Decisions | Noah Sebastian

Chapter Six

**This chapter contains some serious trigger warnings of domestic violence, abuse, and attempted murder. If you choose to skip this chapter, you will still be able to follow along with the story. I will set --- right before and after the triggering content. Read with caution and your mental health in mind.**

Emerson

Warm. Too warm. I slowly open my eyes, but they're blurry and I can't really make anything significant out, but I know I'm not in my room. "Hot" I mumble, moving slightly. It's then that I realize someone is next to me. Noah, I can tell by the earthy smell. Remembering what got me here, I can feel my cheeks set fire as I sit up, moving away from the furnace of a man. Looking down, he's still asleep but his forehead is creased like something is bothering him. What time is it, I think now that my brain has kind of woken up. The alarm clock on Noah's bedside table says just after two in the morning. Yawning and stretching, I feel a hand land lightly on my back. I jump slightly and whip around to see Noah smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, didn't mean to frighten you. Are you feeling better?" I nod. "Thank you for staying with me. I'm sorry I fell asleep in your bed, I should have told you to take me to my room." "You looked comfortable, I wasn't sweating it. I'm just glad you feel better." I smile shyly at him as I get out of the bed, careful to test my legs and make sure I'm not going to stumble. "Where you going, Doll?" Noah asks, sitting up as he yawns into the back of his hand. "To my room?" It comes out more as a question than a statement. I see a quick flash of emotion cross Noah's face before it's gone. He just nods and reaches over to his bedside table. "Here, you'll want this." It's my glucose monitor. Nick must have brought it in incase I had another crash. Thinking back on it, I know I'm going to regret asking but curiosity bests me. "What happened? When I went down I mean? I have foggy memories of some things, but it's a blur." Noah winces and readjusts himself in bed so that he's sitting criss-cross in bed before he responds. "If you really want to know," He pauses as if waiting for me to change my mind. Instead, I sit on the edge of the bed as if to tell him to go on. "Um, well. One second you were up and stretching, the next you called out Folio, um Nick's name. I caught you before you hit the floor and shouted out so he could actually hear. When he came running in to see you down, he went to grab juice while I tried to wake you up. Jolly and Nicholas came down to see what all the commotion was about." He stops and looks away from me before saying the next bit. "We got you to wake up, got some juice in you and then I brought you up here to rest. The end." I sigh, feeling bad for waking Jolly and Nicholas up, they have to leave the house in a couple of hours now to get to the airport.

"I'm so sorry again. If I'd had," Noah cuts me off. "Stop apologizing. You have a medical condition, Emerson. You couldn't have helped it. Even with your alarm system it still could have happened." He's right, but I still feel guilty and embarrassed. "Well, thank you again, Noah. I really appreciate it. I'll let you get back to sleep." I go to leave when Noah speaks up again. "You're always welcome, in my room I mean. I'm offering a safe space if you ever need it. I don't know what you've been through, but I can tell you're kind and didn't deserve any of it." I just give him a curt nod and walk out. I don't blame Nick for tacking on to my story with his side but I shouldn't let this go any farther, it isn't a good decision. But when have I ever been good at choosing a good decision.

Noah

It's been a week since her episode, and Emerson has barely spoken to me. She still makes small talk with me, she's not being rude, just standoffish. I don't know if I said something that struck a nerve or if she is beating herself up about something out of her control, but I hate this. If Folio has noticed Emerson's attitude change towards me he hasn't said anything. I think he prefers it like this after the conversation we had that night. Jolly and Nicholas left that morning like they had planned and Nana had called a few days ago to let us know she'd be staying longer than she planned. Emerson seemed upset by this, I think she's ready to have someone else to hang out with to give her a reason to stay away from me.