Between Gasps and Glances

Chapter Eight - LIFE IN THE MANSION

Noelle's POV

I sat very quietly all through the drive back. I could not get over how heartbroken Jace looked.

It wasn't my intention to hurt him, but it felt like I was unfinished in the mansion and I just couldn't leave.

Of course, I couldn't say it to anyone that I wanted to stay back because of the glares that existed between us, but it felt like it meant something and I had to find out what it meant.

“You're off cooking duty for the next three days, at least until we can confirm that you're strong,” Theo said, leaving me at the door of my room.

“Where's Damian?” I spat out the question of the day.

“He's currently unavailable,” Theo’s response was rather cold and then he left.

I fell into bed and the images of Damian's glare and Jace's heartbroken eyes did not leave my mind. It was a tough choice, but I had to make it anyway.

“Welcome,” I heard a thin feminine voice from the door.

I raised my head and found the woman who had stormed into the hospital and left with Damian and Theo.

“Uhm, thank you,” I responded in a shaky voice.

I didn't know what to say to her and judging by her silence, it was safe to say that was mutual.

“I think…”

“We may have gotten off on the wrong foot,” she said, majestically closing the gap between us.

“I'm Brielle Hayes,” she said, extending a handshake, “Maybe if Damian wasn't so sick or busy he would have remembered to introduce me,” she chuckled. I smiled lightly, since I couldn't find the humor in her sentence. If anything, I found her intimidating.

“Noelle Carter,” I introduced, receiving her warm handshake.

“Of course,” she said, “lunch will be ready in thirty. you should freshen up,” she turned around and left.

For reasons I couldn't seem to place my hands on, I wasn't very open to her, even though her words were very nice. I searched for myself thoroughly and I was also positive that it wasn't because I was intimidated by her.

Since I didn't want to make the hostility any worse, I got up and took a bath and headed for the dining room, fifteen minutes before lunch time.

“You're early,” Brielle was just about to close the dish.

“I figured you might need help setting the table,” I replied,

“Oh, how thoughtful,” she said with a smile, showing by gesture the plates she wanted to place on the table.

“The men are going to be here any second. I wouldn't want their starving selves descending on me.” We both chuckled.

“”Noelle, would you please get the glass of fresh juice from the fridge?” Brielle politely asked.

Quite frankly, I was beginning to feel like a jerk for not liking her or reading her energy wrongly. Perhaps I was overthinking it, since I had first crossed paths with her and assumed she was the woman in Damian's life. She was also not very polite, bossing the whole hospital around, but I had reason to believe I read her wrongly.

“Lunch is ready!” Theo shouted like a four year old on Christmas morning, descending the stairs.

“Can't you just go home already? You're a grown man,” Damian sounded exhausted.

“Let him be, Damian,” Brielle responded, laughing lightly as she did.

I had a very broad smile on my face. I really did think that Theo was a delight to be around. Compared to Damian, he brought some glow to the room and at least, he could be caught in a smile.

“Noelle was just about to get the juice,” Brielle said,

“Of course,” I had forgotten and was stuck in a spot, watching Theo.

I walked to the corner of the dining room and took the jug out, but before I took another step, the most unexpected thing happened.

“Ah!” I yelled, frozen from the crown of my hair to my feet.

Everyone stared at me.

“I don't know what happened. The jug slipped,” I tried to explain, shaking terribly. I was filled with diffidence over the clumsiness they had just witnessed.

“Well, lunch is ruined,” Damian broke the silent treatment I was getting from them. He rolled his eyes in a way that suggested disgust and then walked back up the stairs.

“But there's…” I tried to debate.

“Damian doesn't eat lunch without freshly made juice and I made that myself just for him,” Brielle said, sounding really cross and disappointed.

“Also, that was my mother's favorite jug. I do hope you're happy,” she followed behind Damian storming the stairs.

Of course I was feeling horrible, but I didn't feel like it was incident enough to throw away a perfectly good lunch.

“I'm sorry!” I yelled as they ran up the stairs, but neither of them turned back, nor responded.

I bowed my head to the floor in shame.

“It's okay,” I heard a calm voice that could only belong to Theo.

“I know you didn't mean to. Mistakes do happen,” he said, trying to lift my head up, but I was too downcast for that. “Common, I'll help you clean it up and we can still have lunch,”

I raised my head and looked at him with a smile. It was good to know that there was still one same person in the mansion.

“Thank you,” I said softly,

My eyes met with his and the look he had on quickly paralyzed me. I wasn't always the queen of staring contests. I melted every time someone stared hard enough at me, and catching him stare immediately froze me.

In that moment, I felt his face drawing close to mine and mine to his. My pulse rate rapidly increased the closer he got to me.

I wanted to pull away, but I couldn't bring myself to, and I hated myself for it.

“What is going on here?” I felt life leave me when I heard a deep voice from behind me.