Counting Stars(Book One/Noel's Story)

Ch. 15: Counting Stars

Ch. 15: Counting Stars
Part One

Noel's p.o.v.

I sighed as I snuggled into Eric's warm embrace. Being here felt safe and that was a feeling I wasn't used too from anyone but Silver. Just being here with him truly felt right. I wasn't sure I was ready for all that would entail with Eric, but I knew I didn't want to lose him. I couldn't lose him. I came to close to losing him to many times to let that happen again. We had been through to much these past few months for me to just let him walk away from me empty handed. I loved him that much I knew, I just didn't know if he felt the same.

"They say that Steve is going to be fine." he whispered breaking me out of my thoughts and pulling me a little closer to him. It had been a few days since we woke up and about two days since Steve woke up. I still didn't know what had went done with him, but at least we were at peace in the moment. It felt good to finally not have to worry about losing one of them.

"What happened?" I asked my voice as quiet as his had been. My dad was asleep on the couch against the window. He hadn't left my side since I woke up and I knew that he meant well, but I needed a little bit of space to breathe. As harsh at it sounds, I can't talk to Eric like I need to talk to him with my daddy lurking around. There are things that I need to say to him that I can't say with my father around. I need to do this alone. I need it to just be us. Right now is the best chance I have, but first I needed to know what happened.

"Apparently, around the time that you woke up Silver's monitor flatline. They found that the error was due to the machine and not her per say. Especially since she had awaken a few minutes later. However, Steve snapped and I can understand why." he paused and I could see the fear in his eyes.

"What is it Eric? What aren't you saying?" I asked panicking a bit.

"I don't want you to hate me for this."

"I don't think that's possible."

"After Steve's dad suddenly popped back up Steve has been a little bit off and neither did he or I know why. He knew something was missing. He hated his dad with a type of intensity and he just knew it wasn't just because he left. He wanted to know the full truth. Two days before guys woke up we went back to that house. We went in those rooms. We were sleep deprived. We were desperate. We both had experiences like no other and it definitely cleared the mental block he had put on his memories. Steve had a twin name Stephan and not only did he see him die he know who did it and how it happened." he paused again as tears slid down my cheeks.

"His father?" I asked as he nodded his head yeah.

"He walked in on his father raping his brother. He kept saying it hurt and asking him to stop, but he wouldn't listen. He wouldn't stop. He pushed his head down into the mattress and by the time he was finished he had suffocated him to death. Steve began remembering it all and then suddenly it's like he'll be losing Silver also and we all know that he loves her. He lost it. He snapped. He blamed Mr.Grey and I guess it's because he thinks he could've done more to protect her, but he didn't. He pulled a gun out and aimed it at Mr. Grey, before he could pull the trigger though he was shot. From what the nurse who save him said the doctor was the one who called it and that's why we were told he was dead. She swears something spoke directly to her and told her to keep trying though. Obviously she listened and fifteen minutes later he was breathing again. I told her we would forever be grateful to her. She said no need. As long as there's still oxygen flowing to the brain and heart there is still a chance."

"What about with you?"

"Huh?"

"What did you experience at the house? How were you after they said Steve was dead? How were you in general? I want to know everything Eric."

"U-Um..." he stuttered.

Eric's p.o.v.

I stared at her wide-eyed. What was I supposed to say? What was I supposed to do? I couldn't lie to her, but I didn't know how she would react to the truth. Slowly I opened my mouth to speak, but quickly closed it shaking my head my head no. I couldn't do it. I couldn't tell her. I had barely said anything and I could already feel the tears streaming down my cheeks. I just couldn't.

"Eric?" he whispered wiping away my tears concern in her eyes.

"I can't tell you Noel." I cried. "I don't want to hurt you."

"You could never hurt me. Don't you know that by now. You are my happy place. As long as I have you nothing else matters." before I knew she was placing her lips against mine in a slow passionate kiss. "You can tell me anything." She whispered after breaking the kiss and placing her forehead up against mines. I sighed.

"Noel, Joe was the reason we found you. He texted us off of your phones. The officers returned them when he was picked up. We got there and we found you guys I had never been more happier in my life. For a month we agonized over where you were and what was happening to you. For a month we wonder if you were okay while being kept unwillingly in hospital rooms. Then you passed out and it looked like you were giving up. I thought you were leaving me. For another month I struggled to be positive. I bonded with your father and he had to tell me endlessly that I protected you when I felt like all I did was failed you. I didn't know if you would wake up or not and I came to realize a lot about myself and us in that time frame, but there was still something else I had to do. Steve thought going into that house and being there would do some good for us. I didn't get it, but i couldn't let him go alone. So I said my good-byes to you and promised to be back as soon as possible. We there for a day. That night I experienced what I think was a dream, but I don't know. It was like you were right there. I could hear you talking to me basically telling me we would never meet again. Telling me all you had wished you did and I was yelling back in agreement. Then it happened. I could see them hurting you and you screaming and there was nothing I could do about it. I had to sit there and watch you until I returned to my body. It was horrible and I'm so sorry you had to go through that twice for so long. I'm sorry there was nothing that I could do to help. Hell if only we had thought to take you guys some where else besides that damn hotel we could have prevented this." I paused to take a shaky breath as she wiped away more of my tears. "We came straight back here. It was at that point I knew I needed you more than ever. I needed you to wake up. I needed you to hear me. I needed to hear your voice again. I needed you not to give up on me. I needed you not to give up. I just needed you. Two days later you woke up and for the first time in months i felt like I could truly breathe again. Noel I thought I lost you for the longest. Seeing those beautiful green eyes again was all I wanted for months and to finally be able to see them was like being five years old and seeing Santa in your kitchen eating cookies when you were supposed to be asleep. Then I was told Steve was dead. I broke. All this time I had tried to be strong for us all and I broke. I couldn't do it anymore. It wasn't fair and it felt like I had failed to protect all of you. I felt like it was my fault. Regardless of everything being here with you right now and knowing that everyone is better than anyone expected us to be and it feels perfect." Okay this was the time to do it.

Noel's p.o.v.

"Noel," he sighed grabbing my hands as my eyes went wide. "I never want to go another day without you and I know that I will be waiting forever for you to be entirely comfortable with me and I more than willing to wait as long as you're waiting with me. We both may be broken, but we can use our broken parts to help rebuild each other. Noel, I love you. I've always loved you and I always will."

I gasped the minute those words left his mouth. I sat there open mouthed yelling at myself to say it back already. He loved me. He loved me. He loved me for me despite everything I've been through. Despite all that he's been told. Despite the way I pushed him away. He understood. He truly understood and there was nothing more I could've asked from him. He just accepted me.

"I-I, I love you too." I cried a single tear sliding down my cheek as a full blown smile spread across my face. Damn it felt good to be able to smile a true genuine smile with him again. It had been to long. His eyes lit up once my words registered in his head and he was pressing his lips against mines eagerly in a long passionate kiss.

"Happy birthday Noel." he breathed pressing our foreheads together. I stared at him wide-eyed and confused before looking at the date on his phone. How had I forgotten my own birthday?