Me? I just lay there watching him, embarrassed that I felt so freaking weak.
All business now, he turned his eyes on me again.
“Youhavethemost incredible eyes.” My words just ran together. “Like the ocean before a storm.”
His mouth twitched. “You’re white as a sheet.”
“I always look pale.”
“No, you don’t.” And then he chuckled a little. “You blush,” he said. “A lot.”
“I do?”
He sat down on the edge of the bed, cracking the seal on the Gatorade before pressing it into my hands. “Sip. Slowly.”
I scooched so I was at least partly sitting up and took the bottle.
I liked the way his fingers lingered when he handed it to me.
I forced myself to take the tiniest sip in the world. Waited a few seconds. Went to take another, but then more words just bubbled out of me.
“What’s the meeting about?” I asked.
“The meeting?”
“When you get home?”
Noah, who’d been watching me like I was a particularly difficult patient, shook his head. “Renewing my contract.”
“They want you, right?”
Silence. And then he looked away and scrubbed his hand down his face.
“Not sure I want them.” But then he pushed a cracker toward my mouth. “Eat. Slowly.” I took one tiny bite. When the saltiness didn’t make me gag, I took another one.
“Why not?” I closed my eyes, feeling my stomach churn. I refused to throw up in front of him.
He didn’t answer right away, but I was okay with that. Sitting with him, taking small sips of the sweet drink and eating the cracker…just being quiet… It was good.
I thought he’d forgotten my question when he eventually sighed. “That’s a good question.”
He didn’t elaborate. Didn’t explain.
But he didn’t have to.
I kept my head up, even though it seemed to be heavier than it had been a few minutes ago. “I know you came on this trip for your mom, but maybe you can find some answers too… You know? What is it Morty says?”
His gaze flicked to mine, a little confused. “Who’s Morty?”
“In the pendant—not on the mantle. He says when you climb the mountain, it’s not about seeing the mountain. It’s about seeing yourself. I think that’s it? I’ll have to ask Babs.”
“Here.” He handed me two pills. “Tylenol.”
I slid them into my mouth, forced another sip, and dropped back onto the pillow.
I was half asleep when Noah smoothed a cool, damp cloth on my forehead.
Tender. Caring.
