The doctor kept saying how unbelievably lucky Noah was, and I had to agree. By some miracle, he’d only suffered a surface wound from the bullet grazing his ribs. He had a ton of stitches, and he was going to have to take it easy while he recovered, but he was going to be okay. I didn’t know how either of us had walked away from William Hastings relatively unscathed, but I couldn’t have been more grateful.
My father arrived at the hospital just before Noah was discharged. He’d flown straight from Rapid Bay and had almost had to sedate my mom to get her to remain behind. She was in no state to be flying, and it was only when he set Norma on her that Mom finally conceded.
When Matthew saw me in the hospital waiting room, he ran toward me and gathered me in his arms. Having my father hug me, having him wrap his arms around me and pull me close, set my tears off again. It felt like I’d been crying all night, and I was wondering if my well of tears was finally close to running dry.
“You’re okay,” Matthew said. “You’re okay. You’re safe.”
I hugged him tighter.
“I don’t know what I would have done if something had happened to you.” His voice was husky with emotion, and I swallowed down another sob. “This is all my fault. I should have kept better track of William. I should have kept you with us until this was all resolved. I thought posting a security team outside the school would be enough. But, I—”
“You couldn’t know what he was going to do,” I said, cutting him off as I pulled back to look at him. He was struggling to contain his own tears. “This is no one’s fault except William’s.”
I wasn’t sure if he agreed with me, and from the torn look in his eyes, I could tell he was still blaming himself. “I’m just relieved you weren’t hurt,” he said. “I love you so much, Isobel.”
“I love you too.” The words were out of my mouth before I’d had a chance to think them over, and I was surprised to find I actually meant them. I wasn’t sure when I’d begun to love my father, but the feeling had snuck up on me, and there was no denying that he had a place in my heart right beside my mom.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” I added.
“I’m glad I’m here too.” I’d thought Matthew might be uncomfortable with the way we were pouring out our feelings, but as he hugged me to his chest once more, I could tell how deeply he was experiencing every emotion we shared.
I stayed in his arms until my tears stopped running down my face. I never would have guessed my father was much of a hugger, but his embrace was comforting and filled with the love we’d only just expressed to each other.
I didn’t feel awkward when I stepped from his grasp. If anything, I felt a little surer of myself. A little stronger. And I felt like perhaps now everything would be okay.
Once Noah was discharged, Matthew drove us from the hospital. He insisted Noah and I stay at his home in Weybridge that night. He didn’t want to take us back to school so late, and I wasn’t sure I was ready to return there just yet either. The thought of going back to the place where William had shot Noah wasn’t something I could fathom right now. I was going to struggle to walk through the school courtyard without remembering what happened there for the rest of the year.
Despite my exhaustion, I struggled to sleep, and I sat on my bedroom balcony, snuggled under a blanket on the couch out there as I looked over the gardens. It was dark, but soft lights highlighted the trees that were dotted throughout the grounds, and the rest of the property was bathed in moonlight.
It was strange to sit here, feeling so at home, when just a few months ago I’d wanted nothing more than to escape the confines of this room in Matthew’s mansion. My life had changed so much in such a short amount of time, but of all the things I’d gained, there was only one that really mattered to me: my family and my friends. I felt so lucky to have them. To have a father I loved, friends I couldn’t do without, and a boyfriend who cared about me so much he would take a bullet for me.
I’d come here with a broken, fractured heart, but now it felt so big and full it might just burst at those repaired seams.
There was a light knock at my bedroom door, and I glanced up. “Come in,” I called out.
The door creaked open to reveal Noah. He was dressed in a set of gray sweats. I had no idea how Matthew owned anything large enough to fit him, and I wondered if perhaps he had a stockpile of clothing on hand for whenever he had guests.
“You’re supposed to be in bed resting,” I said.
“Couldn’t sleep.”
“Yeah, me neither.”
Noah shut the door behind him and came to join me on the balcony. His skin was still pale, and there were bags under his eyes. He looked like he’d been through hell, and yet somehow, he still managed a smile for me. He sat on the couch beside me, pulling my feet onto his lap.
“Are you in pain?” I asked.
“You kidding? I got all the good drugs tonight.”
I chuckled. I was surprised I was able to laugh at all after the night we’d just endured. After the weeks of chaos we’d been through.
Noah lifted his arm, gesturing for me to come closer. I smiled and shuffled to place my head on his chest, making sure to stay clear of the wound on his other side. He wrapped his arm around me, and my head fit so perfectly between his shoulder and his neck it felt like that space had been carved out just for me.
It was hard to fully relax as he held me close. “Tonight’s the third time you’ve ended up in a hospital because of me,” I said.
“And I’d make the same choices all over again if I had to,” he murmured.
“Still, I hate that it was my fault.”
“You aren’t to blame for any of this,” Noah growled. “My grandfather has a lot to answer for. If one small positive came from tonight, it’s that he’ll be spending a long time behind bars for what he’s done.”
“It doesn’t feel like enough,” I said.
“No, and it probably never will,” Noah agreed. “But I think it will help me sleep better at night knowing that he can’t hurt you or anyone else.”
“True.”
I glanced up and found Noah staring down at me, a gentle look in his eyes. “I have a confession,” he said.
“Okay…”
“I didn’t come in here to talk about my grandfather.”
“Fair enough.” I didn’t particularly want to talk about William either. “Was there something you did want to talk about?”
“Nothing. Everything. Honestly, I just wanted to be close to you.” Noah let out a sigh as he considered the door. “I know I’m supposed to be resting, but I’m really struggling to be away from you right now.”
“Yeah, me too.” It felt like a part of me was missing when he wasn’t at my side, and I worried too much about him when he was gone. I’d been so awake and alert before he’d entered my room, but since he’d arrived, I felt calmer. I was safe with him by my side, and it was the first time all night I’d thought sleep was even a possibility.
“Would you stay here with me tonight?” I asked. “I know Matthew would probably freak, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to get any rest without you next to me.”
Noah swallowed.
“You don’t have to say yes if you don’t want.” I stumbled over my words when he didn’t respond right away. “I know you probably want to sleep in your own bed so you can recover.”
“No,” he replied. “No, I want nothing more than to be here with you. It just took me a moment to reply because I can’t believe this is real. That you’re in my arms and asking me to stay. Holding you is what I dreamed about when we weren’t together, and I just can’t believe you’re really mine.”
“I’m finding it hard to believe this is real too,” I admitted.
He gave me a small smile. “You told me you loved me tonight.”
“Because I do,” I replied. “You said it too. And then you proved it when you jumped in front of a bullet for me.”
“Well, if I’d known all I had to do was jump in front of a bullet to prove my love for you, I would have done it sooner.” He laughed but quickly stopped and put his hand to his injured torso.
I might have laughed with him, but the reminder he was injured stayed my lips. I hated he’d been hurt. That his life had been in danger.
“Please promise me you won’t ever do that again.”
“I can’t do that, Crash. I’m always going to be there to catch you when you fall. But, I have to admit, as fun as it is to rescue you on a weekly basis, I’m really hoping that your brushes with death have come to an end now my grandfather is in custody.”
“I really hope so too,” I agreed.
He lifted a hand and gently brushed his thumb against my cheek. “I have a feeling we’ll be okay.” He lowered his lips to mine in a soft and sweet kiss. Our kisses had always been passionate before, but this one made me feel like I was truly adored. I wanted to hold him tighter. To kiss until we were breathless and my mind was completely muddled, but we had time to kiss that way tomorrow or the day after that. It seemed too much to imagine it, but I had a feeling we’d get a lifetime of those kisses.
I pulled back, trying to give him space as our embrace grew more heated. “We don’t have to kiss right now. You’re hurt…”
“Don’t have to kiss?” Noah actually looked offended. “Do you have any idea how many times I’ve thought about this moment? I had big plans to sweep you off your feet. Clearly, that’s not going to happen right now, but my lips aren’t broken, and I’m more than happy to prove it to you.”
“Hmm,” I replied. “I could probably do with some convincing…”
He grinned as his lips found mine once more, and he firmly erased any doubts he might not be up to it. Despite everything we’d been through, it didn’t feel like the end of something terrible. When I was with Noah like this, it felt like the start of something great.
