By the time Noah arrived at the performing arts center, Violet was asleep against the wall, looking horribly uncomfortable. One knee was bent; the other was straight out, obviously swollen. That was the source of her injury.

"Vi," he said softly, shaking her shoulder. "Can you get up?"

Her eyes fluttered open. She rubbed them, wincing. Some stage makeup had smudged.

"I…don't think so," she admitted. "I can't bend my knee."

Noah bent down and awkwardly lifted her, careful not to bend her injured knee. He managed, but Violet's arms, wrapped around his neck for support, were slightly choking him.

She was still in costume—a simple white dress resembling a 19th-century nightgown, white tights, and pointe shoes. Her hair was curled and partially pulled back with ribbons.

He felt guilty for never seeing her show. Clara was a highly sought-after role in the ballet world. He shouldn't have let his unrequited feelings interfere with his friendship.

"How did you end up on the floor?" Noah asked in the car.

"I passed out."

He nearly slammed on the brakes. She passed out? He should have known this over the phone!

At the next stoplight, Noah saw her more clearly. Sweat glistened on her face; she grimaced in pain. It seemed serious. What kind of boyfriend was Jeremy Ward, not answering his phone when his girlfriend needed him?

Noah had distanced himself, believing Violet would be happier with her current romance, and he didn't want to witness it. But if Jeremy wasn't caring for her, he didn't deserve to be her boyfriend.

"What happened?" he asked.

She chuckled weakly. "I landed wrong and felt this horrible pop. Can you believe it? I've done that jump thousands of times!"

Ouch. That wasn't much detail, but it sounded bad. Violet had never been seriously injured dancing before—only the usual muscle soreness.

What caused the bad landing? Was she distracted? She was usually so focused.

"People land jumps wrong all the time," Noah reassured her. He knew it was a common cause of injury. But Violet was usually more careful.

She'd seen a fellow dancer sprain her ankle landing a jump in middle school, missing a recital. Violet had been determined to avoid that.

Of course, it happened during her lead role. Rotten luck. Noah hoped for a quick and easy recovery.

At the emergency room, Violet couldn't walk, so Noah carried her in. Explaining her situation while being carried was awkward. Though fainting gave her higher priority than someone with a broken arm but no loss of consciousness, they still waited nearly an hour.

Violet mostly remained silent, leaning against the wall, eyes closed, attempting a nap.

Noah stayed quiet, unsure what to say. He'd rushed to the rescue after weeks of silence. What could he say? "Sorry I avoided you because I was trying to get over you since you have a serious boyfriend?" That wouldn't work. He wished he could make her feel better. Her misery seemed beyond the pain.

It was clearly because of him. He'd be devastated if Violet suddenly avoided him. He was devastated because he was avoiding her.

Jeremy Ward was different. He moved quickly, and they spent so much time together Violet almost forgot Noah existed. That was unprecedented; even with other boyfriends, she always made time for him.

She was twenty-five; people often fall deeply in love at that age. His mother fell for his father at twenty-six, marrying less than a year later. Cameron was older than Jennica; Jeremy was older than Violet. Noah considered himself a younger brother to Violet, and he'd tried to forget her, unsuccessfully.

Jeremy was a jerk, though. How busy could he be on a Friday night to ignore his injured girlfriend? Was he cheating already?

No, that didn't fit Noah's father's description of Jeremy as "married to his work," like Aaron had been before Keeley. He was probably still at the office.

Aaron was a successful businessman, but he prioritized family. If Jeremy was working overtime and ignoring Violet, he probably didn't care much for her.

Anger surged. That man didn't deserve his best friend's love.

(The final promotional sentence has been removed as it is irrelevant to the text cleanup.)