Hallow's: Witch's Brew

Twenty-Four

We Came As Romans- Foreign Fire 

After finishing some work, I start preparing for our meeting with the Hellbourne Fringe division in the morning. Noah doesn't take up much space and it catches me off guard when I hear him laugh in the next room and I find it comfortable. I hated when Ben would laugh or speak when I was trying to get anything done. He was loud. 

"Fuck," I shout when Noah appears at the top of the stairs. It might be because I was thinking about him so hard and the fact that he's light-footed. I find that attractive in a man. It's been a while since someone has snuck up on me like this. 

"You're so fucking spacy. That hasn't changed," he laughs. "I have to go. I need to feed Hailey and I have work in the morning," 

"You never struck me as a cat person," 

"I am not. The cat was Nat's and she's kind of all I have left," he shrugs. 

"Okay, thanks for helping with everything. I'll let you know if anything comes up," I nod awkwardly. He opens his mouth like he's going to say something and then shakes it off. "I hate when you do that," 

"What?" 

"You've never been able to be honest with me, Noah. Since we were kids. I think the most honest thing you ever said to me was when you told me my voice scared away the screaming. We were ten," I stick my hands in my hoodie's front pocket. "And now the stuff I forced out of you with the truth spray," 

"You have to understand," 

"That you want to protect me? Did you ever think that maybe I would have been better protected if we had stuck together?" 

"All the time," he nods. "Things aren't that simple," 

"Not anymore, but they were. If you had been honest with me from the start. Maybe things would be different," 

"Gastly," he sighs. "Maybe. Maybe things would have been better if I had told you what was going on, but I didn't. Had you stayed here, had you gotten everything you ever wanted then, you'd probably want to consecrate the town for yourself. Maybe you would have been good here. We don't know. There is no reason for you to be thinking of the what-ifs anymore. You can't change things," 

"Okay," I nod. 

"I'll see you around, Gaz," he turns away to leave. 

My entire body screams, but I can't bring myself to move. Hot tears stream down my face and I go back to putting together tomorrow's clothes. I've spent years trying to forget all of this. My therapist goes on yearly vacations because of this shit and he just- the worst part is that he's fucking right. It's ripping me apart to admit it, but he's right. There is no reason for me to be thinking of the what-ifs. So, why does it make me so fucking angry even to consider accepting it?

I swallow the knot in my throat when my phone rings. 

"What?" I answer. 

"You okay?" Zuri laughs. 

"Noah, just left," I go over to my bed and dive face-first into it. 

"I am going to do inventory. I wanted to ask if you would like to join me. Or is that too beneath your billionaire agenda?" she teases. 

"What time is it?" I mumble into my pillow. 

"It's seven," 

"Okay, but just for a little while. I have a thing early in the morning and Ahsan did us a favor by giving us another day," I agree. "I also have some stuff to take from the greenhouse anyway," 

"Weird question, but would you like to have a couple of drinks with me?" she adds. 

"Sure, I'll pick something up," there is no way I am drinking anything I myself am not opening around anyone for a while.