"Super-powered" Noah Brandt is the ice to her twin sister Autumn's fire, but when Autumn falls into a mysterious coma, it's up to Noah to find out why and save her sister before it's too late. . . with a little help from Autumn's lifelong crush, Cai...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
C H A P T E R N I N E T E E N
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Mia offers to get the three of us some food and then exits -- leaving me and Caiden alone.
He's pacing the length of the room. He has been since Mia admitted that she's all out of ideas for now. Of course, she tried to reassure her younger brother, vowing we'd all strategize after a good nights sleep, but it's apparent her promises have done little to put Caiden at ease.
"Caiden," I call. "Caiden, stop. Just sit for a bit."
He does, perching gently on the sheets beside me, but he's only substituting one tick for another. His hand goes to his bandage absent-mindedly, picking and scratching at it.
I place my fingers atop his to catch his attention.
Caiden freezes, but after a moment he finally sighs. "I'm no doctor, but I don't think I should have healed this fast. . . another perk of being an Elemental, I guess?"
I nod slowly, eyeing Caiden carefully.
"So. . ." he says then, softly. "How are you holding up, huh?"
"Caiden. . ." I smile ruefully, and it's an expression he mirrors. "I'm. . . terrified, I think," I whisper, surprisingly honest in this quiet hotel room. "But I can't really feel it under all of this -- anger."
Caiden's eyes bore into mine, and I shake my head. "But regardless of what I feel. . . despite how furious and scared I am. . . both for Autumn and for you. . . it's not my life that's on the line right now."
He shrugs, his hand shifting beneath mine, and I'm suddenly aware of just how long we've been touching -- skin-to-skin. Yet, when I move to pull away, Caiden flips his hand and grips mine in his.
His irises simmer, and the tension in my body eases, if only a little. I recognize how much he needs this right now, this kind of unspoken comfort -- and maybe I need it too -- and so I let it be.
"Do you think she cares?" Caiden asks, relatively wistful. I already know who he's referring to; we had this conversation earlier today, or at least touched on the topic, but I suppose now that this is Caiden's way of coping.
