The Nook

Chapter 24

Come back to me

That is all I've been thinking. Repeating it over and over again, like a mantra. I hadn't realized Bri had left until Coral told me she was going to bring Nolan something to keep him hydrated. Dorothy had been strangely quiet, her face etched with a look of pained resignation. Coral had been on the phone with Cieran for what felt like hours, and I hadn't moved from my spot in front of Nolan.

Numbness washed over me, a heavy blanket that muffled every sound. My lips unconsciously traced the memory of his lips on mine. I shouldn't have been thinking about it, but my brain seemed incapable of focusing on anything else.

"Hey, do you want to talk about it?" Coral asked, appearing behind me.

"Am I the only one who sees how you look at each other?" Her voice echoed in my head, challenging the other voice. But Nolan didn't. He hadn't. Maybe Coral saw something, maybe she saw the way I looked at him, despite how hard I tried to smother the feeling. But did she really see Nolan look at me like that?

"She enjoyed it, but here's a secret: Nolan didn't."

Nolan didn't.

Coral sat down beside me, her head resting on my shoulder. I became acutely aware of my hand, moving it away from my lips.

"I'm not looking for an 'I told you so,'" I stated, harsher than I intended.

"Wouldn't dream of it," she said, grabbing my hands.

I turned to face her, wanting to say something, but there was nothing.

"It's stupid, Coral," I remarked, and she shook her head aggressively.

"No, it's not. Your feelings matter, Adira," she argued.

"It doesn't matter if it's one-sided," I argued back.

"And how do you know that?"

"Because..." My voice cracked, and I stopped speaking.

"Don't tell me it's because of what the entity made him say!"

"She enjoyed it, but here's a secret: Nolan didn't."

"It doesn't matter."

"No, Adira. It does matter. Just because it came from his mouth doesn't mean it was him that said it."

"But the entity was inside of him. It had to have-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence," she warned. "How could you even begin to believe the entity? He wanted to get under your skin, and you're allowing him."

"Just drop it, Coral."

"No, I want you to say your feelings aloud. Confront them, no more burying it," she said, and I looked at her like she had two heads.

"I'm not saying anything because I don't," I lied, and she deadpanned.

"What, Coral?" I huffed. "What do you want me to say? That I love him?"

There was a gasp, and we both turned towards the noise.

It was Nolan. He was coughing, struggling for air. Panicky, he looked around, calming down when he noticed where he was and moving his arms freely.

Tears sprang from my eyes, a sudden release of pent-up emotions. I didn't even know I had any tears left to cry. Relief flooded through me, and I could finally breathe. Without thinking it through, I threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around him. Coral joined in, wrapping her arms around both of us.

Just then, Bri re-entered the house and stared at me from over his shoulder, then at Nolan, flabbergasted. She was holding an IV kit in her hands, with a pouch of water attached.