If I Lie : Book 2

33. Needed You

Ashley POV

Noah had settled in well to what we'd shown him around the house, and lastly, before we were to meet everyone else, we'd show him his room.  It wasn't much, since we were on immediate notice that he'd come to stay with us but I had felt the need to make up his room to his liking just as much as I felt the need to hug him. I wanted him to feel comfortable and loved-- it was the fact that Eliza had him sent for him to be "terminated" as she liked to say; that had hurt me to the core, possibly more than the boy felt hurt by knowing this. He would've grown up to be my child too if she had learned to love him. 

The room was bland, a standard guest room with linen sheets, linen curtains, and a gray/blue theme, some colors of sand stood out as well. It was very beachy, "Calforinia minimal". He looked back at us all as we stood on the very nails of our toes, he smiled so bright and gorgeously, his curls meeting the air as his head whipped to us. He likes it, but for confirmation I should ask. "do you like it?" I ask the boy. He nods in simple approval. 

Ansel comes upstairs with Eliza's little brother, bags in check to bring into the room. "thank you so much Ms. Bla--"

"Ashley, remember?" I reminded him. 

They both drop the suitcases behind his bed by the window. He's here, and I want him to stay, I want him to be comfortable, I want to get to know the son I never knew we had. He's apart of this family now, despite being the nurse's adopted son and I am ever so grateful she took him in. "right," he agrees. 

"You can make the room up however you like or if you don't like this room too much there are other wings we can set you up in-- if you need privacy-- anything you need, we are all at your disposal." I nudge Eliza's arm, she looks at my glumly and forces a smile upon her face. "don't be afraid to ask us for things, go shopping even, it's Eliza's favorite thing to do and when you want to leave at any time, just come in my room--"

"Your room!" Corvina raises her voice and Matt tugs gingerly at her elbow, keeping her calm. 

"As I was saying, come in my room and I will quickly arrange for that. We want you to see this as your second home, us as family and that you are welcomed to come and go as you please, Noah,"

"M-May I have a moment to unpack?" he asks. 

We all nod and leave him alone, until he tells Eliza to stay with him. Joss, Lita and Alan split from the group to maintain the welcome party outside downstairs, meanwhile Matt, Corvina and I talk in the bathroom. "you're staying here?" Corvina asks.

I nod. "I have too, just for a few days, I think he's less threatened by me and actually likes me, what if he needs me?"

"We need you!" she cries. "I need you."

"Corvina, Ashley is right to stay here, she needs to be with Noah for a while, she can handle herself," Matthew comes to my defense and stands besides me. "she's next door, we can see her during the day."

I relax into Matthew's touch, gladdened that he is on my side and not against me, as selfishly as Corvina is. "I'll miss you is all," she lurches forward, sandwiching me into a hug between them both. 

"I'll miss you too." I tell her. I kiss her passionately, pulling her in by her shirt and locking our lips. I feel happier that she doesn't want me anywhere else but with her and Matthew. 

"I guess I can get some work done, because you are distracting anyways," she says playfully, rolling her eyes. "so can I, we both have big plans that need some working on,"