NOAH

Ch. 36

Chapter 36

I groan, peeling my eyes open as a cramp pounds through my skull. I press myself off the ground, the front of my outfit dripping with water as the sprinklers go to town. I sigh, eyes pooling as my phone gets covered with water, Noah nowhere to be seen.

I click my phone, hoping it's still in working condition, smiling as the top portion of my screen lights up through my cloudy sight. Noah's been gone only five minutes and I miss him more than I ever have missed anyone in my life. I miss him more than I miss my own mother. I sniffle as I realize that Camry has gotten him aft-

I jerk up as a scream interrupts my thoughts, pressing myself to stand as Noah's fuzzy form dashes towards the car. I wipe my eyes, hoping to clear my vision as he gets to me. My hands fly to his face, twisting it all around before his laughter fills my ears. Laughter that propels irritation through my veins.

I push him away as he tries to wrap his arms around me. "You think this is funny?"

He stops laughing, his smile dropping once he sees me. "What happened?"

"Are you fucking serious?!" I point in the direction he came. "You just left me for her! Do you know what that feels like?! Now, you're laughing at me!"

"Oh my God, Raine, I thought you would know that I was just joking." He grips my face in his hands, shaking his head with a smile. "I called her Cammy! I've never called her that a day in my life."

I sniffle, wrapping my arms around his waist as everything he took with him returns back to me. They have no connection and doubt can't even convince me of that. She's no longer here, deciding to hop into someone else's life because she knows she's no match for Noah. She's no match for the both of us together.

"I doubted myself."

"Raine," He tilts my face upwards. "The only person I thought about when I left your mom's house was you. You're the only person I think about on a daily basis, other than Eli. I guess I should've warned you about my plan, but I've been thinking about getting revenge on her every since the party for what she did to you."

"What did you do?"

"I stood her in front of a sprinkler while it sprayed water onto her clothes."

I nod, chuckling as his eyes stare at at my forehead, a sigh escaping his lips. He unwraps me as he takes my hand and leads me to the car. His fingers dance against the steering wheel, once inside, before he slides his hand into mine.

"Raine, I need to ask something of you?"

I nod, sniffling as he cradles my hand. "OK, what do you need?"

"I want you to see someone, like a therapist."

"What?"

He looks down, his eyes staring at our intertwined hands. "I don't want to lose you."

"Noah, you wont." I lift his face to meet mine, my head shaking.  "I'm fine."

"I notice you, Raine. I notice everything about you and all I want is for you to feel better. Just like my dad abuses my family, your aunt has mentally done the same to you. I want to help you find someone you can talk to because my mom used to act the same way. She was scared of everything, sad all the time, barely even wanted get out of bed, but she did for me. I didn't do anything for her. She had no one she could talk to and look what happened to her. I don't want you to walk into the water and never walk back out. I never want anything to happen to you."

He wouldn't have to worry about me walking into the water again, unless we were going together. I'd left a bitter taste on my tongue after nearly surrendering to to the sea.

He notices that my aunt upsets me more than I'd like, notices that I'm worn out, inside and out. He wants me to feel better, cares about me in a way that I haven't even cared for myself, but he makes me want to take care of myself. He makes me want to be better, so that we can be better as a whole.  But, we can only be better if both of us recognize that we need help. He's been abused  more than anything I've ever experienced and he needs more help than I can give, but I can help him get it.

"She had you, Noah, and I will let you help me." I nod, pecking his lips. "But, only if you let me help you."

He looks down, taking a deep breath before he returns to me, eyes glossy. "I will try."

"I know you'll succeed."

He smiles, his hand cradling mine. "I want to be with you, Raine."

"All I want is to be with you, Noah."

"I don't want to wait anymore." He kisses me tenderly, his hands caressing the soft flesh of my cheeks. "Be mine."

"I'm yours."

I smile as his lips meld against mine once more. I never thought that someone other than my mother could fill the gaps in my heart, but Noah didn't just fill them. He reversed them as if they weren't there to begin with. Nothing will ever puncture my heart again with Noah reigning King over it. I can never let his dad take him away, never let him hurt him. I have to protect him, no matter what.

I will protect him.