“You’re serious,” Arlo asks, though it comes off more like a statement. That’s when I start to understand the deep bond Noah and Hudson share. “You’ll actually do it.”
“There’s no me if there’s no her, Arlo. I made vows. In life and death. And I plan to follow her wherever she goes.”
“You can’t,” I insert myself into the conversation, walking closer to them. “You know she’d want you to live.”
A smile tugs on Hudson’s lips. It’s a sad one, filled with memories, yearning, and nostalgia. He looks down at Noelle, then brings her hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles.
“Yes, but Noelle knows I’m not the one to listen to her.”
“Hudson…”
He turns to look at me. “I’m glad you’re okay, Blair.”
The sincerity in his voice pains me. He offers a small smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes, glancing all over me, as if to make sure I’m physically alright.
“You don’t blame me?”
His brows furrow. “Why’d I blame you?”
“Because she got hurt because of me. If you hadn’t had to save me, she wouldn’t have been shot.”
From the corner of my eye, I spot Arlo’s jaw working. It clenches, and he looks ready to respond, but Hudson beats him to it. He takes a small intake of breath, eyes never leaving my face.
“The only person to blame is the motherfucker who shot her. I’d never blame you, and neither would she. This wasn’t your fault, and I don’t want you blaming yourself, alright?”
“Okay.”
Hudson then turns to look at Arlo, and the two seem to have a silent conversation. The tension in the room skyrockets, with both men having too many things to say. Arlo’s disheveled hair falls over his face, covering one of his eyes, whilst Hudson looks at him, head to toe, without saying a word.
The silence is deafening. This room is filled with so much pain, anger, and most importantly, the need for revenge. Seeing Noelle so vulnerable, asleep, and unresponsive hurts me.
She welcomed me with open arms, started treating me like one of her own immediately, and she’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to a maternal figure in life. No matter what Hudson says, I can’t stop blaming myself for any of this. Because at the end of the day, everything started going downhill for them after I appeared, and it’s hard not to point fingers. This time, all are pointing at me.
Hudson’s the first one to break the silence.
“Her doctor says that she’s not getting better. But she’s not getting worse, either. This is just a waiting game.”
Arlo sighs, looking down at Noelle. Gently, he pushes a strand of her hair out of her face, stroking her cheek tenderly. His eyes swell with tears, and he swallows them back, trying to hold himself together.
My legs move toward him of their own accord until I’m standing right next to him. I’ve never been good at comforting people, but Arlo isn’t just anyone. I put a trembling hand on his shoulder, squeezing it slightly. A silent way for me to say that I’m right here, and he gets it.
He looks up at me, then puts his hand over mine before turning his attention back to his father.
“What happens if her state remains unchanged?”
“Depends on how long she stays like this. We’ll have two options. Either keep her in the induced coma or try to wake her up.”
“And if we try to wake her up?”
“She’ll either wake up or die.
Arlo’s hand squeezes mine tightly, just like my heart clenches. If Noelle dies, Hudson will follow suit. I’ve no doubt he’ll pull the trigger just so he could be with her again in the afterlife — if such a thing even exists.
But the fallout will be nothing short of terrifying.
Arlo would get swallowed by the rage, and he’ll go on a killing rampage. He’ll slowly ruin himself on the inside until he goes numb. And Aria? God, I don’t even know what’ll happen to her. On the outside, she seems strong, but on the inside, she’s just that little girl who needs her parents. She’s just a teenager; she shouldn’t be losing either of them, let alone both of them at once.
“Blair, do you mind leaving us for a moment?”
