Unholy | Noah Sebastian

|Chapter Twenty-Six|

Noah wasn't in the Gray. Not that night, not the next night, not any night since. I haven't seen Noah in almost a month. I haven't stopped wracking my brain, trying to find something, anything to help him. However, I hadn't come up with anything to help him.

Nick was no help, just taking up space. Miraculously, no one had tried to harm me in that time, probably because the nuisance was locked up in my head. She would die with me, and I was okay with that revelation.

"You have to go to work," Nick tells me, I can tell he's trying to be stern, but he doesn't wear it well.

"Why?" I argue, it's not like anything matters anymore.

"Fine, you don't have to go to work. Just- take a shower, please," I took my last shower before the last time I went into the office. Both instances had been several days ago.

"What's the point?" I ask, all the life has been drained out of me.

"You smell really bad," he rolls his eyes.

"Fuck off," I say, not looking up from my kindle. My tastes had always been darker, but I had stopped reading smut altogether. I just wanted to read twisted tales full of gore and blood.

Nick smacks my kindle out of my hand before hoisting me up and over his shoulder.

"What the fuck? Put me down!" I demand, beating on his back. Nick ignores me as he sets me down unceremoniously in my shower. "I get it, asshole," I roll my eyes at him. He doesn't say anything as he turns on the water, cold water rains down on me and my sweats are soaked in seconds. I shriek trying to get away from the water. I try to push the door open, but somehow it's sealed shut and I know it's Nick's doing. "Asshole!"

"Yes, it seems that's the only word you know drama queen," he disappears and comes back a moment later with what I assume are clean clothes. "He wouldn't want this," he mutters before walking out and closing the bathroom door behind him.

Hot tears stream down my face as I pull my three day old sweats from my body, I step into the spray again and remember it's cold. Gritting my teeth I turn the water as hot as I can stand it, but I don't have the strength to stay upright. I slide to the floor and wrap my arms around my knees as the water beats down on my skin, turning the flesh pink.

Nick wasn't wrong when he said Noah wouldn't want me like this, but I couldn't help it. I felt responsible for Noah getting taken. I knew that was irrational, but if he hadn't met me he would still be on a path back to helping his brother.

Nick is waiting for me when I leave the bathroom, "you aren't responsible for his actions, stop torturing yourself," he says, his words are harsh, but the emotion behind them is not.

"I don't need you to therapist me, Nick," I say, although I did need that shower. However, his words don't do anything to tamp down the guilt I'm feeling. "Have you heard anything?"

"I couldn't tell you even if I had," he says, smiling sadly at me.

"Great talk," I roll my eyes at him, resuming my place on the couch with my kindle.

Only a few minutes later, when I've read a few pages in my book, there's a knock on the door. I drop the kindle and rush to the door, my heart pumping in my chest. Please be Noah, I beg silently before pulling the door open.

"I brought wine," it's not Noah, it's Allison and she's shaking a bottle of red at me.

"I'm not feeling very well, can we do this another time?" She ignores my words and pushes past me.

"Okay, why don't you come in," I tell her, feeling my whole body deflate. I follow her into the kitchen and grab two glasses and a bottle opener. I go through the motions of opening the wine and pouring a glass for each of us.