“Liar!” he growled, advancing on me. “I’ll teach you not to tell me lies!”
I threw my hands up in front of my face just as he swung his closed fist at me and connected with my jaw, bringing me to my knees as a pain-laced scream finally tore free of my throat only to be met with harsh laughter.
I felt hands holding mine before consciousness fully gripped me. As comforting as the touch was, it didn’t take away the fear that lingered inside of me. I felt confused, worried and slightly numb. I didn’t understand why I’d had a dream that felt as real as it did harsh. I wasn’t sure what had brought it on, or why I’d thought of it in the first place – all I knew was that it made me feel scared and incredibly uneasy.
Fingertips brushed over the knuckles of my left hand, and the familiarity of it made my heart thud against my chest. I was aware of where I was before I opened my eyes. Everything came rushing back at me in waves. I lazily lifted my eyelids, and as my head ached it made me groan, filling the silence.
“Mum?”
“Noah?” Mum’s voice drew my attention to my right. “You’re okay, sweetie. I’m here.”
“My head,” I murmured as I squinted against the sunlight in the room. “My head. It’s bloody killing me.”
“I’ll get the nurse; the doctor had medication prescribed before the staff rotated this morning.”
My eyes followed my father as he walked out of the room, and I was filled with deep concern for him. I remembered that he’d told me he was sick – stage two lung cancer, he had said. I needed to talk to him about it, I needed to talk to my parents about a lot of things. My mind was a mess, I didn’t know where to start and who to start with.
“Noah?”
My eyes landed on him before he finished saying my name, and I felt myself smile the moment I looked into his ocean-blue eyes. There was worry dwelling inside of them, but when I smiled it seemed to seep away until the eyes I looked into softened.
“Elliot,” I breathed, my relief at seeing him evident in my voice. “I’m so happy you didn’t leave.”
When I could no longer stay awake the night before, I had been worried that he would leave me. This was a whirlwind of a situation for me and I knew that it was for him too, because he was apparently no longer part of my life. He didn’t have to stay with me, but he had done – and I was so thankful because I needed him. That need for him was a tough pill for me to swallow because as much as I hated the fact, everything was different about Elliot and about me. The point I was at in my life apparently had no place for Elliot and I didn’t know what to do about that.
To me he was still my person, my safe place . . . but the person I was in 2020 had turned her back on Elliot and I wasn’t yet sure whether or not it was for my own good. I thought about the nightmare I had just woken up from – the man who’d hurt me sounded like Elliot, but he had never ever hurt me before . . . not in the memories I had of him, anyway. I struggled with what I should do. Should I push him away like I had clearly already done, or should I kick all my concerns away because his presence, his touch, soothed me so deeply?
I did the only thing I could do – I went with my gut, and my gut told me that Elliot was still the same man I believed he was in my mind and heart. I told myself my dream was just a figment of my imagination, and I prayed that I was right.
“I told ye I wasn’t goin’ anywhere, green eyes.”
“I know.” I swallowed. “I was just scared that maybe you’d change your mind.”
“I haven’t,” he said as he gave my hand a squeeze. “And I won’t.”
I relaxed. “Good. Was I asleep long? It’s morning.”
“It’s just gone five past eleven,” Mum answered me. “You fell asleep around one this morning. You were exhausted.”
“I still feel like I could sleep for a year,” I answered honestly. “I had a weird nightmare. I’m so tired it’s hard to think straight.” I looked around the room. “I still feel kind of disorientated, if I’m being honest. I can’t believe this is happening to me.”
“I know, honey.” Mum gave my other hand a squeeze. “But we’re all here for you. You aren’t alone.”
“Have you three been here all night?”
“Of course.” Mum looked at me as if I’d gone mad. “Where else would we be?”
“Mum.” I frowned. “You’ll make yourself sick if you don’t eat and sleep regularly. Dad looks in no condition to be at my beck and call.”
“She’s right.” Elliot looked at my mum. “I’ll stay with her if you and Mr Ainsley want to go and get some rest.”
I snorted. “You aren’t invincible either, Mr Firefighter.” I felt myself suddenly go pale as I stared at Elliot. “Are you even a fireman any more?”
“Yes, I am,” he answered, then leaned forward. “What’s wrong?”
Unexpected tears fell from my eyes and splashed on to my cheeks.
“I don’t know anything about your life now,” I sniffled. “Everything is different now. Everything.”
Elliot used his hands to wipe away my tears while Mum got up to grab me some tissues.
“Well, that’s an easy fix. Start askin’ questions, good lookin’. Ye were always good at that.”
I managed a laugh as I sniffled again, ignoring the ache in my head.
“Are AJ and everyone else okay?” I questioned. “Your mum, your dad, Bailey? Is everyone okay?”
There was a flicker of something in Elliot’s eyes, but before I could guess what
