NOAH

Ch. 3

Chapter 3

I don't know if it's my aunt that hates me or life itself.

Once again, I'm late.

"I know what I did was horrible."

If I could shun my ex for the rest of eternity I would, but of course Danielle screwed that up. Literally. The only good thing he's ever given to the world is Dagger. His constant apologies mean nothing when my youngest cousin is one of his offspring.

"I don't regret my son, but I regret his mother. I wish you coul-"

I rush into my bathroom, ignoring his pleas. Does he actually think I'm going to forgive him? Dagger was literally a dagger into my heart. No amount of apologies can change the way he hurt me.

I throw my curls into a bun, no time to comb out the tangles, and head back to my room. Where the hell did I throw those shoes? I kneel in front of my bed, his ramblings melting together into one fat blur. I groan as the blood-stained shoes come into view.

"Damn it, Noah..."

I shake my head. I won't let him work my nerves today.

"Noah?" Josh asks, a hint of annoyance to his tone. "Who's that?"

I look into those baby blue eyes. Those stupid fucking eyes full of lies.

"A person."

"No shit."

"Josh, get out of my room."

"No, I want to know who Noah is."

My brows furrow. On one hand, Noah means nothing to me and on the other, I don't want to tell Josh anything. I want to keep his tiny mind guessing. "You have no right to ask that."

If this is his way of worming himself back into my life, he's in for a big surprise. Dating is for stable people, mentally unbreakable. He'd hurt me one time and I'd already sustained a crack. That life isn't for me anymore.

Look what happened to my mom. One baby and she disappeared forever. Only the lucky ones got to know her.

My aunt on the other hand is a pro. She hops from dick to dick and doesn't shed a tear. The unluckiest ones get to know her and I happen to be one of them. The sheer fact that they share any DNA is enough to drive my mind wild.

"Tell me."

"Josh, get the he-"

The door busts open. Danielle glares at me as she walks into the room, Dagger on her hip. He smiles at me, holding out his arms. His six little teeth shining as drool drips from his chin.

"No, Dag." She scolds. "Josh, you're supposed to be taking your son out, not chatting it up with Nicole."

Dagger's face goes red as he starts to whine, his arms still reaching out for me. I give him a quick kiss on the forehead, running my fingers through his blond locks.

"I was just checking to see if she found his binky."

"I need to go. I'm already late."

Dagger pushes away from his mom, desperately trying to get into Josh's arms. "Da-di!"

"Then go."

"I need to lock my room and I can't do that with you in it."

She rolls her eyes, walking from the room. "I need to live a peaceful life and I can't do that with you in it."

***

My nose burns at the scent of sanitizer and waste. I'm sure it's cleaned but the smell is very much still present. I cough as I walk into the populated chaos of United Medical Center. Many voices climb over each other, calling out things they needed or things they did. Doctors running back and forth. People of all ages whining or groaning about something that hurts or doesn't feel right.