Dirty Pretty Words

CHAPTER 30

ELLE'S POV

TWO MONTHS LATER

It was the day of the Grand Musical Competition.

The hum of the auditorium buzzed in my ears, but I barely registered it over the pounding of my heart. My palms were clammy, slick with sweat, fingers twitching against the silk of my dress as I paced behind the curtain. My breath came out uneven, shallow. The kind of anxious energy that always crept up before a performance was crawling under my skin.

Ding.

The sound sliced through my nerves like a lifeline.

I fumbled for my phone, swiping it open with trembling fingers.

Noah: “We’re almost there.”

My lungs finally expanded. He was coming.

Noah was coming—with my mom.

He’d been gone the whole week, away in L.A. for his father’s company’s anniversary. I’d tried to act like it didn’t bother me, like I didn’t need him there. But the truth? I needed him. I wanted him beside me for this. He knew it. And he promised—no matter what—he’d be here.

He said I could throw his favorite sneakers in a fire if he missed it. I threatened to write a breakup song just for him. We’d laughed about it, but I meant every word.

And my mom? She’d taken the day off work. First time in forever. Said she wouldn’t miss this for anything.

I swallowed the knot rising in my throat.

But then... minutes ticked by. Then more. The buzzing crowd grew louder. The emcee's voice boomed faintly as another name was announced. My name.

I was next.

Noah still wasn’t picking up.

I stared at my screen, at the empty “Delivered” text bubble, willing it to light up again. Nothing. My fingers curled around the phone before I slowly slipped it into my bag. My legs moved before I could stop them, one foot in front of the other, toward the stage and into the light.

My chest felt like it might cave in. Every breath fought against a wave of disappointment.

“LOOK!”

A voice rang out from the crowd.

Gasps. Murmurs. A ripple of excitement moved like a wave through the room. I froze, eyes darting across the audience.

Then I saw it.

A giant white cardboard sign held high in the air.

“I, Noah Roth, love you Elle WillSmith. FIGHTING!”

Time stopped, and my mouth fell open in a soft gasp.

There he was. Noah. Standing tall and grinning, shoulder to shoulder with my mom, who waved like she’d just won the lottery. Their eyes were locked on me, bursting with pride. My knees wobbled.

I hadn’t even opened my mouth to sing, and yet there he stood, making me feel like I’d already won everything.

A tear slipped down my cheek before I could stop it.

For someone who used to make a sport of tormenting me in the hallways, Noah Roth had turned into the person who held me up the most. Two months of being his girlfriend, and he still found ways to make me feel like I mattered.

No one whispered about me anymore when I passed by. No sideways glances. No mocking laughter. Just knowing smiles. Acknowledgment. Because of him. Because of me. Because of this love I hadn’t expected—but couldn’t imagine losing.

I stepped into the center of the stage.

The lights heated my skin, grounding me. I raised the microphone to my lips, took a breath, and let go.

🎵 Love came like a whisper I didn’t expect…

It found me in silence, it made my heart deflect…

From fear to fire, from shy to shine…

I found you—and I found mine. 🎵

I let the music carry everything I’d ever felt. The ache of loneliness. The warmth of healing. The terrifying, beautiful discovery of love that arrived like a storm and rebuilt me from the pieces it found.

My voice didn’t shake.

I sang with all of me.

When the final note faded, there was a moment of stillness.

Then a thunderous applause. A standing ovation, chairs scraping back, and whistles. Cheers.

I blinked, dazed, as I stepped back. The names of the other contestants were being called now, but it was all a blur. I barely heard them. I was the last one. My nerves returned like a punch to the gut as the host approached with a golden envelope in hand.

I gripped the hem of my gown like it was the only thing tethering me to the ground.

And then I saw them again.

More signs.

“You deserve every goodness that comes your way, Elle — Noah Roth.”

And beside it, my mom’s.

“You’re going places, Elle. Your father visited me last night in my dream. He’s so proud of you. — Mom.”

My breath caught. My throat tightened.

Tears spilled freely this time.

The host tapped the mic. “And the winner of the Grand Musical Competition is…”

He opened the envelope slowly.

“The writer of the song… Love is a Beautiful Thing.”

I froze

That was my song. My story. I collapsed to my knees. The roar of the crowd became a wave crashing over me.

Then arms, familiar and safe, reached out to me. I glanced up to see Noah, Lucas and my mom. Noah lifted me, spun me in a circle, then pressed his lips to my forehead.

“You did it,” he whispered. “I told you. Good things come to good people. You deserve this, my darling.”

And when he kissed me, right there, under the lights and cheers, I knew I had found my voice, I had found my strength.

And I had found love.

THE END.