Page 13 of Saving Emily
This must be Noah’s dad.
“I hope you don’t mind the intrusion. When I found out about the accident, I had to visit the only son I have left.”
My heart pains for him. Noah is the only child Trevor has left, and he’s lying in a hospital bed, fighting for his life.
Trevor balks when I sling my arms around his shoulders to offer him my condolences. Noah loves his dad, and he’s suffered enough, so I refuse to add to his guilt. When Noah wakes up, I'm confident he’ll be pleased to learn his dad is here supporting him.
When I inch back from our embrace, the cloud darkening Trevor’s eyes has weakened, replaced by a glimmer of hope.
“How are you here? Noah said you still had a few years left on your sentence?”
“I was let out on probation this week…” His words trail off when he glances at someone over my shoulder. “Hello, Jacob.”
After pacing into the room, his stomps heavy, Jacob offers his hand to Trevor. “Hello, Trevor.”
8
While peering at the people gathered in Noah’s room, it dawns on me how truly loved Noah is. Noah thought he was fighting his battles alone, but the number of people here, supporting him, reveals how poorly mistaken he was.
My heart warms when Slater carefully wraps his arms around Noah’s torso to greet him with a hug. He doesn’t speak. He just comforts his friend without words. After replacing Slater’s arms with his own, Marcus tells Noah how sorry he is, and how he’ll forever support him.
Today is the first time the band has been allowed to visit Noah. From the number of people in the one space, it’s obvious this hospital’s unlimited visitors rule spread like a wildfire through Ravenshoe. Noah’s room is bursting at the seams with his family and friends. Even his dad sits quietly in the corner.
My eyes stray to the side when Jenni enters the thrumming yet somber space. The moisture pooling in her eyes flows down her cheeks when she takes in Noah’s extensive injuries.
"Oh, Noah," she breathes out slowly before making her way toward him.
My heart swells while watching my best friend interact with my fiancé. Jenni kisses Noah on the cheek before she whispers in his ear. How much she adores him is written all over her face. He is also her best friend, proving Noah doesn't just have his family and friends supporting him, he also has mine.
I startle when Lola slings her arm around my shoulders. She snuck up on me so agilely, I didn’t register her approach. “How are you going, Em?”
“I’m okay.”I’m not the one fighting for my life.
With her mood more playful than our other guests, she bumps me with her hip. “You never thanked me, you know.”
My watering eyes drift to hers. I'm utterly confused. “For?”
“The night Jacob dropped me home from Mavericks, I told Noah the bathroom was on the left,” Lola admits, giggling.
What?I’m still lost. My bedroom is on the left; the bathroom is on the right. Is Lola saying she steered Noah in the wrong direction so he’d walk into my room? Was she trying to set us up?
Like she heard my unvoiced questions, Lola nods before waggling her brows. “The instant I saw him, I knew he was perfect for you, so I gave fate a little push.”
Her words cause an avalanche of emotions to hit me at once. Her saying resonates with many I’ve had the past two years. The instant I met Noah, I knew without a doubt my life wouldn't be the same if he wasn't a part of it, but the thought of losing the love of my life has my stomach churning like an out-of-control washing machine. It races vomit from my stomach to my throat while burning my eyes with moisture.
I clamp my hand over my mouth, praying I can keep the contents of my stomach as well contained as my secret. I haven’t told anyone I’m pregnant as I want to share the news with Noah first. Jacob only knows because the doctor lectured him when I fainted. He thought Jacob was my partner.
Confident I’m not getting enough oxygen through my clamped mouth, I stand from my seat so I can suck in some quick breaths in the corridor. When I’m overwhelmed by another dizzy spell, Jacob catches me a mere second before I tumble to the floor.
"Breathe, Em, breathe." I concentrate on his nurturing tone while striving to fill my lungs with the air they’re desperately craving. "That's it — calm big breaths. You're okay. Noah is okay."
Once he’s certain I’m no longer on the verge of a panic attack, Jacob’s eyes snap to Lola. I hear her mumble something in confusion before she bursts into the corridor I was heading for seconds ago.
I stop tracking her movements when Jacob offers me a reassuring smile. He’s trying to remain calm for my benefit, but his eyes are full of panic.
Realizing I need to display the same amount of strength, I murmur, “Thank you, Jacob,” before retaking my seat.
As I do that, I spot several sets of eyes peering at me curiously. Fortunately, my mom is utterly oblivious to anything that just transpired. She's huddled in close to Noah's side, whispering in his ear. It takes several long minutes of uncomfortable silence before she finally clicks to the awkwardness now plaguing the room.
