The Girl In The Dirty Shirt Noel Version

Chapter 115

Our smooth sailing was short lived; two weeks later, on Halloween night, we got into another fight; this baby was a huge strain on our marriage.

"Noel, I don't want to go out!" I yelled "It's Halloween and there's going to be a bunch of little assholes all over the place and I'm pregnant!"

"Just come out for an hour!"

"No, I want to go home and sleep!" I yelled "I'm not going to go sit in a bar and watch you get drunk!"

"Then they'll all come back to the 'ouse!"

"Oh that's exactly what I want Noel, five drunk assholes in our house at eleven o'clock at night!"

"My house" he snapped "An' I'm havin' my band over for drinks"

"Great, well your wife and your baby won't be there!"

"Where are y'gonna go?"

"Maybe we'll go see your mom"

"Good, tell 'er t'buy some blue shit, she's 'avin' a gran'son"

I looked at him in disbelief "Oh that's nice"

"Surprise" he shrugged his eyebrows

"Get bent" I glared at him before letting myself out of the studio.

Everyone else was waiting out in the main lobby to find out what was going on.

I looked at Liam who had a half-finished smoke between his lips.

"Is Nicole at your place?"

He nodded "Yeah, why?"

"I'll be staying at your place with her tonight, so feel free to stay at Noel’s house"

I grabbed my jacket and drove back to the house, I knew they wouldn't be back right away so I rang Nic and made plans for a girl's night with her; I didn't bother going into detail, she already knew Noel and I were snapping at each other.

I left the house and drove over to Liam and Nicole's; we spent the night handing out candy to little girls in princess dresses and boys in ninja costumes and in between we watched bad horror movies and ate popcorn and chocolate.

I offered to sleep on the couch when we were getting ready for bed and Nicole looked at me like I was insane.

"Lyla," she laughed "You're six months pregnant, I'm not making you sleep on the couch; you can sleep on Liam's side of the bed, he probably won't be home anyway"

I nodded, I don't know how I felt about sleeping on Liam's side of the bed next to his new girlfriend, but I wasn't going to go home and I knew Liam wouldn't be back.

If he did come back he could sleep between us, he would probably love that.

I followed her down the bedroom and couldn't help but notice that the bed was the same one Liam and I had shared; I wonder if she knew that.

I didn't say anything just got changed and climbed into bed; Nicole climbed in on the other side and we fell asleep not long after.

**

The next morning we were jarred awake by the screeching telephone.

I turned over just as Nicole picked it up.

"Hello?" She asked groggily

She paused before looking at me "Yeah, she's here, hold on"

She held out the phone "It's your brother"

I took the phone from her and laid on my back, I wasn't even going to try sitting up.

"Hello?"

"I thought y'were stayin' at Mam's"

"I changed my mind"

"So y'stayed at Our Kid's?"

"And Nicole's, yes" I answered glancing at her before rolling my eyes; she laughed quietly.

"Are y'gonna come home?"

"What do you care, you'll be at the studio all night anyway"

 "Lyla, c'mon love"

"What?" I asked

"I'm sorry; I jus' get...y'know?"

"Bitchy?" I guessed

He sighed "I'm sorry Ly, really"

I smiled, "I'm coming home"

As much as I hated constantly comparing Noel to Liam (even though he always won), I couldn't help but think that Liam would never apologize for something like this.

"Now?"

"Right now" I laughed

**

I hung up with Noel and said my goodbyes to Nicole before I headed back home.

I opened the front door after avoiding the barrage of people at the gate and sighed throwing my keys on the end table by the door.

"Noel?"

I frowned when he didn't answer

"Noel?" I asked again walking into the house.

Still no answer

I pushed my hair back and walked through the house; the kitchen was empty, the living room was empty.

I found him in the bedroom with the phone in his hands.

"Noel?" I asked quietly "What's wrong?"

He looked up and I could tell he hadn't heard me.

"Oh, hi love"

"Are you alright?" I asked sitting next to him.

"Paul just rang, Mam is sick"

"What's wrong, is she okay?"

"She's in hospital; they don't know what's wrong"

I took the phone from his hand and put it on the bed before getting up; I grabbed his hand pulling him to his feet.

"Come on"

"Where are we goin'?"

"To see your mom"

He stopped walking and squeezed my hand hard. "No Ly, I can't" he shook his head

I frowned "Why not?"

"I can't go to hospital; I can't see 'er like that"

"Sweetheart, she's your mom"

"I know that, I just-"

I squeezed his hand harder and brushed his hair out of his eyes. "I'll be right there, the whole time; I promise"

He sighed looking at me defeated; he knew he should go as much as he didn't want to.

**

We got to the hospital and everyone was already there; Paul and his girlfriend and Liam and Nicole.

I could tell Liam had been crying, as much as he didn't like to admit it, Liam was REALLY sensitive; especially when it came to his mom.

I felt Noel grip my hand tighter and just squeezed back.

A doctor came out and told us that after a lot of tests and exams that Peggy had a blood infection.

She was on an IV and a lot of antibiotics.

When we saw her she looked so fragile and tired, so....sick.

She told us not to worry, but we did. The doctor said the possibility of her making a full recovery was high, but we had to be prepared for anything.