Kyle reached out his hand and gently wiped off the stray tear that escaped the corner of Noah’s eye; his light touch softly caressing her cheek, as if Noah was as fragile and frail as glass.
Staring deeply into her eyes, Kyle’s voice rang out, the deep and gravelly sound breaking the tense silence. “Were you dreaming?” He asked, concerned.
Unbeknownst to herself, Noah’s eyes started tearing up as she looked away, avoiding his gaze. “Yes,” she stuttered; her voice strained due to her uncontrolled emotions.
Immediately after she said that, Noah grimaced, not expecting her voice to turn out like that. Clenching her fists, she forces herself to calm down, even if her heart beat resounded loudly in her mind.
Like a ray of hope slashing through a desolate grey sky, Kyle’s arm snaked itself around her waist, grounding her back to reality. With a quick tug and a bit of maneuvering, Noah found the side of her face resting against his chest, her head just under his chin, listening to his heartbeat.
This is nice, she thought, gradually calming down as she listened to the rhythmic sound, a light blush coating her cheeks.
A moment after sensing her calm down, Kyle spoke out, his curiosity momentarily conquering his mind. “What was it about?”
Hearing this question, Noah quietly pressed her forehead against Kyle’s chest, her free hand tightening its grip on his clothes. “I…” she began, her voice wavering and tiny. Steeling herself, she continued, “It was from a long time ago. About the things that happened when I found my body.”
Sensing her growing distress, Kyle moved his free hand to the top of Noah’s head, stroking it gently in an effort to comfort her. As he continued the motions, he quietly thought to himself, his shoulders dropping as though he had just sighed. I shouldn’t have pried. My curiosity and impatience isn’t as important as her emotional state. He mused to himself, frowning.
With an audible sigh, Kyle rested his chin on Noah’s head, looking grim. In a serious tone, he said, “You don’t have to say it if you don’t want to. Just tell me when you’re ready. Waiting won’t be difficult for me.”
Speechless, Noah could only nod, hiding the small smile that formed on her lips away.
As silence enveloped the room yet again, Kyle’s hand moved to her back, alternating between stroking and patting it lightly. In a soft voice, he said: “Do you want to go back to sleep, Noah? Just try to rest and not dream, I’m here.”
Hearing his words, Noah squeezed his arm, smiling softly. She felt her throat constricting, as though a stone suddenly found itself lodged inside. Just like that, Noah’s eyes started tearing up, causing her vision to become hazy.
Pushing herself away for a small fraction of space, Noah looked up at Kyle’s face. Although his face was bleary, just looking at his direction gave Noah strength.
“It’s not that I can’t sleep… It’s just that I ran into my mom on the way to find my body.” She shared in a small voice, her bottom lip quivering slightly.
Seeing her like this, Kyle froze while staring straight at her. I knew it’d concern her family, he thought to himself, resisting the urge to cup the side of her face with his palm.
“She isn’t my biological mother. But, she was my foster mother ever since I was a child. Our relationship wasn’t that bad, but…” she continued before taking a pause to take in a shuddering breath. “I think she felt that it was her responsibility to raise me. Like it was a job. An order. You know?”
Not waiting for a response, Noah’s grip on Kyle’s body tightened unconsciously as she continued, her voice tinged with sadness. “I could be wrong, but that’s what it felt like. Even until the very end, when I–”
And with that, silence took hold of the room again.
Kyle, not knowing what else to do, moved to hold Noah’s hands, twining them together and giving them a squeeze, as though the action could give her strength.
Quietly, he prompted, “And?”
Squeezing his hand back, she paused before saying: “It upset me so I let her believe that Noah Park was dead.”
For the second time around, Kyle was left at a loss. Thus, he kept quiet, merely holding her hand to give her strength. Fortunately, Noah went on.
“Dying as she managed the store alone. Hah, can you believe it? Well… At least, like this, she’ll surely feel something for me, right? Pity? Guilt? I don’t know.” With a shake of her head, Noah bowed her head and let loose a small, abrupt laugh, a laugh that caused Kyle to stiffen. “Perhaps she won’t forget me for the rest of her life.”
At that, no matter how stoic and expressionless Kyle was thought to be, at this moment in time, hearing the pain seeping from her voice, it was not easy for him to remain calm, at all.
He placed both hands on her shoulders, his lips melded into a thin line as multitude of emotions swirled in his eyes. Opening his mouth slightly, instead of talking, Kyle let out a shuddering breath. What was he supposed to say?
He bit down on his quivering lip. Without thinking about it, Kyle squeezed Noah’s hands and brought them near his face, forcing her to look back up at him. “Noah, everything’s alright now, though? Right?”
“Yes. Everything is. That’s the magic, right?”
“No, Noah. I mean you. Are you alright?”
Noah stared at him, silently. Kyle merely stared back, patiently waiting. Soon after, Noah bit down her lips as twin tears spilled down her cheeks. Shaking her head, she pulled her hands away from Kyle’s, to cover her face.
“No. Not as good as I thought I’d be. I honestly don’t know why I’m putting myself through so much suffering. It was tough back there, too. But, it’s not like it’s been any easier since passing through here.” She ranted quickly before cutting herself off with a sob. With a shaky form, she sighed. “I think about how cruel I was to my family. I wish…”
Does that mean she wants to go back? Kyle thought, worried over the thought. He was just about to place his hand on her arm but Noah suddenly spoke out, yet again.