Slipping out of The Lock unnoticed looked as though it would be pretty easy. The crowd was already up and swaying to the unplugged sound of Noah and his bandmates performing acoustic numbers, so I didn't bother with goodbyes. I would simply send Charlotte a text when I got home to tell her I'd left.

As I made my way to the front door, the band came to the climax of an old Seventies cover, which was obviously one of their biggest crowd pleasers judging by the cheering that broke out. Trying my best to elbow through the swarms of drunken revellers, I had barely made it further than three feet before I heard Noah's voice ring low and clear through the microphone, sending an unwanted shiver down my spine.

"We're going to do something a bit different now," he said in his trademark nonchalant tone. "This next song is by an undiscovered writer, whose light shines brighter than I think they can see."

As he gently began to strum the guitar draped low across his torso, he took over the lead vocal from the band's usual singer and I stopped dead in my tracks.

His voice was rough and raw, yet hauntingly beautiful and tinged with a sadness that seemed to emanate from his piercing emerald eyes as the words fell softly from his lips.

Go. Just go.
Don't look back, at the ice-cracked path,
That crumbled on the day you said goodbye.

My chest tightened as my heart seemingly stopped beating. With a painful blow, it jumped into my mouth, then firmly stayed there as I held my breath and realised what was happening.

Take. What you want.
Pick up the shattered pieces of my broken heart and keep them with you.

As I slowly turned to face the stage, his eyes were already locked onto mine before I could even find his face.

My words. My innermost words. These were my thoughts falling from Noah's beautiful mouth. But how? How did he know my song? When? Why? Just... how?

As he continued to pour my most personal thoughts and feelings out over the silent crowd, all listening intently to every syllable he sang, I couldn't break away from the overpowering connection keeping us firmly focused on each other.

Without willing them to, I felt the tear that had been threatening behind my eye break free and slowly trickle down my cheek. I had no idea how, or why, Noah was doing this, but at that moment it felt like we were the only two people in the room.

You. You knew
It would break me.
But now, I thank you
This made me.

As he strummed the closing chords and slowly withdrew his gaze from mine to lower his head, the hush that hung across the room crackled before deafening applause blew up from all corners.

Looking around I could see a few girls wiping their eyes before turning to smile at their friends. Had my words done this to them? Or was it the sight of this beautiful man, letting his perfect voice ring out with pain straight from his heart that had triggered such a reaction?

Ducking my head low, I ran towards the exit before the actual sobs forming in my throat could escape. But, by the time I broke through the last few people and burst out into the cold night, there was no holding them back.

I had barely got to the end of the street before I heard Noah's voice calling from behind me.

"Abigail, wait," he yelled.

Without turning around, I heard his footsteps speed into a jog as he caught up with me quickly. Damn my stupid boots for having two-inch heels.

"Why are you running?" he panted slightly, his strong hand wrapping around my wrist to pull me round a full one-eighty degrees. With his brown jacket done up tight and a grey beanie hat pulled down over his head, I willed myself to ignore how adorable he looked.

"I don't get it. Was that a joke to you?" My voice cracked as the words left my mouth, my feet rooted firmly to the spot I was now frozen in with both cold and confusion.

"No, it's not a joke, Abigail. I was trying to do something nice."

"That was my song," I sobbed. "Mine. Not yours. I hardly even know you so why the hell do you think it's okay to pull something like that?"

Taking a small step forward, Noah's hand fell from around my wrist as I tugged my arm away from him. There was nothing between us except the raised sound of my breaths as they hit the frosty air.

"I wasn't trying to upset you," he said softly, "I just think you have an amazing gift. I wanted to show you that you're far too talented just to settle with being a teacher."

Raising my hands to my temples, I pushed my fingers hard against the skin and moved them in tiny circles.

"I don't even understand how you know it?" I whispered, keeping my eyes tightly closed as my brain struggled to comprehend the situation.

"That first day of term," he began, "I accidentally stumbled into your class. I saw the girl from the bus sitting at the piano and I wanted to hear your voice again. I figured you wouldn't see me, so I hung around. When you opened your mouth to sing it was like nothing I'd ever heard, so I recorded it on my phone."

"You recorded me? And listened to it?"

"Every chance I could."

Noah's phone pierced through the following silence with a shrill ring. Pulling it out of his pocket with a look of annoyance, he cancelled the call before shoving it back into his tight black jeans.

"I have to go," he said, his voice suddenly flat and lifeless. "We can talk about this later. I'll drop you home now if you like, but then I need to go somewhere."

Fishing out a set of keys from his jacket pocket, he headed towards the row of cars parked on the street. The same black car that I'd seen him getting into with Vanessa earlier unlocked in response as he placed his key in the driver's door.

"No," I said quietly.

"Just come," he sighed. "I'm sorry I fucked up tonight, I didn't mean to. I just wanted to show you how good a writer you are, but I got it wrong, clearly."

I didn't respond.

Clicking open the door handle, Noah looked up at me over the roof. "The least I can do is get you home safely," he continued, "So just get in the car, please. I need to get going."

"Just go then," I replied, trying to fight back the lump that was rising once again in my throat.

"Abigail, please. I am truly sorry if I hurt you by performing your song, but I have to go meet someone urgently. Let me drop you back at yours?"

"Fuck you, Noah," were the last words I whispered before the lump escaped and I turned to walk quickly away from him, preventing him from the satisfaction of seeing the tears flow in freezing streams down my cheeks for the second time in one night.

From down the street, I heard an engine roar into life and speed off in the opposite direction. The anger overtook the pain and, as I almost ran the rest of the way home as best I could in my clunky heels, my closing words ran through my head. Clear and strong.

Fuck you, Noah.