A Million Tears (Wish 2)

21 - A ham sandwich

Noah had run away. He couldn't think straight. It wasn't Brenna's father who upset him. He had some, but only because Noah's first thought was he wished he was hearing those words from Patrick Gentry not Dr. Reilly.

From the moment, he had stepped out of the shower he was doomed. She was so gorgeous and as she watched him shave it just felt right. Somehow she took over his world and as much as he didn't want to, he needed her. It scared the living shit out of him.

He laid in bed playing what if. What if Benna wasn't part of his life? Each time he asked himself his future looked void, just work and nothingness. What if his grief crushed Brenna? All he saw was her strength. The worst was what if something happened and she died? Brenna had told him long ago he would live with regret.

He wasn't sure he could survive more loss in his life. His choice had boiled down to either an empty void with no new pain or a full life possibly with pain. So much rested on Brenna. Would she be willing to deal with his moods? He remembered his head on her lap as the warmth of her hand seeped into his chest, into his heart. Did she have enough strength to share with him?

His bed had already felt empty without her. His sleep was restless and by five-thirty, he knew he would not sleep anymore. He wanted to work and needed to occupy his mind, but when he arrived at the hospital, it was too early.

Hoping it would somehow help him feel closer to Brenna, he visited her sister. Noah had thought he would sit by her bed while she slept, but she was awake.

"Can't sleep?" She shook her head as he sat in the chair by her bed. "How's the pain?"

"Uncomfortable. How was the party?"

"Beautiful."

"Was it the party or my sister who was beautiful? Don't answer. Your face already did." He felt the heat. "So, I heard you went to the fountain. I'm still waiting for my wish to come true. Did you make a wish?" He shook his head. "You didn't throw a coin in?"

She sounded as if he had committed a crime. "I did, but I didn't wish."

"Oh, but you did! Whatever was on your mind was your wish! I hope you weren't thinking of a ham sandwich."

Laughing, he shook his head. "No."

What was he thinking about? Brenna, he always thought of Brenna.

"You like her don't you?"

"She's my best friend." He wasn't lying. Before Mia could question him, he questioned her. "What do you love about her?"

"Brenna?" He nodded. "She's my sister, but she'd do anything for me. When I was little, she'd try to take my punishments for me. When I had a bad breakup, she dropped everything to let me cry on her shoulder. Because she's Brenna, she dried my tears and dragged me to my classes."

She had done the same for him, except for the 'dragging' him to work part. "Has she ever let you down?"

"Never. She can annoy me, because she's damn bossy, but she has always looked out for me. I bet she would have had this surgery for me if she could have."

He smiled. How many times had he wanted to be hit by that car? He would have died for Declan. Afraid the tears would start he had one more question. "Could she ever do anything that you would never forgive?"

She shook her head. "No. Sure I get mad at her, but just sibling mad. Forgiveness is a given."

He and Declan had fought like brothers and had been mad at each other, but they always forgave. Maybe Declan had forgiven him and he didn't know it. What if he sent him Brenna? Twice, because he screwed up the first time. He couldn't screw up this time, because there would never be a third.