Dad laughed and started pushing me towards the door.
Adele waited until I was back in my room and then said, “Thirty-eight members of Eternal Light have been picked up. There was a massive raid on the commune and most of them were still there. Donald and Shaun were found on the edge of the woods, still looking for you. The couple from the house are okay. Seamus is in hospital with stab a wound but nothing as serious as Noah’s injuries. He’ll be allowed to go home tomorrow.”
“Oh, my God,” I whispered. They were only trying to help us and that was what they got because of it. Guilt burned in my chest. I wiped yet another round of tears and replied, “Okay, thank you.”
“I’ll be outside if you need me,” Adele said. “The nurse shouldn’t be too long now.”
I practically leapt out of bed when the nurse came for me. Mum, Dad and Jeremy trailed behind. I hadn’t had chance to speak to my brother about Noah yet but his clear concern meant he’d forgiven him. Or at the very least was willing to work on it. There was no doubt that Noah saved my life.
“Slow down, Scarlett,” Jeremy said. “I’m not carrying your arse when you collapse on the floor.”
He was right, I should. I was still beyond tired and every single part of my body ached beyond belief, especially my legs, but Noah was alive and wanting to see me as much as I wanted to see him. A normal walking pace was not an option.
“I won’t collapse.” Well, I would but not until I saw he was okay and was back in my bed.
I reached his room with a lot help from Dad who was practically holding me up the entire way and turned to my family.
“You want a few minutes first?” Mum asked.
“Yeah, thanks.”
There was a police officer outside his room but he gestured with a nod for me to go in. I recognised him from the station, but he hadn’t been one of the ones questioning me.
“Noah,” I said, slowly peeking around the door. He was pale and looked exhausted but he was sitting against his pillows alive. “Can I come in?”
He half smiled and nodded once. “You alright?” He even sounded tired.
“I’m fine, just worried about you,” I said, taking very slow, careful steps towards him.
“Why?”
“Um, because you were stabbed!”
“Wasn’t too bad. Good thing my dad is a bad aim.”
I stopped dead, eyes filling with tears. No. I assumed it was Donald. “Your dad did that?”
“Don’t be surprised, Scarlett, your parents were going to do the same to you.”
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, but his parents had raised him for sixteen years. How could his own dad turn around and try to kill him? “I’m still sorry.”
Sighing, he replied, “Yeah, me, too. Scarlett, why are you even talking to me?”
“Because of what happened.”
“That’s exactly why you shouldn’t be talking to me. I know what you said when we were out in the forest but we’re safe now, the danger is over. You don’t have to forgive what I did to you…”
“You saved my life, Noah. I’m not going to pretend that I understand Eternal Light, but I do know that when it came down to it you put me before what you’d believed your whole. That means everything.” I sat on the bed. “Seeing you like that, being wheeled into hospital…” Taking a deep breath, I continued, “It changed me. I was terrified that you wouldn’t make it. You chose me, and you almost died because of it.
He gulped. “Yeah, well, I love you. I always knew it, but I didn’t know how strong it was. I love you more than everything, and I didn’t care if the prophecy was true and you were the key to eternal life because you deserve this life. Every dream or goal you have, you deserve a chance of achieving.”
“You’re pretty amazing,” I said, swallowing what was likely to turn into an ugly cry. My heart swelled at his words. “And I love you, too. I tried to stop when I found out who you were, but I couldn’t turn it off. That actually made me even angrier with you. But I do really love you.”
He held his hand out. “Come and lay with me for a bit.”
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You won’t, just stay on the side that wasn’t stabbed.”
I dropped my head. He was stabbed saving me. I lay on the bed against his pillows keeping a little distance so I didn’t put any pressure on his body at all. “I won’t break, Scarlett.” He pulled me closer, and I laid my head on his shoulder, keeping my arms and legs away from him.
“You were stabbed, and I don’t want to do anything to hurt you more.” He’d lost a lot of blood and was also out all night and most of the morning in the cold.
“Believe me, you laying with me won’t hurt. How are you feeling?”
“Tired, sore and achy but nothing a really, really long sleep won’t fix.”