Adjustments

Adjustments 12

Noah

The next morning, I wake up with her lying against me with her head on my heart. It looks like she's avoiding my injury, but I don't care if she hurts me or not, because she can never really hurt me as long as she's next to me. Sarah wakes up and looks at me.

"Hi." She says. I kiss her forehead and she sits up. "Are you ready to go back?"

"Whenever you are." I say.

"Let's just get it over with."

She gets up and puts a sweatshirt on while I lay on the bed looking at the ceiling. I know she's nervous, so am I. What if her father's there? What do I do? Fight him? Run? No, don't run! Running shows fear and I refuse to be afraid.

When she finishes getting dressed and doing whatever girls do, I throw a shirt on and we go to the car. When I start the car, Sarah stops me.

"Wait." She says. "What if he's there?"

Great minds think alike!

"I'll handle it." I say.

"But what if you can't handle it?"

"Then... I will handle it." I say smiling. She looks straight ahead.

We finally pull up to the house and I get out of the car. I make Sarah stay behind me as I open the front door. Everything is as it was last night, except nobody was home. I bring her inside and close the door behind her.

"Where's your room?" I ask.

"Upstairs."

"I'll stay downstairs so you can have some time." She lets go of my hand and gets about halfway up the stairs when she turns around and looks at me.

"Can you come with me? I just... don't want to be alone right now." She asks. I go up the stairs with her and enter her room. I look around and everything seems fine, except for the shattered mirror in the corner.

She takes out two jumbo suit cases from her closet and puts them on her bed to put her things in. I turn to look around and see a picture frame face down on her desk. I turn around to see Sarah in her closet looking for clothes to pack. I lift the picture frame and pull out the glass pieces from inside it. The picture is of a women and a little girl next to a Christmas tree. The little girl, who resembles Sarah, is holding what looks like an ornament. I take the picture out of the frame and put it in my pocket. I turn around and see Sarah still in the closet.

I love her. I love the way she moves, the way her hair cascades down her back stopping midway, the way her lips slowly form a smile when she laughs, how whenever I get close to her, her eyes become narrow, the way her long lashes move when she blinks. I just... love her.

Sarah

As I pack my things, Noah stands in the doorway watching the hallway like a security guard. I feel this sense of protection. Like I am his princess and he wants to keep me locked in a castle so nobody can hurt me. I love that. I love the feeling of being loved and the feeling of safety.

"I'm done." I say.

"Ready to skedaddle?" He says trying to make me laugh. I pick up the suitcases to take it downstairs, but Noah grabs them out of my hand and takes it down for me. I look around the house for a minute trying to commit it to memory. The smell of cheap cologne and beer ran through the house.

"Ready?" He asks again. I nod and we walk to the car. He places my suitcases in the back seat and gets in the car.

"That was easier than I expected." I say.