Chapter 20
Noah
I stroll along the wooden pier until I reach the end. The sight of the lake should calm me, yet I still feel tension.
This is unnecessary. I don't have to be nervous just because Elina will show up any moment now with the test results.
"Hello," Elina says from behind me. She sounds so close as if she could touch me if she reached out her arm.
I turn to face her. The sight of her makes my stomach flutter, and I have no clue whether it's because of the radiant smile on her beautiful face or the thick folder under her arm.
She holds up the white folder. "Are you ready?"
Her cheerful demeanor should calm me. It should. Yet I'm afraid that somewhere in those documents, something is hidden that I don't want to see. I need more time. At least a little bit.
"How about a boat ride?" I ask, pointing at the small wooden boat floating next to the pier.
Her lower lip disappears beneath her front teeth. "Sure," she says with a knowing smile. "We can discuss the results along the way."
That worked out well. Although I should be remorseful about my unsuccessful attempt, I can't help but smile. "You never give up, do you?" Her expressionis full of emotion. "Never," she says in a tone that makes my knees so weak I can barely stand upright.
How does she do that? One glance. One word. One gesture. That's all it takes to throw me off balance. I observe her, probably for too long, but I can't help it.
"Is everything okay?" Her forehead wrinkles, but the corners of her mouth remain lifted.
Frantically, I snap out of my stupor. "Yeah." I step to the edge of the pier and slide into the boat. Then I extend my hand to her. "Careful, it's wobbly," I say, just to be safe. I don't want the city mouse to get scared.
First, she hands me the folder, which I place on the floor of the boat with the backside up. Then she sits on the edge of the pier, looking down doubtfully. "It looks dangerous."
"Don't worry, I'll take care of you." Did I really just say that? At least my tone was neutral.
Hopefully.
To avoid thinking about it any longer, I move the boat closer to the pier, grab Elina by the waist, and lift her toward me.
Suddenly, a mischievous smile appears on her lips, and her cheeks blush. "Thank you."
I should let go of her now, but it's hard for me to do so. Since our hike, I've felt the need to protect her. Especially from anything that could harm her and especially from anything that frightens her.
And when she looks at me the way she's doing right now, I even forget for a moment that I can't really do that.
"Alright... then we should... start." Heavens, now I'm stuttering too. It's time to create distance betweenus so my mind functions again. I take a big step to the front of the boat, sit on the wooden bench, and reach for the paddles.
Today, I feel a bit less tired, yet I navigate the boat very leisurely on the crystal-clear mountain lake, just to be safe.
"There's a waterfall over there," I explain in the manner of a tour guide. "Do you want to see it?"
"That would be nice." Her facial expression relaxes. She must have overcome her fear of the rocking boat and will now start enjoying the ride. "We can discuss your diagnosis until we get there."
I shrug. "If we have to."
She eagerly reaches for the folder and opens it. It's so full that it surely contains more than just my current test results. It's probably all the documents Helene has about me. Earlier, her expression was warm, but now she's back to being the doctor. She studies the documents, tapping her finger on specific areas, nodding, and finally looks up at me.
"First, the good news. Your platelet count is normal. So for now, we can rule out vitamin deficiencies, bacterial infections, and rheumatism. Also, pregnancy." She winks at me.
I exhale in feigned relief. "I'm so glad." With fluid movements, I paddle out onto the lake. By now, we're surrounded only by water, and I can barely make out the pier and the clearing behind it where my house is.
"Now, onto the... other news." She quickly averts her gaze back to the documents.
