Surviving the Storm

Chapter 44

Four hours after Noah left Nat stood pacing in front of me in the living room. Faye was sitting on the floor coloring in a book. And I was trying to convince them to leave without me. "You can't just sit here and pout all day!" Nat rambles. I sighed bringing the cup of hot chocolate to my lips. The steam bathing my face.

"I'm fine. I-I don't really feel like hitting the zoo today. All the smells there will probably make me nauseous," I reason with her. Nat purses her lips together, tapping her arm.

"What are you going to do all day then? The only other people here are the body guards. Even then they are mostly outside," Nat mentions.

"I'm going to watch some movies. Maybe read more about early development in infants. I don't know. I'll manage," I say.

Nat walks over to me stopping inches away from my face. "What has gotten into you and Noah? You guys are acting so closed off," Nat points out. I shrug placing the cup onto the nearest coaster.

"I think we're both trying to ignore today. I-I can't sit here and worry about. He can't either. He needs to come back to me," I say confidently. Nat turns around motioning to Faye. She throws her coloring stuff aside pushing herself to her feet.

"If you want to find us you know where we will be," Nat sighs in defeat. She takes Faye's hand leading her out of the room. I turn my head glancing back to see if they were gone. With no human in sight I push myself off the couch. My back full of shooting pains up my spine. Today was harder than the rest have been. Part of me couldn't even make it to the toilet in time. I barely made it before I could pee myself.

               I struggle to stand feeling my weight shift to the heel of my feet. I was honestly sick of being pregnant. I wanted this child out of me. I walk back over to the kitchen. The chef wasn't on duty, but I didn't care. I reach into the fridge pulling out strawberries. My mind already tracing to the sweets in the cabinets. I open it up searching for chocolate to melt. With no luck in sight I find caramel used for regular apples. I eye the two objects in front of me.

              People eat strawberries covered in caramel right? I take a deep breath opening the caramel dip. The stickiness already getting all over my fingers. I grab the strawberry steadily dipping the tip into the caramel. Surprisingly the creation tasted amazing. My mouth watering at the first taste.

                I began to stuff my face ignoring the amount of calories. The plate finally went empty leaving me in a flustered mess. I walk over to the sink turning on the tap. I washed my hands slowly while looking out the windows. I stop in my tracks noticing someone walking up the driveway. I hurried to dry off my hands clutching the counter.

The person got closer giving me a clear glimpse of them. I nearly screamed seeing Noah walking up the driveway. He was standing there in ripped clothing and worn shoes. I did a double take trying to process the sight. Noah left this morning in a fresh suit. Was he robbed? I felt the urge to run to the front door. I clutch the counter waiting for him to come inside. The guard jogging up to greet him.

Noah waves them off before he goes out of my view. I crouch down slightly at hearing the front door open. I was expecting him to come searching for me. Unless he thought I was gone with Natalia. But then why is he back? Did he already meet with Simon? It would explain his awful look. He looked like he went through a battle trying to get here.

The only thing recognizable about him was his hair. It was combed out of his face but still messy. It looked a little off though. He probably was styling it differently. He walked into my view stopping in front of the staircase.