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Chapter Thirty

True to his warning, I didn't see Noah for the rest of the week.

My days at home had been long and lonely, but the evenings were quite fun as Charlotte seemed to snap back into her usual fun self when it came to talking about wedding plans. Every now and then I would catch her staring into space with sadness haunting her eyes, but she hadn't tried to open up about what happened, so I didn't push her.

By the time Friday rolled around, I was practically itching to see Noah. My body ached to touch his face, to smell him, to feel his lips against mine once again.

"Why don't you come and watch the performances today?" Charlotte suggested, as I moped into the kitchen still wearing my pyjamas past breakfast as usual.

"We don't start until two, remember? Plenty of time for you to go to your appointment then come along and watch. You haven't left the house all week, Abs, I'm worried you've forgotten how to."

She had a point. I was only signed off from classes because I couldn't use my arm; Dr Choudry hadn't said anything about leaving the house altogether. And it would be nice to see some familiar faces other than Charlotte's after what had felt like forever.

Plus, Noah would be there. Not like that would make any difference to whether or not I would go, but still...

Deciding on denim, frayed miniskirt, striped blouse and trusty black tights and boots, I finished my look with loose curls and a natural slick of make-up. Charlotte was on her way out by the time I headed back into the kitchen, and I couldn't help noticing she wasn't as dolled up as she normally would be for a performance day. She looked even more beautiful without her normal heavy foundation, her blonde curls pinned up loosely to show off her delicate neck.

"See you there?" she asked.

"See you there," I replied, giving her a quick, one-armed hug before she headed out of the door.

My mum had tried to insist on taking me for my final check-up but, thankfully, I'd managed to convince her I would be fine on the bus. The hospital was only thirty minutes away, and the sun was surprisingly bright for spring. As I took a window seat on the top deck of the No. 256, its rays gently bathed my face in comforting warmth through the glass. I closed my eyes as my mind began to wander with thoughts of Noah; how short a time I'd known him, yet what a huge impact he was having on me already.

Not enough to want to marry him just yet, though, I couldn't help thinking with a smile. I'll leave that to Charlotte and Alex.

Hearing Charlotte talk about her new fiancé, it was clear she was head over heels in love with him. And, by the sounds of it, he was with her, too. Unfortunately, her parents hadn't seen it that way. They had gone batshit crazy when she broke the news, insisting she go home to talk things through properly before 'doing anything stupid'. I don't think she told them about what happened at the party.

The hospital waiting room was full when I arrived. I've never really liked being around sick people, especially since the first time dad got ill when I was twelve and me and mum had visited every day. I breathed a sigh of relief when the nurse called me straight through to the consultation room. After removing the dressing, Dr Choudry seemed pleased with how the wound had healed with its dissolvable stitches.

"Want to take a quick glance?" she asked, handing me a mirror.

"Not yet, I'll have a good look later," I replied. Smiling a quick, awkward smile, I attempted to mask my nerves about seeing the damage for the first time.

"You've made a good recovery, Abigail, you're a very lucky girl," she continued. "Your ribs and clavicle seem to have begun their repair nicely according to the X-rays. The rest of your lesions and bruising have disappeared, and you've shown no signs of any headaches or confusion since leaving hospital, no?"