“Go to sleep, Cherry,” he kisses my temple and then rolls onto his back and flicks off the lamp.
I’m still awake long after he drifts off. Falling for someone this fast is so out of character for me, but Noah isn’t like anyone I’ve ever met before. There are two sides to him, one I’ve seen a little of, and one he is slowly letting me become a part of.
At some point things will change and I’ll get hurt. It’s too late to stop it. Eventually, I’m going to have to figure out how to deal with that, for now, I let it go and roll onto my side, shuffling closer. Noah lifts his arm and I move closer, placing my head on his chest.
I’m not sure he woke up, but if this is all he can give me. I’ll take it.
Chapter Twenty
Nero
The crackle of the baby monitor and Oscar’s cries startle me out of sleep. He’s thrashing around in his crib. Taylor moves back and makes a surprised noise as I jump out of bed and grab my pants, tugging them on as I run down the hall.
He’s screaming and rolling from side to side his hands up in the air. “Fuck,” I rush over and try to lift him but he starts batting at me. What the hell? My heart is thrashing in my chest as he rolls over, his eyes are half open, but he isn’t awake.
“Noah.”
“Not now,” I try to reach him again.
Taylor grabs my arm and pulls me, I almost lash out at her but stop myself as she drags me backward.
“He’s having a night terror,” she takes my face and tries to turn it, but I can’t stop looking at Oscar as he cries and shouts. “You have to let him come out of it on his own.”
“What the fuck are talking about?” I snap at her.
She doesn’t shrink away keeping tight hold of me. “He won’t recognize you, he isn’t awake and if you try to bring him out of it, he will notlet you comfort him, he’ll fight you because he won’t know who you are.”
I’m still desperate to get to him but her words sink in. She’s right, that is what happens. Even Jesse says Oscar fights him when he tries to wake him up. I look down at her. “Night terrors?”
“Yes, my friend’s daughter has them. They’re normal in kids this age.”
“There is nothing normal about that,” I cry out, watching Oscar.
“Just give it a moment, Noah, trust me.”
I want to, but fuck. I drop down on my knees beside the crib, Taylor lowers with me, still holding my arm.
“He will need you when he wakes up.”
“This is fucking impossible,” I force the words out past all the emotion ripping through my chest.
“He’s soothing himself, Noah, he’ll wake up soon.”
She’s right, the thrashing has stopped, his cries are becoming less out of terror and more out of upset. He rolls over and his eyes open. Taylor finally lets me go and leans back.
“Dada.”
“Jesus,” I stumble over my own feet to get up and lift him out of the crib. He’s crying more in his usual way now and he clings on to me. I press my lips to the top of his head and hold him tight, whispering that he is okay.
In my peripheral I see Taylor getting up. Sometimes I forget she is a nurse, but kids aren’t her specialty as far as I know.
My heart is still thrashing, the adrenalin taking longer to wear off than it is for Oscar. He’s settled against me, his face snuffling against my chest.
“Does he have a favorite comforter or bear?” she asks.
I nod and bend down to pick up Oscar Two. The little shit of a puppy has replaced his other favorite bear. Oscar instantly reaches for it.
“Read him a story, reassure him but you have to let him sleep.”
