Noah and I went back to my apartment and quickly shower, turning on the news afterwards.
Everyone is extremely concerned how a fire started at the rundown restaurant during one of our biggest monsoons.
The police and firemen have been searching through the rubble, finding many bodies. William was burnt into unrecogintion. But so far the police are suspecting that it is William by all of his men. The story so far is William killed his father for the power of their family name. He got caught in the fire after trying to start it burning the evidence.
Noah hasn't said a word about it so neither am I. Needless to say I'm filled with anxiety and stress.
Noah has killed people. And in a sense now I have too. I can't handle that fact, yet it refuses to leave my mind alone. The worst part is, is Noah isn't talking to me. Not really. He seems so lost in his own head.
That night he sleeps on the couch while I try to sleep in my bed. But I feel like a little kid scared of the dark. Every movement makes me think someone is in my room. Every sound makes me think there's something outside. It's killing me.
So I pad down the hall and peek my head in the living room. Noah is laying on the couch, his right leg lifted and his hand pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Noah?" I ask, my voice sounding so loud even though I mumbled. He lifts his head and sighs a breath of relief.
"Cassidy" he calls. I walk over to him and climb into his lap. "Can't sleep?" He asks, tucking a peice of hair behind my ear. I shake my head, closing my eyes and leaning into his touch.
His other hand trails up my bare thigh and I remember I only have on underwear and a baggy t-shirt. I blush and shift slightly.
"I can't stop thinking about him" I confess, opening my eyes. "All I hear is screaming" I choke on my words. Noah sits up higher and his hand goes under my shirt.
"It gets easier" he sighs sadly.
"I don't want it to have to get easier I want it gone" I say.
Noah shakes his head slowly. "It doesn't work that way darling. You have to learn to live with it. Like your trauma"
His words hit me like a bullet and I nod. He's right. I need to let it go and work around it.
"Thank you" I whisper.
Noah kisses me softly. Something like a fire ignites in me, deep in my stomach. I lean forward, moving him backwards.
Noah kisses me deeply, his hands trailing up my spine. I shiver, pressing my tongue into his mouth. Noah moans, gripping my waist. I grind my hips against his, smiling into our kiss.
"Cass" Noah warns. "What?" I snap, pulling away.
"I've been thinking... I don't ever want to hurt you" He says slowly. "You've never hurt me" I say confused. Noah's hand slides over my thigh where his scars are embedded. "Yes I have" he mumbles.
I sigh. "We had a deal and you won" I say. Noah shakes his head, his hands dropping. "I don't want to hurt you again. William was right. I should leave before it gets worse"
Panic rises inside of me. "No don't leave me!" I cry out. Noah looks shocked.
"Someone will get me" I panic. "Whoa, whoa Cassidy, sweetheart its alright" his hands explore my body again, trying to relax me.
"Don't leave. Please don't" I beg. "Okay, okay I promise I won't. I won't leave you" Noah cups my cheeks, wiping the tear that fell with his thumb.
I calm down after a few minutes and we sit there quietly again. "Are you tired?" Noah asks. I shake my head. "Me neither" Noah chuckles softly.
I lean forward to kiss Noah but he hesitates. "Oh c'mon... you're not going to give me what I want?" I ask sweetly.
"Cassidy" Noah sighs. "Noah" I mock. "I can't. I... I don't trust myself" Noah Shivers. "I do" I say.
Noah rolls his eyes. "Behave yourself or I will send you back to bed" he teases. I pout like a child but rest my head on his chest, relaxing my body.
"How could you hurt me?" I ask. Noah sighs. "Lots of ways love. I could snap your neck... I could crack open your skull..." We both shiver.
"But you would never do that on purpose" I say, removing my head from his chest to look at him.
"I keep telling myself that..." he mumbles. I lay my head back on his chest and wrap my arms around his torso.
My eyes start to fall, making them harder to keep open. "Go to sleep love, we can talk later" Noah whispers, running his hand through my hair.
I drift off, feeling safe.
~
When I wake up I'm alone on the couch. "Noah!?" I cry out immediately.
A hand runs up my back softly, "it's alright I'm here love" he says quietly. I sit up and hug him. He hugs me back.
"I was just going to the bathroom" he tells me. I shake my head and pull him onto the couch with me.
He holds me tightly, relaxing my body. "I've thought about what you've said last night. And I think I should tell you about my scars. Maybe it'll help"
I look intently into his eyes. "I'll listen" I promise. Noah sighs, taking a deep breath. He takes off his shirt and turns around so I could see his back. Then he started his story.
"After my sister died... the restaurant shut down. My dad was being framed for the murder. It nearly killed my mom to have him gone. I was forced to move in with my uncle and his daughter. My uncle didn't like that I was under the same roof as his daughter with everything that's gone on. Being there made me miserable and I was going into High School at the time. Kids at school bullied me for being the son of a murderer. They would wip me with sticks from trees."
I traveled my hands over the bigger cuts on his back.
"No one helped me. So I worked out, became the person everyone feared at school. My dad was released from Jail when no evidence pointed to him and I could go home. But my father was furious with everyone. He would cut me up everytime I did something wrong..."
I moved my hand to his shoulders and then down the front of his torso where I knew some were.
"I left immediately like you did. And I went and worked. I worked for the Slax company as a guard. Which is how I know how to kill. Working there allowed benefits to their secrets. Which is how I found out about Elizabeth. I was using a false name at the time so they didn't know I was her brother. My first kill was another guard who was talking shit about her. They knew then who I was. Slowly I've been hunting them down trying to get to Elizabeth's murderer. I set up the plan for the restaurant when you stumbled along"
Noah turns at grins at me weakly. "So that's my story" he mumbles. I hug Noah tightly.
"You did what you needed to"