The Pilot And The Dreamer

Chapter 15

"Easy, easy Hazel, what's wrong?" Noah says, holding me by the shoulders as I continue to shake. I walk into his embrace and cry into his chest. I point towards the figure who is getting up and rubbing his face.

"Damn Hazel, you sure have a punch." Nathan says, rubbing his face. The light hits it just right and there is a nice bruise on it. Noah tightens his grip around me just as a sharp pain hits my hand, causing me to cradle my hand and hiss through my teeth.

"Damnit!" I hiss, bending over and Peter picks up my hand to examine it. 

"Dang, Hazel, you did a number on your hand." Peter says, "We need to get you to a hospital. I'll go grab Natalie." He goes inside and I turn towards Nathan.

"What are you doing here? Stalking me? How dare you! I can file a restraining order against you!" I shriek just as Peter comes back with Natalie, Eric, and an ice pack for my hand. I lay it on my hand as we walk towards the car. 

"How did Nathan find you?" Natalie asks and I feel anger surge through me. I pull out my phone to call my mother.

"Darling, are you on your way home?" 

"You need to knock the crap off now." I sneer. "The mom that I remember would set me up on dates, but wouldn't push me to an arranged marriage." 

"Darling, you're not getting any younger, so might as well marry someone." That comment sends a shock through my heart, causing me to start crying. 

"I don't trust him, mom. Why can't you understand that!" I yell just as we pull up to the hospital. "Bye, mom." I hang up before sobs rack my body. The door opens and Noah makes eye contact with me.

"One step at a time, okay?" I nod and he scoops me up into his arms and carries me into the hospital. The lady gives us some paperwork to fill out and we do quickly and then get pulled into a room. Noah sits me down on the bed and then sits next to me. 

"How can my mom not understand me?" I ask.

"It might not save anything, but what about getting in early when everyone is asleep, packing up our things and then get out to the airport."

"But our flight doesn't leave until Sunday and it's only Saturday," I say, just as the nurse comes in to check and assess my broken hand.

"Hi, I'm Clarisse and I will be tending to your hand. How did this happen?" She asks and Noah lays an arm around my waist.

"I-i had to punch someone out of self-defense." I shyly say. Clarisse checks my fingers and after doing what she needs to do, she wraps a bandage around my hand. 

"I will give you some painkillers to help, and also make sure to change the bandage twice a day." She says, leaving the room and I sigh. 

"I have to get out of Miami." I start crying and three sets of arms surround me. 

"Hey, we will get through this." Natalie says, just as Clarisse comes back with a slip for my medicine and the discharge papers. We fill those out and then head back to the car, heading back to the airport. 

"Thank you, Noah." I say after a few moments of silence. I look at him to see him glancing at me with a smile before turning back to the road, only to feel his hand grab mine. We park by the airplane and climb on board, but I stop Noah by the arm.

"Everything okay Hazel?" He asks me, standing off to the side and I gesture to Nat that everything is okay.

"I'm terrified to say, this or even do this." I say, nervously. I haven't had a moment like this since Logan, and that wasn't something I want to replay. I haven't realized I was shaking until Noah put his hands on my shoulders. I look in his eyes to see the concern.

"Hazel?" He asks, but I put a finger on his lips to silence him. 

"Ever since that night at the bar, Natalie called you the most handsome guy in the room. Talking with you, I felt safe but also as I clicked with you." He smiles at that.

"Good news I was not the only one who felt it." I smile, put my hands on either side of his face and slowly bring his head down, touching noses before kissing on the lips. It was tentative at first, but I felt myself melt against him as he tightens his grip around my waist. 

Wow, this guy can definitely kiss.

His hands tighten around my waist as the kiss becomes more aggressive before I pull away, breathing heavily. 

"Everything okay, Hazel?" He asks and I nod with a smile, before looking down, ashamed.

What the hell did I do?

You trust him and have developed feelings for him.

I feel a finger under my chin to make me face Noah's kind eyes. 

"Talk to me Hazel." He says, gently. "What's bothering you?"

"I think once everything settles down, I should tell you about Logan." I say and I feel defeated. Noah wraps his arms around me to bring me close to his chest.

"Tell me when you're ready, okay." He says, kissing me on the forehead. "We should get back to Miami." I nod and he lets me go first to board the plane and he follows, shutting the door behind us. I sneak a glance at Natalie, who has a smile on her face before I follow Noah into the cockpit. "Controller, 1642 clear to take off." Noah says into the headset as he taxis the plane towards the runway.

"1642, negative. Stand by." I heard the controllers' voice through the headset and I look at Noah, whos looking at me with the same look on his face. I remove the headset to settle on my neck.

"Noah, what's going on?"