Counting Stars(Book One/Noel's Story)

Ch. 12: Final Star Falling

12: Final Star Falling

Eric's p.o.v

"Damn it Noel! Wake up already." I yelled pulling at the strands of my disheveled hair. It was three in the morning and the only time I've left her side is to shower. I've even grown close with her dad, but now I was getting frustrated. "All I want to do is talk to you. Hear your voice. Hold you. Kiss you. Hell SOMETHING! Anything is better than what's been forced upon us right now. It's not fair. Damn it Noel it's not fucking fair. We were finally getting on. We were finally becoming more than mere acquaintances. Damn it, I finally told you I had feelings for you. I took a bullet for you. We went on a date. I tried to protect you. Things were the best, but we were still able to deal. Hell I was ready to tell you that I had fallen in love with you and thing everything went wrong. Our date ended with little girls getting killed. Everything about us being together seems to cause negativity and maybe it's a sign.

Maybe we do need a moment alone to let it all register. Maybe the timing for us is all wrong. I mean I can't help you get over the shit you're dealing with if I'm still struggling myself. I can't protect you Noel and the fact that you're even here proves it. I'm okay with just being around you if that's all I'm allowed to do from now on. Maybe you not waking up has absolutely zero to do with me, but then again maybe it's because you don't love me back. Either way, I'm happy that you're okay and I'll be happy just being your Eric. I don't need to be any other title as long as I'm your something. For now though this is good-bye. I'm leaving Noel and I've ask your dad to let me know when you wake up. I will come back if, and only if, you ask about me. Maybe me not being here so much is what is needed to get you to come back. I love you babygirl and you'll always be beautiful to me. Don't forget me, okay? I'll be back as soon as you ask me to come. I'll fly with my own two arms if I have to. Good-bye Noel." I place a chaste kiss on her lips as a single tear slid down my cheeks before heading out in the hallway to wait for Steve. We had to do this. We had to get away from all of this. None of us was any good to each other the way we were.

I sighed as I pressed my forehead against the glass window of the door and let the tears glide down my cheeks. I was going to miss her, I already missed her, but she wasn't really her while laying there asleep. I missed the girl that yelled at me for having horrible timing on the tour bus. I missed the girl that begged for answers and nothing more. It's not her fault that I fell in love with her. It's not her fault that I think she beautifully gorgeous and outstanding amazingly. It's all my fault for falling in love with her, and I don't regret it one bit. I just regret not being a good enough guy for her.

An hour later

I still don't know how we ended up here or why we did. This place itself held so much pain and torture. The girls would never forgive us for being here. If they found out it would cause questions to be asked that neither of us had answers to. What were we supposed to do here? What would being here accomplish? I took a final glance at Steve and without hesistation he walked into the same room that we had found Silver in. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I walked into the one that had been for Noel. I had a bad feeling about this. Not only was I sleep deprived, I was trespassing on crime scene. Everything about this moment felt wrong, but for some reason I was still going along. I had come this far may as well see it through.

.................................

Sitting here all this time and I was bored out of my mind. My body was tired, but my mind wouldn't stop. It's been like that for the past couple of weeks. Just being here was creeping me out and sadly I felt closer to her here than I did at the hospital. It's been a few weeks, but it's like I can still everything she left behind in here. She left herself here. She still sat here with her ankle in shackles too afraid to move about. I sighed as I leaned my head back against the wall. I was tired and I just wanted to sleep...

"Eric? Eric..." Came a voice from on side of me.

"Noel? Oh god what are you doing here? Did they let you out already?" I asked both panic and excitement filling me.

"Eric, I'm so sorry I didn't just tell you how I was feeling before and now I may never get the chance too."

"Tell me now Noel. I'm right here. There's nothing for you to be sorry about. I need to be the one apologizing. I failed. I failed to protect you. I failed to keep you from going through this. I'm so sorry Noel. I'm so sorry."

"I thought I had all the time in the world, but I was wrong. I was so wrong. I had less WAY less time than I thought. The moment that I finally gathered the courage to say it everything went wrong. It was perfect time to say it. The date had been beyond perfect and at the pop-up concert I should've grabbed you kissed you and told you that I love you. I love you so much Eric and you may never know now."

"I know Noel. I know! I'm right here. I would always know. I've known since high school. I was just too scared to say something about it. I love you too Noel. I love you too." I cried reaching out to hug here, but she was transparent and my arms went straight through.

"I know this is good-bye Eric. I can feel it in my bones. If you can hear me or feel me wherever you are, know that I love and will always love you. You and my father's protection is worth dying for. Tell my dad I love him too." I could see a single tear sliding down her cheek as someone came through the door. Matt? Beniyah? What? They were in jail. How?

"Noel come on we have to go." I cried, but to no avail. She was frozen in fear as she stared at them. From how slacked her body was I could tell she had given up. She wasn't fighting. I screamed out frustrated that I couldn't stop what was about to happen in front of my eyes.

"Well look at that. She's finally stop fighting." laughed Matt.
"Finally broke her." added Beniyah sounding pleased with himself. They both grabbed her one laying on the bed as they forced her on top of him, the other climbing on top of her. They'd been raping her together?

"Get off of her!" I yelled running towards them swinging, but just like with her it just went straight through harming no one. Tears filled my eyes as her scream and pleas for them to stop filled the room. "NO! Stop! Stop hurting her!" I cried still swinging fruitlessly. It was no point. Right now I couldn't help her. I could barely help myself.

I jumped up wide-eyed and sweating. What the hell was that?

"Stop!" yelled Steve from the next room making me go pale and a shiver sent throughout my bones. This was too much.