Summer 010

Chapter 12, Part 2: Sky full of stars

"You're okay?" He asks as I leave the bathroom.

Noah got back earlier with pads, underwear, PJs, and painkillers. After he left, I vomited several times. I ended up showering, and although I feel slightly better, I'm still nauseous.

"I don't know, I'm a bit nauseous and cold. It's probably because of my period."

Noah opens his mouth to say something, but then looks lost in thoughts. "Amy?"

"Yeah?"

"Did someone- did someone put something in your drink?"

I gulp as my stomach clenches. "I'm not sure... I just did shots."

His eyes close as if he's having a fucking hell moment. Unfortunately, my neurons don't seem to be working much right now. I feel light-weighted, almost like I'm floating.

"At least you vomited several times; it's probably out of your system."

The alcohol in my system makes it easier to speak. "I'm sorry, Noah. I feel like I'm causing you a headache."

I sit on my bed while he leans against the door. He smiles softly at me, making my heart skip a beat. "You are."

I feel a rush of adrenaline pump through me. "Noah?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you - did you only help because Dad asked you to?" My voice is small.

He stares back at me with those stray green eyes of his. I can tell that he's thinking of saying the right thing because that's always what he does: he thinks, thinks, and thinks.

"No. No, I didn't," He gulps. "You scared the shit out of me, you know that?"

He cares, and I'm an idiot.

"I didn't mean to. I just wanted to piss you off."

"Yeah, you did that too."

When I grin at him, he bites back a smile. I stop him as he turns to leave. "Noah, wait."

"Yeah?"

"Stay," I breathe out.

And I know that I'm crazy for asking him to stay because for God's sake, we're two adults and I've got to get myself together. But I'm emotional and lonely and drunk.

Maybe if he stayed, he'd scare my nightmares away.

Noah looks decomposed for a second, his lips are slightly parted, and he's looking at me like he knows that it's wrong because it is. We shouldn't, not after what we did to her.

But it's almost two am, the world is asleep, and we're our most vulnerable selves when no one else is watching.

He takes slow steps before sitting on the couch next to my bed.

"I'm sorry for mentioning your mom, Amy."

My stomach clenches.

"I know that you don't like to talk about her. But your dad worries about you because he doesn't want anything to happen to you too," He says softly.

"Yeah, well, if he gave them the money that they asked for, nothing would have happened to her."

"That's not fair, Amelia. They would have just asked for more."

I let out a long exhale. "I don't want to talk about it."

He nods understandingly before laying on the couch.

"Good night," I whisper softly before closing my eyes. But just as I'm about to fall asleep, I think that I hear him say, "What the hell am I going to do with you?"