Kissing Booth 4ever and Always

8. Damn These Broken Ribs

Hello all! This chapter started out kind of slow, I thought, and I was about to call it quits for the night due to exhaustion, but I powered through and really got into it! I hope you like it! 

**without trying to spoil anything... I think I should put a disclaimer about grown-up content. I mean, Noah and Elle are grown-ups now so...read at your own risk!** 

Back to Elle's POV

Whatever hope I had of getting some rest was dashed by a multitude of nurse checks. One nurse, in particular, flipped the lights on every time she entered the room to check vitals, and I was happy when her shift was over. I felt so guilty that Noah had stayed. I would glance over and see him either asleep sitting up or trying to sleep laying down on the tiniest couch I've ever seen, limbs hanging off the sides and his neck at an awful angle. I'd woken him once around two in the morning by whispering his name.

"Noah, why don't you go home and sleep in a bed. You're going to be so sore tomorrow." But he wouldn't leave. Instead, he got up and walked to the ice maker down the hall to fill my cup up with fresh water.

"It's been six hours since your last pain pill. Do you need another one or do you want Tylenol instead?" he asked, holding the call button ready to summon the nurse. He had always been good at taking care of me, that much was evident, and I fondly remembered the time he doctored my face after I'd fallen in the garage.

It was seven o'clock in the morning now though, and Noah wasn't in the room. I grabbed my phone off the bedside table and gasped at the pain in my ribs. No twisting you idiot! You have broken ribs! I had a few messages from Lee, who was worried about my encounter with Noah yesterday morning. He wondered if that's why I was avoiding him. I sighed and decided that I still wasn't ready to tell him about my accident, or that Noah had come to my aid in my hour of need. I decided that I should let my dad know, and composed a quick text, downplaying the seriousness of it as to avoid a lengthy phone call and lecture about how I never should have gotten on the back of a motorcycle with that Flynn boy. I got brave enough to get out of bed to use the restroom. Thankfully my doctor had given me the okay to walk on my knee so long as I had the brace on. It still hurt like hell though. I examined myself in the mirror of the bathroom and was thoroughly horrified at what I saw. My hair was a rat's nest and there was blood still on my forehead and in my hair. I wet a washcloth and did my best to clean myself up until I could properly bathe at home. As I was walking out, Noah was walking into my room carrying coffee and a bag from my favorite bagel shop, all of which he nearly dropped seeing me up and around.

"Elle what are you doing? You shouldn't be walking around without a nurse or something!"

"The doctor said I can walk on my own as long as I don't twist my leg. I'm doing fine, see?" I said, doing a little jig.

"You shouldn't be so careless."

"Relax, Noah. I'm a big girl now, and you can't tell me what to do."

"That may be so, but I'm the one holding the bagels, and last time I checked, if I hold them alllll the way up here, you can't reach them," he said with a smile, extending his arm above his head, "So I suggest you do as your told, Missy."

Just then, I winced and grabbed my side doubled over in pain. Noah was at my side immediately. I snatched the bag out of his hands faster than his brain could compute what had happened, and I tried to laugh before I remembered my broken ribs and doubled over in pain for real this time.

"Serves you right." he joked but putting his arm around me to walk me back to bed.

We ate in comfortable silence, and a nurse came in to go over my discharge instructions. Noah listened intently as if he would be quizzed over it later and I couldn't help but look at him and revel in how after all these years, such a pure coincidence caused our paths to cross again. And I was glad he was listening so closely to the nurse, because I had zoned out thinking about it all. It was so easy, how he fit back into my life. It was almost as if he had never left. But why, oh why, was he so close yet so far. It really was torturous that he was still dating Hannah and I couldn't just wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him whenever I wanted. Although, I didn't think he would put up much of a fight if I tried that now, but I just couldn't compromise on my rule of not being a homewrecker. I blindly signed the papers for discharge; I wanted out of here.