Chapter 48

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TYLER

I'm on my second cup of coffee, staring out the Sanders' kitchen window, when Madison walks in rubbing at her eyes before setting her glasses on the bridge of her nose.

"Oh, hi, morning" she says, looking around. "Where's Nora?"

"Out," I motion vaguely toward the window and to the outside world. "She had to go for a run."

Madison pours herself a cup, draining the pot, and takes a seat next to me. She brings the cup to her lips, her eyes staring at me from under her thick brows. "Something happened."

It's a statement, not a question, but I answer anyway. "Yeah. Don't worry. She'll be back soon."

"How long has she been... on her run?"

"An hour," I say without looking at a clock. I've been counting minutes in my head. I know she's coming back. I know her. She just needs to let it all out, needs space to figure out her feelings, and then she'll be back. She has to.

We sit in silence for a long while, the only sounds the clinking of coffee cups against the table and the occasional slurp. I can feel her eyes on me, assessing me.

"You told her, didn't you?" she finally breaks the silence, her voice triumphant.

"What?" I ask absently, still staring out the window. Waiting.

"You told her you love her," she's practically beaming when I move my gaze to her.

I frown. "How...?"

"How did I know?" she grins. "Well, for starters, it's pretty obvious you love her."

"It is?" I can feel heat creeping up my neck. Shit. Have I been goggling at Nora like an idiot? Looking at her like some love sick puppy?

She nods, "Totally. At least to me. Don't forget I've seen you two together a lot these past weeks." Her expression turns dreamy. "The way you gaze at her when she's not looking, and the way you seem so happy when you make her laugh and I don't know, it's just... " she shrugs, like there's not really words to explain it.

My throat feels like it's closing. "Right," I manage to get out.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about," she reads me well. "But if it makes you feel better, I don't think it's as obvious to people at school, and definitely not Nora. I mean, before you told her."

"Right," I say again and glance out of the window.

She follows my eyes. "She's been through a lot of crap with our dad, and Zane, even Caleb... you," her eyes trail a squirrel running to a tree on the yard. "She's been dealing with a lot of shit from men, so she's just... She just needs a minute to get herself together."

"I know," I say, meaning it. "She's strong. And she's brave. She just needs a moment to remember that. She knows how she feels. She knows what she wants, always has. She just needs to decide if it's worth of possibly getting hurt again. Not that I planning on hurting her," I add quickly. "All these years she's never run from anything. She won't run away from this." I try to force conviction in the words, needing them to be true.

Madison nods, accepting it as the truth. Her lips form a small smile, "Remember when we were all kids and you and Nora were inseparable?"

"Before everything went to shit you mean?" I say dryly, turning to look at her.

She chuckles. "I guess. Well, mom used to always say that you and Nora would end up together when you were older. That it was obvious how much you loved each other even then, even if it was innocent kiddie love, you know. She said you fit together like two pieces of the same puzzle."

My brows shoot up, surprised. What? I never knew Nora's mom thought that.

"I was always so jealous of you two," she lays her chin on her hand, propping her arm on the table. "You were inseparable. It was the two of you against the world. I wish I had that."

I think back to that time and see she's right. We were the best of friends, sharing everything and doing everything we could together. She made my life that much brighter. There's a reason I fell for her hard, even as a kid. I never saw any other girl like her. She was it, from the moment we met. I just wish I hadn't been such a fool when mom died. If I hadn't pushed Nora away in my grief, would we have been together for years now? Would she have seen me as more than a friend before now if I hadn't let her go? Would she have stayed when I told her I loved her, and said it back without fear?

It's the greatest regret I have, hurting her like I was hurting back then. Shit, I wish I could go back in time and fix it all. I would do everything differently. I would be there for her when her father left, picking up the pieces and pulling her back together. I would treat her like she deserves, instead of unloading all my anger on her. I fucked it all up.

Now I can only hope she sees me worthy enough to love.

Fuck it, I can't wait anymore. I need her to know she can count on me. That I'll always be there for her. That I'll always come find her when she feels lost. I need to go.

I'm up and out of the kitchen in an instant.

"Where are you going?" Madison yells after me, probably startled by my sudden exit.

"To where it all began!" I shout back over my shoulder, already jogging through the door.



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