[Chapter forty-seven]
-Nevaeh-
"Heyooo!" Megan chirps as she walks into the room with a box in one hand and a plastic bag in the other.
I eye the box. "Is...is that an Easy-Bake oven?"
"Yup." She confirms cheerfully, dragging the food tray over, taking the Easy-Bake oven out of the box and putting it in front of me before pouring the contents of the plastic bag out.
"Chocolate Brownie, Chocolate chip cookie, Cheese pizza, Chocolate truffles, Chocolate and creme cake, Party Pretzel dippers." I raise an eyebrow as I look through the mixes. "What're we going to do, have a tea party with fucking Annabelle?"
"We do not bring that creepy doll up." Megan points a finger at me. "That movie scared the doo-doo out of me."
"Doo-doo." I mutter under my breath in amusement.
"Yes, doo-doo." She emphasises. "Don't judge me."
I chuckle under my breath, putting my hands up in surrender. "Not judging."
"Good." She kicks her shoes off and carefully climbs in bed next to me. "Time to Easy-Bake!"
*~*
"Wait, Vaeh, don't to—"
"Ah! Fuck, shit, fuck!"
"-uch that." She trails off. "It's—"
"Fucking hot." I put my finger in my mouth. "Why didn't you stop me from touching the damn tray?"
"I tried!" She defends herself. "You're just an idiot."
I pout. "Rude."
"Love you."
"Love you, too."
*~*
"Uh, Meg?"
"Yeah?"
"I think you overcooked these." I point down at the chocolate chips cookies.
"What? No, I didn't." She shakes her head.
I raise a challenging eyebrow before picking one up and banging it against the edge of the food tray. It creates a knocking sound.
"Okay, maybe I overcooked it."
"No shit." I roll my eyes, a small smile on my face before I sigh. "Meg?"
"Yeah, Vaeh?"
"I know what three songs I want played at my funeral."
She looks at me seriously. "No, don't talk like that. You're not dying."
"Well, it's happening whether we like it or not." I tell her.
She sighs. "What three songs?"
"Let Her Go by Passenger, If I Die Young by The Band Perry, and the New Zealand national anthem." I list off.
"Those aren't really funeral songs." She whispers, her eyes getting glassy.
I shrug. "Let Her Go is to tell people to not mourn my death and let me go, the New Zealand national anthem is just because I'm from New Zealand, and If I Die Young is...well, I just like that song."
"Nevaeh..."
"Megan, I love you." I tell her. "Thank you for being my best friend from the moment I moved here four years ago, and thank you for having my back. Thank you for everything. I love you so much, Meg."
She hugs me, tears sliding down her cheeks. "Thank you for being the strongest person I know. I don't know what I'd do without you. Thank you for being my best friend. I love you, Vaeh."
*~*
"Hey, Pebble." I smile weakly as he walks into my room the next day with his guitar and a stack of...photo albums?
"Carter!" He walks over and kisses me, putting his hand at the side of my face before pulling away, kicking his shoes off and climbing into bed with me, pulling the food tray over. "Today, we're going to look at my embarrassing baby pictures,"
I bite back a laugh. "What?"
He places a photo album on the tray which is labelled 'Noah's embarrassing baby pictures'.
"Followed by my embarrassing toddler pictures." He places another album on the tray labelled 'Noah's embarrassing toddler pictures'. "Followed by me getting many kisses from you, followed by me playing the guitar until you fall asleep."
*~*
"Please tell me that's dog shit." I laugh as I look down at a picture of toddler Noah in nothing but a diaper, lying on the ground with his face in a brown pile of something.
"It's dog shit." He confirms my suspicions. "We had a dog back when we lived in London. I was playing in the backyard then I tripped and fell face first into the fresh load our dog had provided me with."
I laugh loudly but start coughing hysterically into my hand.
Noah rubs my back until I stop coughing.
I pull my hand away from my mouth and see blood.
I try to hide it from Noah but he sees, his face filling with sadness.
"Carter—"
"D-Don't." I cut him off. "Just help me to the bathroom so I can wash this shit off, please."
He does as I request. I wash my hands and rinse my mouth repeatedly before he helps me back into bed and climbs in with me again.
I look down at my hands as I pick at the loose threads of the blanket.
I feel Noah's soft hands under my chin as he tilts my head up and presses a kiss to my lips. I kiss back, placing my hand at the back of his neck. He pulls away, placing his forehead against mine.
"Dude, I just coughed up blood." I croak, my thumb running across his cheekbone. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"I don't care." He mumbles, caressing my cheek softly. "And a lot, Carter. A lot if wrong with me. I mean, I'm dating you, aren't I."
I pull away from him, a pout on my face. "Rude."
He chuckles, bringing my lips back to his once again.
*~*
"Noah?" I mutter, my eyes closed as he sits in the chair next to my bed, playing soothing tunes on his guitar. "Sing for me?"
He stops playing. "I don't sing."
I open my eyes and look up at him, giving him the puppy dog face. "Please?"
He stares down at me with a hard look before sighing in defeat. "Screw you."
"I already did." I state, making him shake his head, chuckling before he starts playing a familiar song on his guitar.
"Did I disappoint you or let you down?" He starts singing the lyrics to Goodbye My Lover by James Blunt.
He has a beautiful voice.
"Should I be feeling guilty or let the judges frown?
Cause I saw the end before we'd begun
Yes I saw you were blinded and I knew I had won
So I took what's mine by eternal right
Took your soul out into the night
It may be over but it won't stop there
I am here for you, if you'd only care
You touched my heart, you touched my soul
You changed my life and all my goals
And love is blind but that I knew when
My heart was blinded by yours
I've kissed your lips and held your hand
Shared your dreams and shared your bed
I know you well, I know your smell
I've been addicted to you
Goodbye my lover
Goodbye my friend
You have been the one
You have been the one for me
Goodbye my lover
Goodbye my friend
You have been the one
You have been the one for me
I am a dreamer and when I wake
You can't break my spirit - it's my dreams you take
And as you move on, remember me
Remember us and all we used to be
I've seen you cry, I've seen you smile
I've watched you sleeping for a while
I'd be the father of your child
I'd spend a lifetime with you
I know your fears and you know mine
We've had our doubts but now we're fine
And I love you, I swear that's true
I cannot live without you
Goodbye my lover
Goodbye my friend
You have been the one
You have been the one for me
Goodbye my lover
Goodbye my friend
You have been the one
You have been the one for me
And I still hold your hand in mine
In mine when I'm asleep
And I will bare my soul in time
When I'm kneeling at your feet
Goodbye my lover
Goodbye my friend
You have been the one
You have been the one for me
Goodbye my lover
Goodbye my friend
You have been the one
You have been the one for me
I'm so hollow, baby, I'm so hollow
I'm so, I'm so, I'm so hollow
I'm so hollow, baby, I'm so hollow
I'm so, I'm so, I'm so hollow."
My eyes start fluttering shut as he finishes.
"I love you, Pebble." I mutter.
"I love you, too, Carter." He brushes my hair away from my face and kisses my forehead as sleep overcomes me.