I place my hand on the bridge of my nose and close my eyes to think more clearly. "That he was sick. He had a problem that could lead to severe internal bleeding within seconds." Heat spreads through me. "By rupturing, for example."
Yes. That could be possible.
I can sense that I'm onto something big here. Something significant.
With a single movement, I sit up in bed. "An aneurysm," I exclaim as if I've just made the greatest discovery of the century. "That would explain the pain in his back and stomach. The aortic enlargement was pressing on his nerves."
Maya says something, or at least I think she does. But I can't hear her.
This theory changes everything.
"It could have been congenital. Over the years, it grew, causing more and more secondary symptoms." I nod vigorously even though my best friend can't see me. "And then, during the hike, the aneurysm ruptured... his abdominal cavity filled with blood in a matter of seconds..."
My God.It fits!
"No one could have saved him," I add in a hushed tone as I already understand what that means.
The guilt Noah carries is not real. He is not responsible for Julian's death!
"That sounds logical," Maya says from a distance. "And now what?"
"I have to end it," I reply quickly because two things have become so clear that there are no more doubts.
First, no matter how many times I've been deceived by men before, Noah is not one of them. Being with him feels right. And second, once I manage to lift the burden that is destroying his health, we could both be happy until the end of our days.
"I'll be in touch. Bye," I say, ending the call with Maya.
Then I rush into the living room, open my laptop, and launch the internet browser. My attempts to get Noah to open up about the events have consistently failed. Clearly, I need an expert to step in. I mentally go through my former classmates. They're probably still too inexperienced. I need someone I can trust, someone with more years of practice. Preferably in Munich, since we'll be there soon anyway.
My cheeks start to blush as I lose myself in the search.
Who can help Noah remember so he can see Julian's death as it truly happened?
As something he could never have prevented.
