The Heart That's Meant to Love You [COMPLETED]

Chapter 89: Friendship

Everything was a bit of a blur. Naomi remembered waking up in Kieran's house, arguing with him, and then it all went fuzzy. The next thing she knew, Claire was sitting next to her with a cool rag and a bottle of Tylenol.

Naomi didn't remember arriving at Claire's apartment. She barely remembered calling Claire to come get her.

"Good, you're up." Claire held out a palm in which a pair of pills rested. "Take these and then you had better explain to me what's going on."

Naomi managed—barely—to get an elbow underneath herself and push up to a half-sitting position. "What do you mean?"

"What do I mean?!" Claire's eye roll was exasperated and patronizing, all at the same time. "I think you know what I mean."

"If I knew, I wouldn't have asked." Naomi snatched the pills out of Claire's hand. "Do you have water?"

Claire snatched a glass from a nearby table and angrily thrust it in Naomi's direction.

Naomi downed the pills and water, taking her time to avoid the upcoming confrontation. But she couldn't hide forever.

"What's going on, Naomi?" Claire asked again as she took back the glass.

Naomi pressed her lips together, creating a wry smile that she knew must look grotesque. There were too many things going on for her to pick a place to start. What did Claire want to know? About Oliver? About Kieran? How did Naomi nail down what Claire knew and what she didn't?

Claire sighed. "Okay. That's a broad subject. First tell me why you were sick and asleep in Kieran Colburn's bed."

Ah. That. Naomi's fingers lifted to her cheek, still sore and swollen. She winced.

"Did he hit you?" Claire grabbed Naomi's wrist and pulled her hand away from her cheek, then leaned closer to see better. "Is that what this bruise is? I'll punch him for you."

Claire made a move to get up, but Naomi tugged her back down to the bed. "Kieran didn't touch me."

"Who did, then? No, don't tell me. Was it Olly?" Claire wrinkled her nose. "I don't think I can bring myself to punch him yet. I'm still working up to that."

"It wasn't Oliver—What do you think Oliver is capable of?"

Naomi had never heard anyone suspect Oliver of things as terrible as hitting a woman. Oliver didn't assault people without a good reason, and even then Naomi doubted he would be able to hurt anyone.

Claire shrugged her shoulders. "I'm guessing random stuff now."

"Stop guessing." Naomi propped herself up on the pillow behind her, keeping her eyes busy looking anywhere except at Claire. "It was my mother."

"What?!" Claire's screech probably reached every neighbor in the building.

"We got into an argument," Naomi explained. "A very heated one involving photos and harsh words and ultimatums." She shook her head. "It didn't end well."

"Clearly." Claire rolled her lips together, then popped them apart. "Do you want some ice for it?"

"Kieran already iced it as far as I know."

"Which brings me to my next question." Claire leaned in, trapping Naomi where she sat. "Why'd you spend the night at Kieran's place? What happened between you two? Do I see sparks or do I see a dumpster fire?"

Naomi planted a palm on Claire's face and pushed her away. "That's more than one question."

"Answer the first one."

"I didn't know where else to go and I forgot to grab my phone when I left."

Claire nodded, her face full of understanding and compassion. "You still like him."

Naomi nodded. She could say more on the subject, but she wasn't quite ready to admit aloud that she might be head over heels in love with Kieran, despite all he had done in the past. Some things were best left unsaid until one was prepared to act upon them.

"What about him? Does he like you?" Claire arched her brows. "And don't lie to me."

Naomi leaned her head back against the headboard. "He said we needed time to get ourselves together."

"Well, that's not a no." Claire rose from the bed and straightened her shirt. "Okay, you sleep off the rest of this fever, and then we'll go get your things. You can stay here until you figure out what you're going to do in the future."

"I can?"

Naomi stared at Claire, shocked by the offer. No one had offered to let her sleep over before, let alone offered a place to stay indefinitely. Most of Naomi's so-called friends had been mother-approved and too scared of Ms. Rowe to offer Naomi any support. Nowadays, Naomi understood why. Her mother was...intimidating.

Claire—blunt, sharp-edged Claire—didn't seem to care about Ms. Rowe. "For sure. I have plenty of space, as long as you can put up with my clothes laying around the entire apartment."

"Thank you." The words, unbidden and weepy, caught in Naomi's throat.

Claire waved a hand through the air. "Stop right there. We are not going to cry about this. We're going to solve it. You are going to figure out what you really want in life, and I am going to rub it in Olly's face that you like me more than you like him. Are you cool with that?"

Naomi gave a nod. It was the most she could manage, since she still didn't feel well to begin with.

"I was going to do it even if you weren't cool with it, but that's great. Solves all my issues." Claire shot Naomi a wink. "Get some sleep. I'll try to clean up some of my stuff so you have space to move around."

Claire wandered off into the other areas of the apartment, leaving Naomi alone in the silence of the bedroom.

Naomi wasn't sure what she had done to deserve a friend like Claire, but it was the first time she felt valued in a friendship. Claire didn't have to put aside her own time, desires, and plans for Naomi. But she had. And she had been more than willing to let Naomi into her life.

If this was what friendship was supposed to look like, Naomi had been lied to for her whole life. Regardless, she would cherish what she had found in this friend.

Naomi hoped her friendship with Claire lasted for the rest of their lives.