Between Gasps and Glances

Chapter Four - GLANCES AND STARES

Noelle's POV

I heaved a sigh of relief when the door flew open and the man who had walked in with Damian the previous day walked in.

“How's he?” He probed, rushing to us.

“I’m fine,” Damian answered with a weak voice.

“I tried…”

“She revived me. She did great,” Damian said.

I took a brief glance at him, or what I intended to be a glance. Our eyes locked together and for a moment, it felt like the world had stopped spinning.

“Ehm ehm!” Damian's friend dragged us back into consciousness.

“Damian, what the hell were you thinking?” He picked Damian from my legs and placed him on the bed.

“I was thinking, I could spend one stupid night without an inhaler!” Damian responded angrily.

“Well, clearly, you can't!”

“Noelle, this is Theo, the only friend I am supposed to have.” Damian rolled his eyes.

“I’ll go get your inhaler,” Theo adjusted Damian. “You want to come along?” he stretched his hand to me.

I turned to Damian, who already had his eyes on me, and immediately our eyes met. I was forced to give a reply, afraid that it was going to be obvious again that we were lost in each other's eyes.

“Of course,” I said, turning around and leaving with Theo.

I sat quietly throughout the ride, trying to place a definition to what I was feeling.

Every time his eyes met mine, I felt chills run down my spine. I felt my eyes light up by his and my heart racing–beating almost thee times more than normal.

“Are you okay?” Theo asked me, calling me back into consciousness.

“Uhm…yes. The inhaler!” I responded, very startled.

“I have it.” He lifted it up.

I looked around, only to realize we had taken a fifteen-minute drive to the hospital. Theo had left me in the vehicle and even returned to the car.

“Yeah. Let's go!” I said, adjusting my sitting posture to suppress the diffidence that was enveloping me.

“So…I couldn't help but notice the way you and Damian have been…”

“He almost died in my arms and I had to give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.” I was very quick and defensive with my response. “I keep staring at him because it keeps feeling like he's going to go off on me and…”

“Hey…” Theo was very calm. “You saved his life. He's out of the woods. Take a deep breath.”

I froze for about two seconds and then took his advice. My deep breath, however, wasn't because I felt he was going to die in my arms, it was because I found myself disoriented by a man, and it was uncharted territory for me.

I turned my face and stared out of the window. I was too shy to look at Theo. It felt like I had been caught red-handed in a crime.

“You know, I could stare into your eyes all night,” Theo said,

“Huh?” I wished that I hadn't heard that right, but it forced my head to turn in his direction.

“Your hazel eyes. I could look into them all night,” Theo said in a very soft tone.

I was instantly dumbfounded. I couldn't believe he was flirting with me.

“Uhm…if you'd just…” I cleared my throat, “let me alight here.” I requested.

“Why's that? The house is still a distance away.” He replied,

“A friend of mine was in an accident and I have to get his drugs too.” I lied, “I forgot, but it's really important.”

“Okay then, I'll take you back…”

“No, please!” I declined strongly. “I mean, Damian is going to need someone with him. I'll only be here for a few minutes.” I stared deep into his eyes until he was mesmerized and then said…

“Fine. I'll go stay with Damian,”

I alighted the vehicle and watched him drive away, only to sit on the sidewalks, because I lied about having to be anywhere.

Words could not encapsulate how I was feeling, at least, no words that I knew about. It was confusion and anxiety and what seemed to be an attraction I couldn't control and then anger.

I spent hours on the sidewalk because I couldn't return to the mansion. Luckily, it was the middle of summer, so the breeze felt cool and refreshing on my skin. Well, until my phone buzzed so hard, it shook me back into consciousness.

“Mr. Hayes?” I answered the phone.

“Noelle, you need to come back to the house now! "It's Damian!” I heard Theo’s terrified voice over the phone, and then he immediately hung up.

I jumped to my feet and ran in the direction of the house, turning back to find a cab as I did that.

‘What could have happened? I knew I shouldn't have left him alone!’ my thoughts ran in a hundred different directions–a thousand even.

“I should have stayed! I should have stayed!” I sobbed, barely seeing my way through the blurriness my tears were causing. My mind could not stop imagining the worst-case scenario, in which case, they were all really terrible instances.

I couldn't find a cab, but that didn't matter to me. I ran as fast as I could, until I could see the mansion gate, and the glimpse of the house only filled me with strength.

“Theo? Damian?” I called, dashing into the house and running up.the stairs to the room.

“Damian!”

“Mr. Hayes!” I yelled at the top of my voice, after barging into his room and finding it completely empty.

I searched the bathroom and every other room there was in the mansion, but there was no sound of anybody, and the longer it took, the more restless and furious I was becoming.

My phone buzzed yet again.

“Theo?” I answered, recognizing the caller I. D as Damian's.

“Noelle, you'll have to meet us at the hospital.” Theo spoke very calmly, the very far opposite of what he had done the first time.

“Theo! What is going on? Talk to me!” I yelled over the phone.

“I sent a vehicle to get you,” he said softly, and then hung up.

My phone slipped from my hands. I preferred the chaos and panicked voice to the quiet one he had in this call, because now I had to wonder, ‘What exactly could have gone wrong?’