Two Broken Hearts

(Ryan's P.O.V.)

I pull out my phone and call Colby. I say "Colbs, we have 3 problems, Noelle..." He cuts me off and says "Has lost her memory and don't remember who she was before. Yeah, I already know that Ry." I stammer "H-How did you..." He cuts me off again and says "Noah called me, he's worried about her and he wanted to tell me because he knows that you wanted to reintroduce yourself to her. Not a good thing by the way Ry." I say "Noah's always hated me so that's nothing new, but he called you? I thought he hated you because you are related to the 'boy that broke his little sister's heart'."

He says "No, he doesn't hate me anymore now that we have a common goal. Protecting new Noelle and maybe getting her memories back." I say "Colby, we need to get my Noelle back, maybe not all of the bad memories and burdens and various regrets, but her old self back."

I pout at the thought of not having her in my arms as I should right now.

She should be mine but instead, she's standing there reading that...notebook. She should be laying there in my arms telling me how much she loves and needs me and how much her past has shaped her into the horrible being she may become.

He says "But...I know your other two worries are her kid she adopted and her breaking because I know you just handed her one of your Noelle's spiral notebooks." I say "How'd you know that?" He says "Noah texted me." I say "You two are seemingly getting along great huh?" He says "It's about his baby sister and my best friend Ryan, you have to put that into perspective."

I scowl "It's about my girlfriend, Colby." He says "Ry, chill, if you were her boyfriend, she'd be in your arms instead of reading the book YOU brought her." My jaw clenches at his words as I say "Colby, I brought her that so she wouldn't leave me. She literally said she was done if I didn't bring her one so what choice do I have anymore, she's hard-headed and stubborn and she's the old Noelle she was before all of that."

I think back to Hardin.

She took one look at him and fell in love. She knew she wanted to be his mom. Then the day I left, I walked home and said "Hardin, you are going to come to live with me. Is that what you want?" and his voice replied "Yes daddy." We walked out of the apartment her and I shared, and I left with tears running down my face.

I brought her to Colby's flat and he automatically connected with Colbs, so I left him there. Of course, me being his dad, I didn't let him stay there with Colby, but I did let him sleep over with his Uncle Colbert. We had our own little flat and I knew I couldn't let him stay with her. Not that she was in a wrong, bad mindset, but because she was broken and I didn't want him to be the one thing caught up in the middle of it all. I didn't want him to think of me as the monster she thought of me as.

I'd come to Colby's and bring him with me and I and Colbs would talk while Hardin would sit there and listen to Colby as he read various novels. I wonder if she ever wondered how he was or even cared about him. Don't get me wrong she is bound to care about him, but she wasn't there to take care of him.

I had to take care of him and as much as that wasn't a problem, I didn't want to do it alone.

I didn't want to be alone.

The corners of my mouth twitch into a smile and I text Colby "Hey C, could you possibly bring Hardin here? Tell him his daddy has a huge surprise for him." He replies "Yeah, may I ask what you need him for and what your plan is on this?" I say "Colbs, I'm thinking maybe if I bring Hardin to see her, maybe, just maybe, all of her memories will come back." He isn't there but I still know he is smiling at the thought of having his, my, everyone's Noelle back.

Time to attempt to get my Noelle back.