Page 119 of Chasing Infinity

Noah shrugs and then drops his hands into his lap, out of my view. “They’re fine. Nothing too bad.”

It hits me then that I would be dead along with my parents if Noah hadn’t been there. But here he is, playing off his injuries as if they’re nothing. A deep, sharp pain settles in my belly, but I try my best to push it down.

“Noah,” I start to protest, but he shakes his head, his blue eyes becoming fierce as he holds my gaze.

“Don’t start, Parks. I’m fine. I’m not worried about a few little burns when you’ve been through something as terrible as this.”

“Okay...” my voice trails off because I don’t know what else to say. My entire body still feels numb, and I’m unsure if it’s from the medication they’re giving me or the realization of the events that have transpired. Or maybe a combination of both?

“Your friends are here,” Noah tells me. “I rode over here with Eli and Charlie after the fire last night, and I don’t think either of them has left. Grace made it here earlier this morning too.”

“Are they going to come in?” My heart suddenly feels full, knowing they’re all here for me. My friends are here during my darkest hour when I’m sure they would rather be doing anything else.

“They will. I can get them whenever you want me to. They just wanted to give you a chance to wake up and—” he pauses, clearing his throat. I understand what he was about to say and why he stopped. They didn’t want to be the ones to share the bad news. Or maybe they thought I’d react better if Noah were the one to tell me. I don’t fault them for it. “They didn’t want to interrupt our time together,” he finally settles on as an explanation. I press my lips together, nodding my head at his unspoken words.

“I’m glad you’re here.” I wouldn’t want anyone else at my side right now.

Noah raises his hand and runs it over my cheek, his fingers brushing lightly against my skin. I close my eyes, settling against the pillows at the comforting gesture. My body starts to feel heavy, my middle back aching from throwing up. My eyelids grow sluggish with exhaustion from all my crying in the last few hours, but I am so uncomfortable. As if he can sense my needs, Noah runs his fingers through my hair a few times, and I sigh.

As Noah sits back in his chair, I notice my hair tie on his wrist. It’s bright green and contrasts heavily against his summer-tanned skin. It’s the one I was wearing yesterday before this whole ordeal happened. He catches me watching and then smirks at me.

“Where did you get it?” I question, curious as to how he got it.

“I took it from the nurse. While you were unconscious. They were going to just throw it away and get you a new one, but I wanted to keep it. Green’s my color, don’t you think?”

“I thought it wasmycolor,” I tease him back, referring to the silky green prom dress I wore only a few weeks ago. As I say it, it’s hard for me to grasp that I was blissfully dancing the night away at prom not even a month ago. Now I’m in a hospital, my parents are dead, and I have nothing. Sorrow seeps back into me, inch by inch.

As if sensing my thoughts, Noah leans forward and takes my hand in his, giving it a comforting squeeze. It doesn’t stop the sadness from creeping in, but it’s nice knowing he’s here. “Yes, green is definitely your color. I’ll never forget how amazing you looked in that dress. Like a vision.”

“You didn’t look too shabby yourself,” I respond, a soft smile forming on my lips. I feel like a fraud, smiling and thinking about prom night when my entire life has been turned upside down, but I welcome the fleeting happy thought. My eyelids are becoming heavy again, and I can’t seem to keep them open this time.

Noah’s deep chuckle echoes in my ear, and I register his hand running through my hair again. I settle against my pillow, letting the rhythmic brush of his fingers calm my body. “Get some sleep, Parks. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Noah is true to his word and is still holding vigil by my bedside when I blink my eyes open a few hours later. A glance at the clock tells me I slept for longer than I thought I would. Noah moves over a tray of food for me to pick at, and I send him a grateful smile. Though I hadn’t thought about my hunger before, I now sense a slight rumbling in my stomach, alerting me that I should probably try to eat something. I silently pray that I won’t throw it up again.Please at least grant me not to repeat that nightmare.

“When do you think they’ll let me out of here?” I ask Noah in between bites of a turkey sandwich. I know it’s not the best I’ve ever had, but even the dry bread tastes like the most exquisite meal.

Noah’s eyes move from where they are resting on my lips up to my eyes. The color of his eyes reflects against the bright clinical light of my hospital room as he studies me. “I think they said as long as you’re doing okay, they can send you home tomorrow.”

I gulp down the lump that has formed in my throat.Home.

Picking up on my distress, Noah quickly adds, “I think Grace was saying something about you going with her for a few days. Until everything gets settled.”

I nod my head wordlessly. That will be good. I’ve spent the night with Grace before, so this should be like any other sleepover.

Only I’ll have no family to go back to. My home will feel empty without their voices and laughter filling the void.

I dampen the thought process before I can start spiraling again and turn my attention to Noah. He still looks just as ragged as before, and I frown at him. “Did you sleep too?” He gives me a rueful grin and shakes his head. “Noah, you need to rest. You’ve been through a lot too.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Parks. I’ll rest when I need to, but right now, I feel like you need me more,” he says, his voice firm as he reaches and takes my hand. “Just let me take care of you as best as possible.”

Despite everything, my heart swells with affection for Noah. My lips turn up into a small smile, and right now, there’s nothing I want more than for him to lean forward and kiss me. I feel like it’s been an eternity since I’ve had his lips on mine, even though I’m pretty confident it hasn’t even been a day. I am so grateful that he’s here with me right now.

A gentle knock on the door echoes through my room, and Noah and I look up to see who my newest visitor is. Surprise crashes through my body when I realize it’s Noah’s mother. She steps carefully into the room, looking between Noah and me, her gaze settling on our hands joined together.

“Hey, Mom,” Noah says. His voice sounds weary at the sight of his mother.

Catherine smiles at her son and then looks at me, all her attention honing in on me as she takes in my injuries. “Hello, dear. How are you feeling?”

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