Part 22

Caroline didn't blink. The weight of the challenge, organizing what would undoubtedly be the biggest cultural event of the decade, or maybe even the last 3 decades, hung in the air, but she didn't buckle. She knew Noel; this wasn't just a job offer, it was a test of loyalty and a way to keep her tethered to him through the chaos that was bound to follow.

'Tour Manager?' she repeated, a slow, dangerous smile spreading across her face. 'You want me to manage you, Liam, a stadium's worth of pyrotechnics, and the global press? You seem to have given this "tour" idea some thought already' She took a half-step forward, closing the tiny gap the "forcefield" had tried to maintain. 'And another thing, what gives me the guarantee you won't kick me out again?' she had to confront him with it but inside her heart started racing again, she had her goddamn job handed back to her on a silver plate, she could try and think of solving the financial issues that were still looming over her head.

Noel's gaze softened, the "Chief" persona slipping for a rare, vulnerable second. He reached out, his fingers hovering just inches from her arm, close enough for her to feel the heat.

'Because I'm not just hiring a PA, Caroline. I'm hiring the only person who knows where the bodies are buried and still likes the view,' he muttered, his voice dropping to a gravelly low. 'I might have given it some thought over the years, yeah..and I'm sure that if we try to do this without you, the whole thing goes up in flames before the first rehearsal. You're our insurance policy, I believe you're the only one who can keep Liam and I grounded'

He leaned in, his eyes locking onto hers with almost terrifying intensity. 'You want a guarantee? I'll put it in the contract, but you and I both know you're not here for the money. You're here because you're the only one who can handle me. Now, are we making history, or are you going to keep worrying about the exit strategy?'.

Caroline licked her lips, her heart hammering 'History it is, then, I guess' she whispered, a fierce determination suddenly replacing the momentary hesitation. 'But that contract better be solid enough to withstand another Gallagher-sized fallout' she took a step back from the confusing proximity to her boss. She could still hardly believe that Noel was willing to put the Oasis reunion in motion, but it really seemed to be happening, she was back where she belonged: in the eye of the storm, making sure everyone else stayed dry.

Noel's grin was wide and boyish, a rare flash of the Gallagher brother before the fame and the feuds had hardened him. In a sudden surge of adrenaline and raw affection, he bridged the gap between them and did something he had never dared to do in all their years of working together: he pulled her into a firm, sweeping hug.

The moment his arms folded around her, the air left her lungs in a sharp, involuntary hiss 'Awww', she winced, her entire body stiffening against the pressure on her bruised ribs.

Noel's face fell instantly, her cry of pain cutting through his excitement like a knife. 'oh hell... Caro,' he whispered, 'I'm so sorry' he instantly let go of her and retreated two full steps, shoving his hands deep into his pockets as if to keep them from reaching out again. The "Chief" was back, his face a mask of rigid, professional stoicism, but the frantic pulse in his neck betrayed him.

'Right. Sorry. Professional boundaries and all that,' he muttered, his voice regaining that familiar, dry Noel Gallagher rasp. He looked everywhere but at her, 'I got ahead of myself..it's a lot of adrenaline.' The silence that followed was heavy, the air still humming with the ghost of that hug. Caroline could see some internal battle behind his eyes 'You should probably get some rest,' he said, his tone clipped and efficient, as if he were reading from a tour itinerary.

'I really need to sit down, and calm down, you're right' she gave him a weak but painful smile, but that hug however brief and painful, had made her heart beat just that little bit faster..'and you're also right about the adrenaline part, this insomniac can't possibly go to sleep now, besides I can tell something's eaten away at you, Noel, did something happen before you came here? Want to talk about it?'

'You always could see through the bravado, couldn't you?' he muttered, finally finding the courage to actually touch her as he saw her struggling again. He placed a steadying hand under her elbow, his touch feather-light as he guided her toward the couch. The heat from his palm seeped through her oversized sweater, and for a moment, the sharp sting in her side was eclipsed by the sheer intensity of having him so close again.

Hang on! What was all that about? No, no, no, get a grip Caro, this is just the painkillers talking, your feelings towards him are not changing, no, never have, never will, and that is the end of it. Right. Exactly. Just the adrenaline, she told herself in an internal mantra while she settled into the couch, her breath hitching as she tried to ignore the way her skin hummed where he had touched her.

Noel didn't let go immediately. His hand lingered on her elbow, his knuckles grazing the fabric of her sweater. 'It's home..' he admitted, his voice dropping to a vulnerable rasp. 'It's Sara...The arguments..the accusations..they've reached a point where I'm starting to believe we can't come back from, that house..every day it feels more and more like a tomb..I think she and I are done, Caro..'

He looked as if he were waiting for her to push him away or pull him closer, the air between them thick with a truth that had nothing to do with contracts or stadium tours. He wanted to confess that he'd been subconsciously writing love songs about her for a while, but the fear of how she would react, held him back.

Caroline's heart hammered against her ribs, every professional boundary she had spent years constructing was almost dissolving in the intensity of his gaze. She looked up at him, not at The Chief, the Britrock legend, or her employer, but at the man who looked like he'd been walking through a storm for years and had finally found a light in the window.

'Well..you know I'm a good listener, Noel,' Caroline said, her voice a calm harbor as she patted the empty space beside her, inviting him to sit and to spill the beans about his troubles.

Noel didn't hesitate this time. He sank into the seat, the expensive fabric of his jacket brushing against her arm, and for the next hour, he spoke about the fractures in his marriage that had started long before the world noticed and that he had always kept hidden, even for his family. He described the "long, slow goodbye" of the last few years, with Sara escaping to Ibiza whenever she could, the arguments that felt like loops and the heavy silence that ruled their North London home.

Caroline remained a steady presence, offering him the liberty to be messy and vulnerable without the fear of a tabloid leak.

Finally, as the energy in the room settled into a somber quiet, Caroline took a breath and looked at him.

'I'm..shocked..to say the least, I knew things weren't all unicorns and roses but I really had no idea things were this bad between you two, Noel.. she said gently. 'But that being said, I really don't think you can or should end a twenty-year chapter in a moment of exhaustion. I honestly believe you should go back home today..get some rest first and then talk to Sara, tell her how you feel, take her out somewhere where it's just the two of you..you've shared a life with her, so you must go and see if there's any bridges left to build or to mend. At least then you'll know if you've tried every single option before you can even take a decision of ending things and walking away for good.'

Noel looked at her, searching her eyes for a moment before nodding slowly. 'Always the voice of reason, aren't you?' he rasped, a faint, tired smile touching his lips.

'Always,' she replied, her own smile small and bittersweet. She watched him stand, the heavy silence of the room returning as he reached for his coat. He looked older in this light, stripped of the rock-star bravado, but there was a flicker of resolve in his eyes that hadn't been there an hour ago.

'Ok, I'll go,' he said, pausing at the door, 'But are you sure you'll be alright?' was it hesitation in his voice or was he just exhausted from another sleepless night? 'I'll be just fine..don't worry about me' she lied with a smile and with a final, lingering look, he was gone, leaving Caroline alone with the echoes of his confession and the daunting reality of her own advice.

She had sent him back to his wife because it was the professional "right" thing to do, but as she heard the distant click of the front door, she felt her heart ache, oh come on, don't be such a stupid cow, thinking you could actually feel something for your employer..it's just not possible and it never will be so lock your heart like you always do and throw away the key, simple as that!