“I need to warn you,” she whispers softly, avoiding Noah’s gaze. “It looks bad, but we’re all pulling for her.”
The nurse pushes the door open and steps to the side, giving Noah and me space to go through. When my eyes land on Cora lying in bed with a bandage around her head and cords sticking everywhere, I almost fall to my knees.My Firefly. What did they do to you?
Noah stops walking and peers up at me. Even though I want to bring Aidan and Bea both back from the dead so I can kill them all over again, I can’t. Where they’re at, they’re going to suffer. Her body looks so small in the bed, and there’s gauze or some type of dressing wrapped around her head.
Squeezing Noah’s hand reassuringly, I lead him toward her and pull a chair closer. I slide to the edge of it, so he can sit with me, and I reach for her hand. It’s cool to the touch. The beeping of the machine reminds me that her heart is still beating, and it quiets the monster inside of me for now.
“Cora. Wake up,” he whispers.
“She needs sleep, buddy, remember?” I remind him softly.
“I know, but when I’m tired or sick, Cora still checks on me.”
“Good point. Why don’t you talk to her a bit? I’m sure she’ll still hear you even in her sleep. You’re the most important person to her, Noah. To both of us.”
I sit back as Noah talks about all the things he did with theMorgans and Seth. He pulls up his shirtsleeve and shows off yet another stencil tattoo Kash did for him. This time it’s a giant spider. “I wanted a green one, but Kash said it would look better like this.” He shrugs, then turns to me. “Do you think I can get a real tattoo, Atlas?”
Offering him a small smile, I look from Cora to him. “Maybe one day, when you’re older, you can talk to her about it.”
“Fine.” He rolls his eyes and sits quietly for a minute. I can’t take my eyes off her. I cup my hand over her uninjured one, careful not to hit the IV attached to the side. The need to touch any part of her is crushing.She’ll be fine, I remind myself.
“I’m hungry, Atlas,” Noah blurts out, making me laugh a bit. Of course he is. Looking at the clock on the wall, I see it’s close to eight-thirty in the evening.
“Alright, bud.” I nod, nudging his side a bit. “Do you mind if I stay with Cora and one of the guys goes with you?”
He doesn’t answer at first, so I add, “I just don’t want her to be alone.”
Nodding, he agrees as long as I text Kash. My brother appears in the doorway with Mr. Morgan a few minutes later, and Kash waves to me as he walks out with Noah. Mr. Morgan looks like he’s aged ten years since we’ve been here, and honestly, I’m a bit scared to be here with him now. I don’t know how much he knows, but I’m not going anywhere.
I stand from my chair and gesture for him to sit, but he waves me off. Sitting back down, I glance at him next to Cora’s bed, watching me. “You don’t have to be here, you know. We can take care of her.”
“With all due respect, sir, that will not happen.” I rub circles on Cora’s hand and squeeze it slightly. I need her to know I’m here.
“No? Haven’t seen you around much; figured you two weren’t an item.” He gives me a pointed look. I think he knows more than he lets on, but it doesn’t matter.
“We had a disagreement, but that’s it. Nothing more.” I don’t take my eyes offher as I answer.
“Is that so?”
“It is. Her and Noah are mine.” My eyes shift to meet his.
Crossing his arms over his chest, he shakes his head. “You have no idea what she’s been through, all she’s given?—”
“I know exactly what she’s given, and what she’s been through,” I interrupt him as I run my finger down the scar on her arm. I have plans to cover it with another tattoo, but it’ll have to wait. “I know more than you think.”
“I know all about you, Atlas.”
“You don’t know shit.”
“I know you’ve had a rough life.”
“Who hasn’t?” I scoff.
“That’s fair, but it’s not just her. It’s Noah, too. You’re young.”
Shaking my head, I almost laugh. “You don’t get it, do you?”
“Get what?” he asks me, arching his brow.
