Fragile

Chapter 7

"Only you would fall into a pool during a swim meet and get sick," Kiera tsked as she removed the thermometer from my mouth. "You have a fever." 

My eyes widened. "That's bad, right?" 

"Just rest here and you should be fine. I'll pick up some medicine after class." With a maternal gaze she tucked my blanket up to my chin and adjusted my pillow. "No leaving the dorm, understood? There's water right here and food and the bathroom." 

Tears pricked my eyes. "I'm sorry." 

"What're you sorry for?" 

I squeezed my eyes shut. "I don't know, I just am." 

She sighed. "You don't need to apologize. That's what friends are for. I am admittedly jealous you got saved by the hottest guy on campus-" 

I groaned and covered my face with the blanket, making her laugh. "I don't want to remember how embarrassing I was." 

"If I knew Noah Pierce was the lifeguard on duty, I would've fallen in the water too." Her voice was dreamy. "God, he looked like wet sex. I don't even know what wet sex entails, but he definitely is." 

My cheeks burned hot. She was right, Noah soaking wet was a sight to see. His already fitted shirt clung to his wet muscles, which were taunt and flexed as he had hovered over me. His wet hair fell forward, water droplets dripping onto my cheeks. His pink lips were parted, his jaw flexed. He looked animalistic and gentle at the same time, if that was even possible. 

There it was again, that burning in my core. "I'm sorry," I mumbled from under the comforter. 

She patted my leg over the comforter. "Don't apologize, I'm teasing. I'll be back later, okay? Get some rest." 

Guilt tugged at my heart once more as she gently closed the door and headed off to class. I had a poor immune system, so it only made sense I would catch a cold after falling into the pool. Thankfully, it wasn't so uncommon for normal people to have weak immune systems like me, so I wasn't questioned on it. I also surprisingly wasn't questioned about my inability to swim. 

I felt the urge to call Nurse Lucy. While the nurse wasn't in any way obligated to counsel me, she was the only person I knew for advice. My mother was locked away somewhere, and in the time I stayed in the hospital, Nurse Lucy was the only person I ever spoke to. She was kind and she constantly brought me "staple movies" and books and magazines that other teenage girls liked. She would always tell me that I still had a shot at living a good life. That the world was scary, but it was also beautiful. and one day I would be able to find the beauty too. 

When I lived in the basement, I didn't have many belongings. The cement floors were always cold, and I was always wrapped in layers. I had an old stained mattress where I slept with bunches of blankets piled in a heap on top. I had stuffed animals that were old and worn from use. Nothing hard or sharp, as it was hazardous. 

It would amaze many that I didn't go completely insane down there. And maybe in some ways I did, but what really entertained me every day was the prison sized window that showed the street. It was barely level with the ground, so I could only see footsteps. Day and night the sounds of the city were the only noises that came through the tiny opening. My mother had blocked it off initially, so I discovered the opening by accident. But after that, it became my biggest escape and secret. It was my only outlet to the outside world. 

A knock on the door startled me from my nostalgia. Stumbling out of bed, I got whoozy from getting up too fast. I leaned against the wall and turned the nob. "Did you forget-" 

The person at the door was not Kiera. A broad chest gently pushed past me and closed the door. "Why aren't you in bed?" Hazel eyes bore into mine. 

"W-why are you here?" I blinked rapidly, unsure if I had developed some sort of hallucination. Why was Noah Pierce in my dorm?

"What, only you get to barge in my room whenever you like?" his tone was teasing, but his eyes looked weary. "Lay down." 

I jerked away from him, nearly falling in the process. "Get out, you pervert!" 

Noah didn't seem fazed by my outburst. In fact, he rolled his eyes. "I'm not trying to come onto you." 

"T-then..." 

"If I wanted to have my way with you, don't you think I would've done so by now?" 

It was true. If he had wanted to assault me, he had the chance when I was drugged at the party. He also had a chance when I stupidly went to his dorm. Even when he had pulled me out of the water, he was strangely gentle and even wrapped me in a towel. 

He sighed, gently pulling my forearm. "At least sit down." 

I reluctantly sat on my bed and watched as he took my desk chair and pulled it across from me to sit. Only then did I notice a small grocery bag. 

"Fever reducer," he handed me a small pill bottle. "only take one." 

I obeyed, surprised at how easily I had trusted him. Sure, the bottle was legit, but he had opportunity to switch out the pills. If he wanted to hurt you he would have done so already. 

"Thanks," I whispered. "You didn't have to." 

He shrugged. "Consider it aftercare as a lifeguard." 

"Right," I recalled. "Why didn't you say you were a lifeguard?" 

"You didn't ask." 

"I asked why you were at the swim meet." 

"I didn't think I needed to explain myself," he said. 

I scrunched my nose in confusion. "Do you like to be misunderstood?" 

"What do you mean?" 

"I mean," I took a deep breath. "Everyone thinks you're super mean and standoffish. You don't like clubs-" 

"I don't." 

"-or school activities-" 

"I don't." 

"-anyways," I narrowed my eyes at his interruptions. "Why do you let people think you're a bad person?" 

The corners of his mouth upturned. "I don't care what others think of me. If they misunderstand, that's not my problem." 

"But... aren't you lonely?" 

"being lonely doesn't have anything to do with how many friends you have," he said. "I'm not lonely, I'm just enjoying life by myself. And I'm talking to you, aren't I?" 

Even as he spoke, however, a flash of none other than loneliness swam in his eyes before vanishing again. For the first time, Noah Pierce looked very vulnerable, very human. I wondered if I was the only person who had seen that. 

He smiled and got to his feet. "Next time you go to a swim meet, avoid the actual pool. I don't always lifeguard every meet." 

"Y-you're leaving?" I mentally facepalmed the second the words left my mouth. 

"You want me to stay?" 

"N-no," I lied. "I-I just..." 

"You can find me whenever. You know where my room is anyway," he winked and opened my door. "Get some sleep, Fay." 

I was left stunned, and for a moment I wondered if Noah showing up really ever happened. But looking down at the bottle of pills in my hand, I knew there was no denying it. 

Noah Pierce was dangerous enough to give me a heart attack at 18.