Between Gasps and Glances

Chapter Seven - MAKE A CHOICE

Noelle's POV

My eyes opened slowly to a blurred site of unfamiliar ceiling. As I tried to bring myself into full consciousness and clear vision, I remember the woman who was the last thing I saw.

She spoke about knowing my secret and exposing me to Damian, but after that, I had no memory of what happened or how I ended up in a hospital. I equally had no memory of the woman's face, because she was all shadowed.

“Are you okay? What happened?” I heard a familiar voice accompanied by quick footsteps walking towards me.

“Theo,” I called softly, very surprised to be seeing him.

“They reported they found you on the street and you had nothing on you but your I.D and they could only get your number off that.” Theo said, his voice was filled with concern. “How are you doing now?”

‘Where’s Damian?’ That was the first thing I wanted to say, but I wasn't sure how smart, or dumb that was going to sound. ‘Why would I be expecting he'd be here?’

“I'm okay. What happened?” I replied, my voice was very soft.

“You don't remember?” Theo seemed a bit enraged, but the truth was I had no memory of how I landed here.

I shook my head, sending negative feedback.

“Excuse me!” Theo stormed out of the room. Confusion was added to the many things I was feeling at the time. It was like he was expecting me to have given him so much and my inability to do that was driving him crazy.

For the next two hours, I was left by myself, lying in the very spot, barely able to move my muscles.

The view from outside my window was nothing but the finely trimmed hedges of the hospital.

I kept staring in that direction, calmed by the natural look of the trees behind the hedges, until…

‘There he was!’

“Damian,” I called softly, trying to stretch my hand in his direction, but my body won't move.

He looked passionately into my eyes with eyes filled with compassion, I immediately stopped trying and stared right back–deep into his eyes, soaking in every emotion I could find in him.

There was something about his gaze that felt healing. I felt a calm from my emotions to my body. His eyes seemed to cast a spell on me that said ‘everything will be fine.’

“Miss. Noelle, you have a guest,” a nurse pushed my door open and snapped me out of the mood as I was startled and had to quickly turn around.

“Jace!” My voice grew a little stronger with excitement.

“I came as soon as I heard,” he said, hurriedly taking a seat beside me and holding my hand very tightly.

“Shouldn't you be resting?” I probed,

“I'm fine. You're the one we have to worry about now,” Jace placed his hands on my face.

Jace's presence was so much of a relief to me. I loved the idea of having him around, but I couldn't help looking out the window, looking for Damian, who had disappeared the very moment I took my gaze away.

“Do you think this has to do with…”

“Jace, no,” I immediately cut him short. I knew him well enough to know where he was headed and even though that was the first thought to cross my mind too, I didn't want to nurse it.

“Noelle, are you not tired of laying low? She's costing you everything. First, your job, which cost you a normal life for two years and now she's going after your life. It's enough!” I saw the rage burning in Jace's eyes.

I stared quietly at him and my reaction caused his rage to slowly cool.

“Noelle, it's just us here,” he said softly, “tell me, what really happened? Does she have a hand in this?” He probed.

Tears trickled down my cheeks. I looked at Jace, filled with so much compassion. I hated that it seemed a lot of bad things had happened since I accepted the job. In a space of one week, both Jace and I had ended in a hospital bed.

“Jace, the answers you're looking for, I do not have them.” I responded, “I have no idea what happened and quite frankly, I doubt now that I want to know,”

“Noelle…”

“I'm going to need to check you and then you can go,” a doctor walked in, accompanied by the nurse that announced Jace's arrival.

Jace and I kept staring into each other's eyes. His gaze, however, was more firm than mine, because I kept looking out the window, hoping to find Damian behind the hedges.

My assessment lasted fifteen minutes, and all through, I could only pray for one outcome.

“She can be discharged,” the doctor announced. I heaved a sigh of relief in response.

“Mr. Theo will process the papers and in a few minutes, you can leave.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Jace and I chorused before the doctor walked out.

“Let's go,” Jace packed my bag, helped me change and led me out of the room. We had barely gotten to the reception, where we ran into Theo.

“Great.” He stretched his hands to take my bag from Jace, but Jace withheld it from him.

Theo and I were surprised and pulled back a little to give Jace a closer look.

“She's not going anywhere with you.” Jace said, “it was my mistake she was ever there,”

“Jace,” I called softly, trying to plead with him to calm down.

“Mr. Jace, I understand your concerns towards Noelle, but Mr. Hayes wants to make sure she gets the very best care there is to receive, given that she was under his care when this happened.” Theo said,

“Was,” Jace repeated with so much emphasis. “She was under his care. She no longer is,” Jace pulled me by the hand, but I wouldn't move.

“Damian wants you at the mansion.” Theo said, staring deep into my eyes.

The mere fact that I was thinking about it broke Jace’s heart, he stared at me in disbelief.

A very crippling silence soon enveloped us. They were not saying the words, but I was obviously expected to make a choice.

“Noelle!”