Beautifully Obsessed

Chapter Twenty: Hope is a four letter word

03-10-2021

Some bonding between Embry and Noah, and a little history behind how Evelyn ended up with James. I found the attached song befitting for Noah, feel free to listen! 

I hope you enjoy,

-Aphrodite

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"Let me take all your pain away"

Have you ever felt lost within yourself, as if you were drowning in a constant state of eternal agony? In those moments, hope is one of the rarest things you could come across, so when somebody offers you that sliver of hope you had been aching for, does it make you insane to accept it? Even if you were seeking hope from the person who stole it from you.

Even if it meant letting down those who cared about you? "Noah?" I queried through my silent crying. "I think I've gone crazy" I whispered vulnerably. "I think you've gone through some crazy things, but I don't think you're crazy, I think you're reacting in a very human way" he spoke gently.

We remained in our seated position of lying against each other, often letting silence surround us. I could feel the words on the tip of my tongue, 'do you think things could go back to the way they were before, before the threats and the violence', but my parents thought I was dead and I had his initials burnt onto my skin so I think I already knew the answer to that.

Instead I settled on asking, "why don't you like your dad?" I craved to hold onto the current feeling of safety and peace I was feeling. There was no need for my heart to race with fear or my throat to close up. My tears were drying up, Noah's previous words slightly comforting to me.

"Who said I didn't like my dad?" he inquired, seemingly amused at my question. "You aren't the only one who knows a lot about somebody else Noah James Hill" a faint smile graced my face as his full name slipped unconsciously through my lips. He breathed out a small laugh, "touché".

"He hasn't been a very good father to put it lightly" his voice sounded pained as he began to open up. "It was never really about my mother wanting me to go to a normal school, she just wanted me away from this house. She couldn't save Sebastian because he was my father's heir to the business being the oldest son, so she sent me to live with my aunt to get away from my father's beatings."

My stomach dropped at his words, but this time not in fear for myself but more for him. Lifting my head I turned to face him, seeing his eyes glossy, I let him continue his story, offering him comfort by taking his hand in mine.

"He is a perfectionist in simple terms, if one of us messed something up we would get hit with his belt, mother included, then it just became a way for him to let off steam. I remember one time when I had come back here for the summer at the age of ten, I had done something he didn't like. God I can't even remember what it was but he locked me down here in this room for three days without food or water."

I couldn't help the gasp that left my lips, Noah was by no means a saint but such cruelty towards anyone made me feel sick to my stomach. "I'm sorry" my voice wobbled as I stalled the tears knowing I had no right to cry in this situation.

Pulling me onto his lap, I sat facing him as he placed his head against my chest. My arms wrapping around his head knowing he needed this physical comfort.

"It's okay, because I had this amazing best friend who I knew I would get to return to after summer, so I spent those three days coming up with ideas of fun games we could play together" he whispered, his hot breath hitting off my skin.