Falling Between the Notes (Nicholas Galitzine Fanfic)

Chapter 24: The Tension Between Us

Jade's POV

The roar of the crowd was deafening as Harry and I stepped offstage, our adrenaline still pumping from the electric energy of the show. My body was buzzing, but my mind? My mind was a tangled mess. The fans had gone wild tonight, after the kiss we shared, and every time Harry and I shared a glance, every time our voices intertwined in harmony, the cheers grew louder, more frantic. It should've been a rush, something that lifted me higher. But instead, all I felt was this weight in my chest, growing heavier with every step we took backstage.

The show had gone off without a hitch. The chemistry between Harry and me on stage was undeniable—it was always there, bubbling under the surface, sparking when our voices came together. But that kiss... that kiss was something else. It wasn't supposed to happen, much less in front of thousands of people, but it did. I wasn't mad about the fact that he kissed me on stage, I was mad that I liked it, and I was mad that I wasn't mad at him for it.  What am I doing? What are these feelings?

As we made our way down the narrow corridor, crew members congratulated us, offering high-fives and compliments. I forced a smile, nodding along, but I could feel Harry's eyes on me. He didn't say anything, but his presence was enough to remind me of how closely we were tied together right now, not just on stage, but in life. The tension between us wasn't just something the crowd was imagining—it was real, and it was building. 

My phone buzzed in my hand, a lifeline I wasn't sure I wanted to grab. But I still looked down at it. It was blowing up with notifications from Instagram and X. Pictures of me and Harry, on stage, singing, smiling at each other. There was one picture in which we were both smiling and high-fiving each other, part of the show for that song. And then, there it was; Harry's arm around my waist, his eyes staring deeply into mine, both of us smiling at each other, and the picture next to that one, was of us finally kissing. I felt my heart skip a beat as I read the caption Is Jarry a thing? because I ship it! I couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped my lips before shutting my phone off. I wasn't going to worry about Nick seeing the picture, or about the amount of people saying I was cheating on Nick... what do they know about cheaters...

"Great show tonight, Jade!" one of the crew members said as I passed by, her voice filled with enthusiasm.

"Thanks," I replied, a small smile on my lips. 

As we reached the dressing rooms, Harry pulled open the door for me, his signature grin softening as he looked at me. "You were on fire tonight," he said, his voice low, almost intimate. I smiled back at him, as he closed the door behind him. 

"As were you..." I said, trailing off, not knowing how to continue. There was an awkward silence between us, and I didn't know how to break it. Harry took a few steps towards me, standing now directly in front of me, and looking me in the eyes, with his beautiful green ones. 

For a moment, we just stood there, staring at each other, just waiting for the other to speak. He placed one of his hands on my cheek, and caressed it softly, a toothless smile playing on his lips.

"I don't want to push you, Jade," Harry said after a long pause, his voice steady. "But I think we need to talk about what's been happening between us."

I knew this conversation was coming. The kiss had opened a door we couldn't close again, not just the one we shared tonight, but also the one we had shared last night, in private, and even though we hadn't talked about it, yet, it was there, lingering in the air between us.

"I don't know what I'm doing anymore," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper, and my stomach twisting in knots. "Everything feels so complicated. Nick, you, the tour... I don't even know what I want."