Total pages in book: 215
Estimated words: 199344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 997(@200wpm)___ 797(@250wpm)___ 664(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 199344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 997(@200wpm)___ 797(@250wpm)___ 664(@300wpm)
Creeping out of the bathroom, I make my way to the stairs, following the sound of voices coming from the entryway. As I reach the top of the stairs, his eyes come to mine, and his whole face lights up as though he’s never been so happy in his life. Every fearful thought of this constant dizziness and lack of energy fades away, leaving nothing but him.
A wide, booming smile breaks across my face, and I want nothing more than to throw myself down the stairs. “Look who the cat dragged in,” I tease, inching my foot down the first step, only to come to a startling halt, agony blasting through my hip.
A pained whimper slips through my lips before I get a chance to stop it, and I watch as Noah’s brows furrow, his smile fading away, replaced with pure concern. “What’s wrong?” he rushes out, already halfway up the stairs as Mom peers around Noah’s big frame from the bottom of the stairs.
His hands are on me in seconds, roaming over me as he tries to figure out what the hell could have happened in the last ninety seconds.
“It’s nothing,” I tell him, catching his hands and bringing them to a stop in front of me before he accidentally touches my hip. “Just a little water on the bathroom floor. I slipped and rammed my hip into the sink, but I’m fine.”
The second the word hip comes out of my mouth, he pulls his hands free from mine and grips my shirt, easing it up before slipping his fingers into the waistband of my shorts and pulling down the edge of it. He takes a look, and as I see the way his eyes widen, my heart races, regretting not waiting a second to check it for myself. “How bad is it?”
“Fuck, Zo. You need ice.”
“Shit.”
When Noah tells you an injury needs ice, that means it’s borderline catastrophic. At this point, I should avoid looking down because I probably don’t even have a hip left. Noah is usually the type to just shake it off. He thinks Band-Aids are a waste of time and bruises are a trophy of whatever ridiculous thing you did to earn them.
“I leave you alone for two fucking seconds,” he mutters under his breath, letting the rest of the sentence trail off. With that, his arm curls around my back, and just when I think he’s about to help me hobble all the way to the bottom, he scoops me up against his wide chest, lifting me off the ground.
I loop my arms around his neck, and he walks me right to the bottom, not stopping until he’s lowering me on the couch. Then before I can even say thank you, he’s in the kitchen, rifling through the freezer for ice.
He gets me sorted out, and it’s not long before Mom calls Aunt Maya, deciding that tonight we’ll have our own kind of party. Dinner is served, and as Mom and Aunt Maya lose themselves to three bottles of wine, Noah sits with me on the couch, holding me against his chest as Hazel finally explodes and tells us all about this boy at school who is absolutely not worth her time.
The hours pass far too quickly, and when I’m falling asleep on the couch, Noah lets out a sigh and scoops me up. “Mmmmm,” I groan. “What are you doing?”
“Taking you to bed,” he tells me as I snuggle in, more than content with staying right here. “I don’t need to go back until Sunday afternoon, so I’ll be sneaking back through your window first thing in the morning.”
“Okay, but just so you know, Hope and I are sneaking out tomorrow night to smoke a joint in the park.”
Noah sputters and gapes at me as he makes his way up the stairs, and all I can do is grin. “Tell me you’re lying.”
“Like you’ve never done it,” I scoff.
“That’s beside the point,” he says, but as I snuggle back in and close my eyes, he just shakes his head. “Guess it’s time that Hope and I have a little chat.”
And with that, he lowers me into my bed and presses a gentle kiss to my lips. “Love you, Zo,” he murmurs. “Sleep tight.”
39
Zoey
Storm clouds roll in early on Monday morning as I sit up in my bed, staring out the window with my hands shaking. Noah didn’t end up leaving until after dinner last night, and I’m so grateful that he stayed, but I also hope he doesn’t get in trouble for being tired at training today.
As for me, I’ve never been so tired.
I didn’t sleep. Last night wasn’t great. I was lethargic again, barely able to keep myself up to really be here in the moment with Noah, but my body just didn’t feel right. I needed to lay down, needed to pass out, and when the dizziness returned, I forced myself to yawn and watched with a broken heart as he put me to bed and demanded I get some sleep.