Page 46 of After All This Time

I head into the kitchen to see what we can have for dinner.

He follows me, leaning against the entryway and crossing his arms in front of his chest. “What are you doing?”

“If you must know, I’m trying to find something we can make for dinner.”

“Hey, if you stare at the contents of the fridge long enough, maybe something will jump out at you.”

I glare at him. “Or maybe you could come help me find shit instead of standing there and doing absolutely nothing?”

“Nah, watching you get frustrated is one of my favorite activities.”

I close the fridge. “Do you realize how close I am to punching you in the face?”

“Do you realize arguing with me isn’t going to help you figure out what we should eat for dinner? We’re wasting precious time.”

God, I’m not going to survive this. Maybe I should just hit myself in the head with the flashlight.

I let out a deep exhale. “Really? I had no idea. Seriously, be a good boy, and come help me find something we can make for dinner.”

His face lights up as he takes a moment to take in what I asked him to do for me. “Fine,” he says.

Opening the freezer, I hear a loud thump.

What the hell was that?

When I close it, Noah’s glaring at me. “Next time, look behind you to see if someone’s following you!”

I scrunch my face. “Shit.”

“What?”

“Your forehead.”

“What about my forehead?” He waits for me to respond. “What the hell is wrong with my forehead, Solomon?”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

noah

Dani rushes me into her bathroom, so she can clean up my wound.

I’m sitting down on the floor and my eyes are tightly shut. I’m trying so hard not to focus on the pain, but it hurts so much. There’s a decent-sized gash on my forehead and it won’t stop bleeding.

I’m in so much fucking pain right now.

She sits down in front me with her legs sticking straight out. “Lean into me.”

I don’t make eye contact with her, but I lean closer to her. My entire body is shaking.

“Hold still.” She takes the damp washcloth, dabbing it on the cut to slow the bleeding.

“It’s hard to hold still when I feel like I just got hit in the face by a freezer door. Oh wait…I did!”

She scoffs. “You’re so fucking dramatic.”

“I’m fucking dramatic? Right. And you aren’t?” I huff, plastering a fake smile on my face. “Hi, I’m Dani. And I cried my ass off?—”

She cuts me off. “I dare you to finish that sentence.”