Midnight Love || ✔️

11:57 pm

xx || twenty

Noah's PoV

NOAH WAS walking towards his car Tuesday afternoon, his footsteps heavy, his shoulder hunched with worry for Ella, when Rose called his name, jogging to catch up to him.

Noah stopped, his mind racing with thoughts and worries about Ella. He was still calling and texting. He couldn't ignore her, couldn't give up on her. Every time he checked his phone, he hoped that something from Ella came, and even though it never does, his heart sank in disappointment each time. It was an agonizing cycle.

Rose made herself clear, and Noah didn't go to her again. He was sure that the countless glances her threw her way over the past few days more than made his feelings clear. They were desperate. Pleading. Broken. But Rose did nothing but purse her lips and turn away from him.

Now she was here, wanting to talk to him. Noah's heart surged with hope, and he tried to calm it down. It would only hurt him if he hoped too much.

"Noah," Rose gasped out as she came to a stop in front of him, breathing heavily. "God, you walk fast. Shit," Noah sent her an apologetic look as she gulped in air, trying to gather enough to start talking. When she calmed down, Noah spoke.

"Can I help you? You made really clear that my presence was unwelcome," Rose winced, and Noah felt a little guilty. She didn't really deserve this. She was looking out for her sister.

Control yourself, he told himself, control.

"Listen," Rose said. "I really fucked up, okay? I'm going to be in so much trouble when my dad gets home, and Ella . . . I messed up a lot. And I'm not sure what I'm doing will help, it'll probably ruin everything, but I have to try. I'm desperate," she looked at him with pleading eyes. They had similar colours to Ella's, but none of her warmth and endless depth that collected secrets.

"What's wrong, Rose? Did something happen to Ella?" he forgot what Rose did, his thoughts solely on Ella and her well-being. He swallowed, chest rising and falling quickly.

Rose chuckled humorlessly. "Yes, something happened. And I need your help."

◯●◯●◯●◯

Even though Noah had entered the Ali household plenty of times, he never went past the first floor. Regardless of the severity of the situation, and what he learned from Rose and what he was going to do, there still was a tingle of excitement as he climbed the carpet-clad stairs to the upper floor. The feeling came from entering a place that was previously . . . not quite forbidden, but off-limits.

Noah was losing his mind. He surely must be if this was his most dominating thought at the moment.

Rose had filled him onto the key point: something happened that triggered Ella's depression, her state, why she hadn't been answering any calls or texts, how their dad was on a work trip, Rose trying to get her to take her meds, and the way only Noah's name seemed to evoke any kind of emotion. Rose also explained why she was keeping him away, and how now she thinks it would be better if maybe he did come to speak with Ella. As she said, she was desperate and was willing to do anything to help her sister.

Rose paused in front of a closed, white wooden door that looked like all the other doors in the house. But unlike the rest of the house, Ella was on the other side of the door, hurting. Noah wanted nothing more than to burst through the door and be beside her, help her. He just wanted to ease her pain. He couldn't stand to think that she was hurting.