I choke on my breath, my wide eyes flicking to Tabi, standing blissfully oblivious to the danger looming right over her head. My ears start ringing as everyone goes around minding their own business, unaware of the impending catastrophe.
The pens and cardboard in my hand clatter to the ground as I rush to Tabi, each step feeling a mile long, pulling her into my chest and covering her tiny body with mine. My eyes squeeze shut as I await the flare of pain from the overhead stage spotlight crashing into me.
But that’s not what I feel.
All I feel is a warm body plastered into me as it grunts over me, their hot breath falling over my ear as they wrap their arms around the little kid under my protection and me . Saving us from a horrific disaster.
For a moment, everything ceases to move as the light crashes over the body, the sound of theglass hitting the wood beneath our feet deafening. But it doesn’t just stop at that. The entire overhead panel creaks and falls over us, over the person guarding us.
Tabi screams in my arms. I want to scream too.
I don’t.
Ican’t.
Not when everyone is dependent on me.
When I finally come to my senses after the subsequent crash, I relish the familiar heat of the person above me. I know it’s him before I even see him.
The hall fills with shouts and cries of every single person present. I’m suddenly airborne, Tabi’s figure hunched over me. My eyes practically bug out as I finally cast my glance to Noah, who lifts us both in his arms without an oomph.
This mountain of a man makes me feel like a delicate flower while continuing to nourish my roots and make me stronger day after day.
I let the warmth of his embrace seep into my soul for as long as possible, yet it vanishes too soon when he walks down the few stairs of the stage and lowers us to the ground. The involuntary grunt that slips past his lips remindsme of his condition—of how he endured the full force of the lights shattering against his back.
I stagger on my feet, putting Tabi down carefully. Just as I’m about to turn to him to assess his injuries, my heart thundering in my ears at the fear of how much he must’ve hurt himself, I’m hauled back and crushed into another chest just as I’m about to touch Noah’s cheek.
“Fuck, Kid. Are you alright?” Ezra pulls back, frantically inspecting every inch of me from head to toe, his face leeched of any color. He must be worried sick.
I point at Noah, since he’s the one who bore the brunt of it. He should be checked out. Ezra ignores me, continuing to fuss over me. I love my brother to death, but I need him tostopand let me get to Noah.
My breath stutters when I turn to him, only to find a trail of blood flowing from his forehead down to his neck. He hurt his head. It could be serious.
Before I lose it and explode, Kaeli calms Ezra down. I understand him—he came so close to losing someone so important in his life, he couldn’t bear to see someone else he loves gethurt.
But someone I love is fuckingbleeding, and I can’t go to him.
Of course, I love him.
How can I not? When he keeps putting others over himself.
I’d think there was something wrong with me if Ididn’tfeel anything for this man.
I hate that he cares so little about his well-being, though. Even if it’s me he’s trying to protect.
“She’s alright, Ezra. Let her go,” Kaeli rubs his arm, calming him with just her touch. And my eyes and a barest hint of a smile thank her for it.
“I’m okay, Ezra,” I assure him, my hands covering his as they fall between us. He searches my eyes with his own furrowed ones, and nods when he sees that I don’t have a scratch.
The same can’t be said about Noah. But the second I take a step in his direction, he takes one back, imperceptibly shaking his head. When my brows draw together, my feet urging me to erase the distance between us, he slightly cocks his head at Ezra, who’s watching us, him more than me.
I relent, hating every second of it.
My hands clench, fisting my dress to hold ontosomething, lest I do something like run to him and kiss him in front of my brother. While I might not have restrained myself if it were any other day, I do today. Noah is in no condition to protect himself from my brother when he ultimately loses it and bashes Noah for going behind his back.
Because hewill.
Ezra walks over to Noah, clasping his shoulder. A silent gasp falls out of my mouth as I feel his pain when his face contorts in pain for a mere second, when Ezra’s hand lands on him.