Chapter 30
The rain continued on an off for several hours as Nora familiarized herself with the treehouse. Hayden's eyes watched her like a hawk as the girl moved around and touched everything in the place. Somehow, in between talking about the rain and reading poems from a small book on the shelf, Nora and Hayden ended up on the daybed, laid out beside one another with the window behind them and the sound of rain on tree leaves.
"Do you think there are aliens?" Nora asked as she watched Hayden turn the page in the book.
"Maybe," Hayden said, reading each word on the page with extreme caution so that his mind wouldn't focus on the way Nora's chest rose and fell in a steady beat.
"There has to be," Nora said, playing with the ruffles of her shirt in her stomach. "I mean....I'm here beside a half jinn and half fey. An alien doesn't seem like such a crazy idea."
"Is this what you think about all day?" Hayden smiled.
"No," Nora rolled her eyes. "I was just asking."
"Can I stop the rain now?"
"No."
"Nora," Hayden said patiently. "I'm sure the stream is overflowing by now."
"It's going to get so quiet if it stops running," Nora's face wilted.
Hayden caught the change from the corner of his eyes and slowly pushed himself up to his elbows. He looked down at the girl beside him, wondering how she couldn't understand the beauty of how the woods held its breath.
"Why don't you like it when it's quiet?" He asked.
"I just don't," Nora shrugged.
"But why?"
"It's boring," Nora sat up. "There's nothing to do in silence."
"But isn't that a good thing?"
"No," Nora shook out her hair.
"Maybe you'll like it here."
"Hayden," Nora looked up. "Don't."
"You haven't even tried to sit still for ten minutes and just breath," Hayden laughed. "Meditation is very good for the mind."
"I don't need to try it."
"Come on, Nora," Hayden nudged her with the back of his hand. "You might like it. It's very calming and c-"
"I don't want to try it!" Nora jumped up from the bed. "Jesus! Why are you so pushy?"
"I'm just trying to get you to try something new," Hayden arched a brow. "Why are you acting like a child?"
"I'm not acting like a child," Nora narrowed her eyes.
"You're being very stubborn over something very simple."
"It's not very simple and you are being stubborn too," Nora huffed. "I don't want to do this."
"Why not?"
"I don't have to tell you."
"Because you're stubborn."
"No!" Nora's brows knit together. Her heart had started to race and breathing was becoming a challenge. "Because! .... My mom.....my mom died."
Hayden felt his heart contract as he heard the way Nora's voice cracked. He sat up and scooted to the edge of the day bed. Reaching out, he took Nora's hand and tugged her forward.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"She...." Nora looked down at their hands. "She passed away in the middle of the night. I was beside her....I didn't know....I slept beside her all night and didn't know."
