and I could only nod wordlessly before forcing myself to still the spastic bouncing of my leg.

Of course he wasn’t touching me just to comfort me. He was touching me because I was annoying. He was-

+25 BONUS Chapter 0160 “Good evening, friends and family. Welcome to the new annual Nightcrest Beautiful Hearts Pageant!”

Before I could finish my thought, the announcer began her spiel and the crowd began to bristle with excitement. Plastering my smile onto my face, I rose from my seat and waved when my name was announced, all good sportsmanship and poise.

But as the preliminary portion of the pageant was completed, I found myself distracted-by the way that Noah seemed utterly enthralled. His brow was furrowed in concentration, his chin resting on one hand while the other swiftly scribbled notes in that journal of his.

Since when did he take stuff like this-Luna stuff-so seriously?

I couldn’t help it. Throughout the pageant, I kept looking at him; I kept taking in the stern set of his jaw, the way that he never seemed to lose focus for even a moment.

He looked so... engaged.

No matter how hard I tried to quell it, my throat constricted with the memory of how ons used to be between us-how attracted I had once been to his passion. I supposed that hadn’t changed much over the years.

Clearing my throat, I ruthlessly forced those thoughts down and turned my attention back to the stage just as the last of the contestants was finishing up her opening speech from behind the curtain.

And then, the first round of questioning was upon us.

Noah went first, leaning forward into the microphone. “In your opinion, what is the most pressing issue for underprivileged youth today? And how would you seek to address that issue if given the chance?”

There was a brief pause as the contestant mulled over her response. Then, she replied in a beautifully poised voice-mentioning the lack of educational opportunities among inner-city children.

All the while, Noah scribbled furiously in his notebook, nodding to himself.

Huh. Maybe he was actually considering her words rather than just judging them at face value.

That was... unexpected, but also vaguely endearing in a way that made my cheeks flush with warmth.

Dammit. I ruthlessly shoved that thought aside as Drake asked his question next, followed by Zoe. And then, finally, it was my turn.

It went on like this for two more rounds, the questions slowly intensifying. Some contestants sputtered, others handled their answers with poise, some answered a little too enthusiastically.

And d all the while, Noah scribbled in his notebook. And scribbled. And scribbled.

Suddenly, the announcer called out, “Luna Hannah, you’re up.”

Shit. I had gotten so lost watching Noah analyze everything happening on stage that I had completely missed my cue to call out my final question. Plastering a serene smile across my face, I leaned forward. and tried not to let my voice waver Throughout this process, you’ve had to grapple a lot with society’s expectations around beauty. confidence, and self esteem.” I began, unable to resist stealing a sidelong glance at Noah. “What would you consider to be the most toxic of those expectations, and how can the rest of us begin to dismantle +25 BONUS Chapter 0160 that mindset?”

The contestant behind the curtain hesitated for a moment before launching into her response-equally as poised as all of her other answers. I only recognized her by her red espadrilles peeking out from beneath the curtain, but she was my favorite so far.

“In order to change how we conceptualize ideals like these,” she began, “we have to start by changing the fundamental beliefs we all grew up with...”

As she spoke, Noah’s pen practically’ flew across the page. Without entirely meaning to, a soft smile stretched across my lips as I watched him. He was utterly rapt, like a schoolboy in class.

So much like the teenage boy who I once fell in love with...

“Luna Hannah?”

I blinked, looking up in surprise at the sound of the announcer’s voice. “I-sorry?” I blurted out without thinking.

A ripple of laughter made its way across the audience, and I felt my face redden. Once again, I had zoned out while daydreaming about Noah-daydreaming about the days we had spent together all those years ago, eating quail eggs beneath the oak tree.

But those daydreams had ended.