Shay Warner ran away from her adopted family as soon as she found out what they truly were: criminals. They lied, they killed, they betrayed her in a way that scarred her forever. It isn't until the police catch up to her that she's forced to go bac...
The books were a rainbow of dull hues, their bindings blending together in stripes of dark greens, greys, and navy blues. Noah's eyes scanned the titles of each of the books arranged on the shelf on the wall across from him, his brain filling the silence with thoughts of color. Val's question hung in the air like a thundercloud, and Noah wondered if Shay's answer would cause lightning to strike or if the mass of darkness would just continue on its way, diffusing to something more light and airy.
Finally, she spoke.
"Yours."
Noah felt relief sag in his shoulders, though his arms were still crossed as he sat leaned back in the couch.
"I'm glad to hear that." Val replied. Noah could hear the relief in her voice as well.
"So what now?" Shay inquired.
Noah finally diverted his attention from the bookcase to Val's blank expression. His eyes narrowed as he waited for her answer, still not quite over her admission to knowing Shay's whereabouts.
"We won't do anything right away. We still have to figure out how to get rid of that tracker in your arm." Val replied. "How often do you contact them?"
"He asked me to meet up with him in a couple of days to meet his new partner."
"Ok. Just continue on your mission with Noah and I'll do some research here, ok?"
From his peripherals, Noah saw Shay's head move up and down. Then Val finally met his glare, the corner of her mouth twisting into a frown. "I know you're mad at me Noah but it had to be this way."
Ah, yes. Val's catchphrase. It had to be this way. She had to let Noah believe his best friend was dead for two years. She had to watch him struggle to be okay again, despite having intel that would do just that. This phrase was only good for one thing, and that was placing the blame on something other than herself.
"Are we done here?" Noah broke his silence with an angry tone, letting Val know that he was nowhere near forgiving her.
"Yes."
Noah stood up without hesitation and looked down at Shay. "Coming?"
Shay nodded before getting to her feet, then walked over to the door. Noah followed closely behind her as she stepped through the common areas of the house. She slowed down and turned to speak to Noah, but he kept on moving. One heavy step in front of the other as he marched to the foyer and up the stairs. Then he flopped on his bed and stared at the ceiling, willing his demons to go away.
For most of his life, Noah was a lone wolf. Not trusting anyone, not getting close to anyone, only relying on himself to survive. It wasn't until Val took him in that he forgot what it was like to be alone. He grew attached and started to feel like he belonged somewhere. Despite his stubborn cynicism, he learned to trust people again.
Sometimes, people broke that trust and he remembered why he preferred to be solo.
"Are you okay?" Shay's voice was timid from his open doorway. Noah lifted his head up to watch as she took hesitant steps inside, a blush already present on her face.
"I'm fine." Noah muttered as he lowered his head back down.
Shay was silent, her footsteps so quiet that he didn't realize she was next to him until he felt his bed shift.
"Are you mad at her?" She was lying next to him now, with her ankles crossed and hands folded in her lap. A couple of inches separated them and Noah ignored it, instead keeping his attention on the ceiling.
"Yeah." Noah said.
"I'll admit she does have that fatal flaw of always thinking she knows best. And that leads to a lot of secrets but she at least she has good intentions." Shay reasoned.
"I deserved to know where you were. Out of everyone here, she should have at least told me."
"What would you have done if you found out?"
"I don't know." Noah replied, but he knew it was a lie. As he was staring at the books in Val's living room, he had played out the scenario in his head. Realistically, despite all of the relief and happiness he would have felt, he would have tracked Shay down and yelled at her, demanding to know why she left.
"Yeah you do." She was looking back at the ceiling again but her hand was close to his side. So close that he felt it brush against his shirt. "Are you still mad at me?"
Out of every question she could have asked, that was the biggest one. She'd only been back living in the house for several days now, but already it felt normal again. Like they were both two years younger, laying on her bed like they used to, talking about faraway places or people they used to know. He had started out angry at her, sure, but it was beginning to feel forced as time wore on. Anger was a cover up, a distraction, a way for him to disguise the emotions he was really feeling now that he got to look in her eyes again.
"No. I don't think I could ever be truly mad at you." Noah turned his head and looked at her, with her caramel hair splayed out around her head like a lion's mane while bits of it brushed against his own skin. When the silence had stretched out long enough, she also turned her head. Their eyes gazing into each other, noses inches apart, hot breath whispering against each other's faces.
Then he abruptly sat up and looked forward at the wall, his jaw clenched. "That doesn't mean I'll ever trust you again, though."
"I'll never leave, Noah. Despite everything that's happened, I finally know that this is where I belong."
His fists at his sides, gripping the side of the bed like his life depended on it, Noah stared at a spot on the wall. There was a time when he thought they were his family, too. Maybe a year after being brought into it, he made himself vulnerable enough to care.
Had it been worth it, opening himself up to pain?
That was a question he couldn't yet answer.
Instead of thinking further into it, he stood up and walked out the door.
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Their moment is coming, can you feel it? I really hope so, otherwise I haven't done my job :D
