by Rhea Wilde
I looked away from him and turned to the ground. I shook my head as I tried to focus. All of the anger and resentment I had for Castle was bubbling up inside of me. I couldn’t control it.
“You owe me,” Noah said. “You owe me! I saved your life! You owe me this, Sheila!”
The sound of Noah’s voice filled my head. I couldn’t think straight. I was conflicted. I didn’t know what was right or what was wrong any longer. I couldn’t make any sense of it.
“Sheila!”
I stopped hesitating. Dwelling on it any longer would only make things worse. I turned back to Castle and shut my eyes tight. Without thinking, I raised the gun up and squeezed.
The gunshot rang in my ears.
I could only hope I was doing the right thing.
“Sheila…”
Noah’s hand moved on mine. I released my grip from the gun and let it fall into his hand then slowly opened my eyes.
Castle was still there, staring back at me with the same anger in his eyes that he had for me. The shot I fired made a massive dent in the limo just behind him.
The sound of police sirens started to grow louder. In the distance, I could see the lights of a stream of police vehicles making their way down Harbor Drive.
“We’ll take it from here,” King said to me and Noah. “We’ll explain everything to the cops.”
I looked up at Noah and relief washed over my face and down the rest of my body.
“Come on,” Noah said as he put his hands on my shoulders. “There’s nothing left to do here. It’s over.”
Chapter 27
I was tired of dreaming. I was tired of the nightmares. I was tired of having my thoughts twisted around and feeling overwhelmed by everything. I just wanted it to end. Only now did it seem like all of it was finally over…
There was an eerie peace inside of the hospital. The white walls were so sterile. The silence was almost maddening. I wasn’t complaining though. The bed was comfortable and resting upon it gave me a relief I hadn’t felt in a long time.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m… I’m fine.”
I responded to Dr. Braun after he held the light to my eyes. He made some notes on his clipboard as he continued to speak to me.
“It sounds like you had quite a night.”
“That’s one way of putting it,” I sighed. “I’m exhausted.”
“After everything you went through, you should be. But…”
He finished scribbling then looked up at me with a smile.
“…You should recover nicely.”
“What happened?”
“You had a minor concussion. Nothing life-threatening. I want to keep you overnight for observation. Just to play it safe.”
“I understand.”
“Just call the nurse if you need anything.”
Dr. Braun nodded to me and excused himself. As soon as he left, I closed my eyes and exhaled a deep breath through my nostrils. My body sank into the bed. It felt like I hadn’t slept in weeks. Before I could drift off to sleep, I heard the door open. I turned and saw Noah walk in.
He looked little different from the way he usually did. His shirt was just as dirty and smeared as it was when I saw him a few hours ago, the only difference was a small splatter of red blood upon it.
He walked up to me and took off his beanie, running a hand through his disheveled hair. A friendly smile on his face made me return the favor.
“Hey,” he whispered.
“I’m fine. The doctor wants me to stay overnight just to be sure.”
“Not going out and getting into trouble. I’m sure that’s hard for you to do.”
I chuckled softly at him. It was surreal to be here with him, looking back up into his eyes. There was nothing more I wanted, and it was right here in front of me.
“How did you know?” I asked.
“I had a feeling.”
“A feeling?”
“Yeah. I’ve gotten to know you. I knew you were up to something. I knew you were going to do it alone.”
I thought about what happened. The sting. The botched investigation. The blood and the bodies.
“How were you able to figure it out though?” I said.
“I went to Fresco. Just like I said I would. I talked to King. Wanted to see if anything was up. They got a word that something was going down with Castle and the cops.”
“That simple, huh?”
“Yeah. I knew you were involved.”
I looked away from him, embarrassed about what I’d gotten him into. Noah was never supposed to be involved in this. Ever since the beginning, he was there for me when I needed him the most.
“I don’t remember what happened,” I explained. “One minute Castle was threatening me. And then the next, you were there.”
“King knew where Castle was. Heaven’s Havoc kept tabs on him. They keep tabs on every major player in the city. When I told him you might be involved, he understood. Let’s just say I called in a favor.
“They went in guns blazing. They were waiting for an opportunity to do it. Castle never suspected a thing.”
“Why would they do that?” I asked. “Why King risk his whole club just to take down Castle?”
“I can’t tell you why,” he said. “All I know is it wasn’t a problem for him. This isn’t the first time New Gardens has been in a jam and he got involved. There are a lot of people who care about this city. You’re not the only one.”
Noah’s hand was on mine. When I turned and looked at him, I could see a sadness in his eyes. His lips turned down slightly into a frown.
“Why would you do that?” he whispered. “Why would you risk everything like that?”
“I had to do something. I had to do my part. Not just for Kimmy. This entire city was suffering because of him.”
“I see…”
Noah looked down at our hands joined together. He gently rubbed the top of my hand with his thumb.
“I guess that’s why I care so much about you,” he said. “You’re not like anybody I’ve ever met.”
“Probably because you don’t know anybody as old as me. You should probably be spending more time with someone your own age.”
Noah stopped rubbing my hand. I could see his jaw clenching as he stared back at me.
“You’re still on about that?” he said. “After everything we’ve been through?”
“It’s the truth. Listen—”
“No, you listen,” he interrupted. “I don’t care how old you are. I don’t care about what happened between you and my father. I don’t care about what people think about us. I’m not listening to what they say behind my back. None of that will change the way I feel about you. I care about you. And if you care about me, you’d understand what that means to me.”
I could see the hurt in his eyes as he said it. They started to glaze over and it suddenly became so much harder for me to look at him. All of the feelings I had inside of me rose to my chest and made it hard for me to speak.
“I love you, Sheila. And I know you love me. The time I spent with you… It was special. It was special to you, too.”
He was right but it was harder for me to admit. I couldn’t figure out why. I wanted to tell him but something stopped me.
“Tell me, Sheila. Just tell me the truth.”
I could feel the warmth in my cheeks. The way he looked at me… The feelings he brought back to me. It almost reminded me of the way his father looked at me. But this was different. This was more than that. This was something I’d never felt.
And that’s when I knew there was more to it than I wanted to admit. I couldn’t deny it any longer.
“Noah… Noah, I…”
I could feel a tear beginning to streak down the corner of my eye. I squeezed his hand and braced myself. I couldn’t hold it back any longer.
“I love you.”
He looked away from me, a somewhat relieved smile appearing on his lips. I closed my eyes to prevent my face
from getting wet. When I did, my thoughts became clear. For one sobering moment, nothing else mattered. I was filled with a happiness unlike anything I’d ever experienced. And I was with the man responsible for it.
His face was close to mine. His breath was on my lips before he kissed me. I opened my mouth slightly and gently pulled on his lips. The salty taste of my own tears told me the kiss was real and this wasn’t a dream.
He pulled away from me and I opened my eyes. His face close to mine, he stared at me, looking me right in the eye.
“I want to be with you,” he said. “Whatever it is you do or wherever it is you go. I’m going to be with you and I’m not going anywhere.”
“I want you to be with me. Wherever my life takes me, I want you by my side.”
He smiled at me softly then nodded. He moved away from me for just a moment. I watched him take a chair from the corner of the room then move it next to the bed. He took a seat right down next to me then took my hand in his once again.
“You have to stay overnight,” he said. “So, we’ll stay overnight.”
“I don’t think we’re allowed to have overnights.”
“I think they’ll understand.”
“I… I don’t want you to be late for work tomorrow.”
“Lou won’t fire me. He needs me. He knows no one else can do the work I do. And the work will still be there when I get back. Everyone can wait. I just want to be with you.”
“…I want you here with me.”
I sank into the bed, my hand still holding Noah’s. He didn’t say anything else. He didn’t have to. I could tell what he was thinking just from looking into his eyes.
“Wait,” I said.
“What is it?”
“I just remembered something. Help me get out of bed.”
“Sheila—”
“Please. I promise I’m not gonna get into trouble.”
I giggled at him and he responded with a sly smile.
“All right,” he sighed with reluctance in his voice. “Where are we going?”
Noah held his hand out to me and helped me get out of bed. In nothing but a pair of flip-flops and my hospital gown, I walked with Noah out of my hospital room and into the hall.
“Quiet,” I whispered.
We did our best to walk by all of the nurses and doctors walking around. Thankfully, they were too busy to pay any attention to us. I did my best to be as nonchalant as possible. Lucky for me the room was only one floor above, so it was a short trip up a single flight of stairs to get where I needed to be.
“Sheila,” he whispered. “Where are you going?”
“I just need to pay someone a visit.”
I made my way down the hall. The cops I was used to seeing were nowhere to be found. The nurse at the reception desk was the first person to catch us but she recognized me from the times I’d been here before. She gave me a nod then returned to her work.
“Right here,” I said. “Just wait outside, okay?”
“Yeah. Of course.”
I stepped into the room and remained as quiet as possible.
Kimmy laid there peacefully as she had been this entire time. The sight of her in this state was never easy to get used to but this time wasn’t as bad as the others.
I walked up to her and took my hand in hers.
“It’s okay,” I whispered to her. “It’s over now. The man who did this will get what’s coming to him. He’ll get the justice he deserves. You can sleep peacefully now.”
I looked at the little girl, her eyes still closed. It had been so long since I’d seen her awake.
“You’ve still have to wake up though,” I said. “We still have to celebrate. Don’t keep me waiting, okay?”
I reached down and squeezed her hand in mine.
“I’ll let you rest. Don’t stop fighting. You’ve got even more to live for now.”
My emotions began filling up inside of me. The warmth in my cheeks and the wetness building in my eyes forced me to look away from her. I wiped my nose and my eyes and stepped out of the room.
Noah was waiting for me.
“Hey,” he said as he put his hands gently on my shoulders. “Are you okay?”
I took a moment to gather myself. I sniffed and sighed a deep breath before looking at him.
“Yeah. I’ve never been better.”
Chapter 28
Noah spent the whole night by my side. When I woke up early in the morning, he was still there, his hand clasping mine. I dreamed about him the entire time. It was the most pleasant dream I had in a long time. Seeing him there when I opened my eyes made me feel something in my heart I couldn’t describe. It was like he had replaced something that was missing.
Dr. Braun examined me and said everything checked out. After being excused from the hospital, Noah escorted me out to his motorcycle.
“Now what?” he asked.
“I… I should probably get back to work. Give me a ride?”
“Of course.”
He winked at me and hopped on the bike. I took my place behind him and squeezed my arms around him.
It was a sunny day in New Gardens. Summer was in full-swing. I saw kids playing all along the sidewalks, taking in the sun as they did. A group of kids opened a fire hydrant and cooled off from the heat. Older people rested in the shade.
I found the weather more bearable for some reason. A cool breeze blew against my face and through my hair. The city zoomed by but I’d never felt safer. It felt like I was flying.
Before I realized it, we were back at the shelter. Noah parked on the curb just in front of it. As soon as I stepped off, a familiar voice welcomed me.
“Hey! There she is!”
I turned and saw Max walking toward me, a giant smile beaming on his face. He walked right up to me and squeezed me in his arms. I shut my eyes tight and returned the favor. I hugged him like it had been ages since I’d seen him. After everything I’d been through, Max was a welcome sight.
When I pulled away from him, he looked at me like a proud father, my arms in his hands.
“You’re all right,” he said.
“I’m all right,” I said with a nod.
We shared a laugh together. I couldn’t contain how giddy I was. Max turned his attention to Noah, who leaned up against his motorcycle.
“Max,” I said. “This is Noah. He’s, um, he’s…”
“I’m her boyfriend,” Noah said.
A rush of embarrassment swelled in my cheeks as my face began to blush. I could barely look at Max, who was staring at me with a mischievous smile on his lips.
“Okay,” Max said with a nod. “Okay indeed, Sheila. I’m all for it.”
As Max stared at me, all of the emotions built up inside of my stomach. I could see Max beginning to feel the same way, his eyes becoming glossy right before me.
“I’m glad you’re all right, Sheila,” he said. “It’s been all over the news. I knew you were involved. I just knew you were. I didn’t think—”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “It… It won’t happen again. I promise. I’m dedicated to the shelter. That’s it. If something like this happens again, I won’t make you worry.”
“Good,” he said with a swallow. “You do what you have to do for the shelter. But just remember to be happy, you hear?”
He looked at me sternly, pointing his index finger at me as he said it. I laughed softly and nodded to him.
“Okay,” he continued. “I should probably get back to work. I’m gonna head inside and take care of some business. The sun is working extra hard today. That garden needs me.”
I smiled as I watched Max march into the shelter then turned my attention back to Noah. He smiled at me, and I felt like a schoolgirl again.
“My boyfriend?”
“Yeah,” he said. “Am I not?”
“I guess that would make me your girlfriend.”
“Yeah, that’s usually how it works,” he said as he laughed.
“And you’re okay with
that?”
“You already know the answer to that.”
“You won’t be ashamed if the guys at Fresco look at us funny because you’re with an old woman?”
“Sheila…”
He took my hands in his and looked deep into my eyes. He had a way of looking at me that always made me feel like I was the only woman who existed.
“…I was never ashamed to be with you. I knew I cared about you from the moment I met you. I just…”
“What is it?”
“I’m just glad you’re finally giving me a chance, you’re finally giving us a chance.”
“Yeah… Me, too.”
He leaned forward and kissed me softly on the lips. My eyes closed from his touch. The second when our lips touched, everything disappeared. Any stress I had left melted away. It felt like I was floating. I almost couldn’t handle it.
I pulled away from him and opened my eyes to the sight of him smiling softly at me.
“I should probably get inside,” I said. “The shelter needs help like it always does. And you should probably get to work.”
“The work can wait. I already told you that.”
“So, what are you gonna do?”
“Maybe you can show me around the shelter. Maybe I can help.”
“Noah, you don’t have to—”
“I know I don’t have to. I want to.”
He didn’t have to try hard to convince me.
“Okay,” I sighed.
I took his hand in mine and led him into the shelter. We had only taken a few steps in when Marie greeted me in the only way she could. The nurse looked up at me from her clipboard her eyes widened.
“Oh, no, you don’t!” she said to me.
“What?” I said in confusion. “What’s going on?”
“You think I don’t know? It was all over the news, sweetie. Max told me all about it, too. You’re not coming in here. You’ve gotta take some time off. You’ve gotta rest.”
“What? I just took nearly a week off.”
“That was for your leg. You need some time to yourself.”
“But the doctor said—”
“I don’t care what the doctor said. I’m the head nurse at this shelter. You obey my orders. Is that understood, young lady?”
