Hearts Ablaze (Hearts On Fire Series) (8 page)

CHAPTER 12

NOAH

Last night had to have been the best night of my life. After we fell asleep, we woke up and made love twice more, and then I had her again in the shower this morning. I am so fucking in love with this girl I can’t even see straight when I’m around her. We went out for breakfast this morning and now we’re at her apartment while I wait for her to change. We’re going to see her parents today. Kennedy is out with Grayson again, making me entirely sure that something is going on with them.

Aubrey comes out of her bedroom, dressed in a pair of tight-ass jeans with a gray T-shirt and a pair of sneakers.

“Ready to go, baby?”

She nods at me and throws a small purse over her shoulder as we make our way out to my truck and head over. Aubrey doesn’t need to give me directions, as I remember the way to her parents’. We pull up their gravel driveway, and she tells me to park next to her dad’s car. “We’re here!” she shouts out as we go inside, throwing her purse on a table next to the front door. She takes my hand and leads me through the house to the kitchen, where we find her mom sitting on a stool at the island.

“Aubrey!” Her mom hops off the stool and rushes to hug Aubrey.

“Mom, you remember Noah from the hospital.”

I hold my hand out to her mom, but I’m grabbed in a tight hug instead. I return it quickly.

“Nice to see you again, honey. Can I get you something to drink?”

“I’m okay, Sharon, but thanks. Good to see you.”

Aubrey is looking around the kitchen, one of her eyebrows raised. “Where’s Dad?”

“Oh, he took a nap earlier, but he should be getting up soon. You know how those headaches are on him. And then he has to take those painkillers and they just wipe him out.”

I can see the tears shimmering in Sharon’s eyes, mirroring the ones in Aubrey’s. I have to resist taking her into my arms, but I know she’s trying to be strong for her mom.

“How’s he really doing, Mom? It feels like every time I talk to him he says he’s doing fine. But when I talk to Landon, he says every time he calls Dad is sleeping. Is that normal?”

Her mom motions us into the living room, where we all sit down. Aubrey and I share the love seat, while her mom sits on the couch, holding Aubrey’s hand.

“I don’t know, sweetie. He has his moments where he seems to be fine, but then he’s just in a lot of pain out of nowhere. I wish I could say he’s doing better, but you heard what the doctors said. He’s going to go downhill fast. He’s lost so much weight and he hardly sleeps all night, getting up to take more medicine or throw up.”

Looking at Aubrey next to me, I can see the tears fighting to escape. I press a kiss to her temple, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. I can feel myself getting emotional, but I blink it away. This whole situation just sucks so badly, and there’s nothing that can be done about it.

Sharon wipes at the tears on her cheeks. “But anyway, enough of the tears. Dad wants this to be a good day, so that’s what it’s going to be. We have plenty of beer, and we’ll throw some burgers on the grill for lunch.” She leans down and kisses Aubrey on the cheek, then heads back into the kitchen.

Aubrey lays her head against my shoulder and takes a deep breath.

“It’s gonna be okay, baby. I know it’s hard, but I’m here for you. Whatever you need.”

“I just need you.” She turns her face up for a kiss, running her hand over my cheek. Breaking away, she gives me a smile. “Thanks for being here today.”

“I’m glad we’re here. I’m looking forward to getting to know them.” She smiles then goes back to leaning on me. We sit in the silence, waiting for her dad to come downstairs. I can’t believe how much has changed in just a week. Aubrey is finally mine, and I am going to do everything in my power to make sure that never changes. To make sure she falls head over heels in love with me the way I am with her.

Mike finally comes downstairs about ten minutes later, gripping the banister tightly. Aubrey rushes over to her dad and takes hold of his arm, helping him carefully.

“Hey, baby girl. I’m so glad you guys could make it. I’ve missed you.” Her dad gives her a smile.

“I missed you too, Daddy.” She kisses him on the cheek then helps him into the recliner across from me. I stand up and grab the afghan that’s lying across the back of the couch, handing it to Aubrey after her father sits down. She tucks the blanket around his legs and stomach, making sure he’s warm.

I reach over and shake his hand. “Mike. Good to see you. Hope you’re feeling good today.”

“I feel okay, thanks for asking, Noah.” His grip on my hand is weak, but I can see that he’s trying hard to squeeze. He reaches out his other hand, squeezes both our hands with it, and lets go. I can see just how much he’s changed since the last time I saw him. Almost two months ago, it seemed like he just had the flu, but now after a month of aggressive chemo and deciding to cancel treatment, he looks like a different person. His cheeks are gaunt and he looks like he’s lost at least twenty-five pounds.

Glancing over at Aubrey, I can see how hard this is for her. Her bottom lip is trembling and her eyes are glassy.

Mike motions for us to sit down, which we do. I grab Aubrey’s hand and give it a squeeze, hoping she can draw strength from it. I hate seeing her so lost and hurt.

“So, Aubrey tells me you two finally got your heads out of your asses and are together?”

I chuckle lightly before answering. “Yes, sir. I couldn’t stay away, no matter how hard I tried. She’s something special, this one here. I don’t plan on letting go.” I can see his eyes light up, clearly enjoying the happiness on our faces.

“Yes, Daddy. He’s a good man. He makes me really happy”

“I’m happy for you, sweetheart. Your mother and I weren’t much younger than y’all when we got married. It’s an amazing thing to spend your whole life with someone you love.”

Aubrey smiles at her Dad before she stands. “I’m gonna go see if Mom needs any help in the kitchen.” She blows me a kiss and walks out of the living room. I watch her retreating form then notice Mike watching me with a smile on his face.

“Noah, you take care of my baby for me. I’m not going to be around much longer, and I need to make sure there’s someone watching out for her. She’s a stubborn fool sometimes, but she gets that from me. She takes after that beautiful momma of hers in every other way that counts, but she still has her attitude from me. I worry about how they’ll be once I’m gone, but I’ve been praying that they’ll be okay. I can see that you love her, son, so do me proud and be the best damn future son-in-law I’ll ever have. Even if it’s only for a short time.”

I can feel my eyes burning and I have to swallow the lump in my throat.

Fuck, this is harder than I thought it’d be.

***

Mike and I are watching the Braves game when Aubrey comes back in, holding a bottle of beer. She hands it to me with a smile.

“Thank you, baby.” I pull her down for a kiss, not at all embarrassed at the fact that her father is watching us; I love this girl, and I want Mike to know how loved she is, how much she means to me. I wrap an arm around her waist and set her on my lap. She puts her arm around my shoulders and turns to watch the game with us. Every so often, she leans in to me, holding on tighter. I can tell she’s upset about something; her smile isn’t quite reaching her eyes. I know it has to do with her dad, but I’m not going to bring it up right now.

***

Bottom of the seventh inning and we decide to call the game quits. Aubrey and her mom brought lunch into the living room a while ago. We all ate on TV trays so her dad could be with us, as he was too tired to go into the kitchen. Ten minutes ago, he started to get a headache, so Sharon brings him his pain meds and helps him upstairs. Once she comes back down, she looks pretty beat, so we help her clean up the kitchen. Her mom gives each of us a tight hug, thanking us profusely for the night.

We climb into my truck and head out, Aubrey holding onto my hand tightly for the entire drive. It’s a nice night out, with the windows in the truck down and the music playing loudly. I can’t see her face, as she has it turned to look out the window, but I can see a few tears rolling out of the corner of her eye. It kills me to see her hurting like this. Once we pull into my driveway, I turn off the engine and reach for her arm. She finally turns to look at me and I can see that she spent the entirety of the drive home crying.

“Come here, sweetheart.” I reach across the console and pull her onto my lap. She straddles my lap and buries her face in my neck, wrapping her arms around me tightly. I can feel the hot tears spilling down my neck, so I pull her closer and just let her cry. I know there’s nothing I can say to make her feel better, so I don’t—I just hold her. It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her that I love her, but this isn’t the right time.

Once she’s cried herself out, I feel her body relax.

She sits up and looks down at me. “Sorry, I’m a total mess. I snotted all over your shirt.”

“Don’t apologize Aubrey.” I take her face in my hands and lean forward to press a chaste kiss to her lips.

“This is what I’m here for, baby. I want you to feel comfortable enough to talk to me about what you’re feeling. If you need to cry, feel free to snot on my shirt. You’re my girl, Aubrey. My job is to take care of you. When you hurt, I hurt. I really like your parents, and even though I hardly know them, it hurts me to see them go through this. So never apologize to me for being upset about your dad, baby. Never.”

She gives me a small smile and then a kiss. Pulling back, she moves off my lap and then opens her door. I climb out and we head into my house. We kick our shoes off and spend the next few hours curled up together on the couch, watching reruns of
How I Met Your Mother
. It’s grown dark out and I notice Aubrey has fallen asleep. Checking my watch, I see it’s only seven forty-five. but after the day we had I’m not surprised that she’s so wiped out. Carefully moving out from under her, I head into the kitchen and grab a bottle of water as I shoot a quick text to Grayson, asking if he’s still with Kennedy. I drink my water while I wait for a reply.

Grayson: Yeah, we’re at a bar with a couple guys from the station. Heading out soon, gotta drop her off at home first. What are you doing texting me anyway? Don’t you have someone to be underneath right now? Or on top of? Behind? Come to think of it…

Noah: Shut the fuck up, jackass. She’s asleep. And for your information, we’ve taken care of all of those. Not that it should matter to you. Sounds to me like someone needs to get laid, bro.

Grayson: Nah, I’m good. That’s what a monthly subscription to porn is for. I don’t have to deal with bullshit women drama. And besides, two hands are better than one.

Jesus Christ. I just can’t handle my best friend right now.

Noah: Yeah, you enjoy that, buddy. See ya in the morning.

Shaking my head, I shove my phone in my pocket and head back into the living room. Aubrey is still asleep, her soft hair falling into her face. I carefully lean down and scoop her into my arms. Carrying her into my bedroom, I lay her down on my bed, remove her socks, shoes, and jeans, and pull the covers over her. Going into the bathroom, I strip out of my own clothes, throwing them into the hamper. Walking back into my bedroom in just my boxer briefs, I plug my phone in and make sure the alarm is set. Then I get into bed and pull her against me. She immediately melts into me, resting her head against my chest. I can hear soft snores coming from her, so I place a kiss on the top of her head.

“Good night, Aubrey. I love you baby,” I whisper, knowing she can’t hear me. I close my eyes and let sleep take me under.

CHAPTER 13

AUBREY

Ever since that night at my parents’ house about a month ago, things have changed between Noah and me. We’ve grown incredibly close, and we spend our every waking minute together. I only go home when he’s on shift, and even then it’s usually just to do some laundry and grab some things. But tonight, I’m staying at my apartment, because I’m having a girls’ night out with Kennedy. We haven’t spent too much time together and I’m starting to feel guilty.

Next week is the Fourth of July, so I’m looking forward to my parents’ annual party. Noah and Grayson are lucky and don’t have to work during it this year. I can’t help but feel like this year’s party will be a final farewell to my dad. He’s been getting lot worse, just in the last week alone. Mom has been thinking about hiring a private nurse to come stay with them, as she’s having a harder time helping him get around. He’s almost always in a wheelchair now, because it’s easier for Mom. I’ve talked to Landon about it, and he’s thinking about moving home to help out. We don’t want them to have to dip into Dad’s retirement for that.

Landon has been around a lot more. I think he’s finally come to terms with Dad as best as he can. He can still be really closed off, which is totally unlike him, but at least he’s around.

Noah and I have been going over once a week, for dinner and usually a baseball game. Mom and Dad both really like Noah, and he’s also grown quite fond of them. Mom told me he’s stopped by on his way home from a shift to bring them coffee and breakfast a few times. I feel bad because we haven’t gone to see his parents even once.

Oh, I’ve spoken to his mom a couple times. I called Molly one day to introduce myself, since we’ve been so busy. We met up one day and had coffee while Noah was at the firehouse. She’s awesome; I can see why he talks about her all the time. I told her all about my situation with Dad and apologized for not being over since we started dating. She told me that she’s spoken to Noah several times, and that she understands. I invited her and Noah’s dad, Jack, to my family’s party and she happily accepted. I told her not to mention it to Noah, because I want to surprise him.

He’s been so wonderful, always trying to be so attentive, and I can see how much losing my dad is making him think about his own family. Even more of a reason to spend time with them. His sister, Carmen, came home a week ago from college for the summer. She usually stays with Noah in his guest room, but since I’m there all the time she decided to stay with their parents. Sometimes it feels like I’m completely monopolizing all of Noah’s free time. I love spending time with him, and I love that he spends time with my family, but I don’t want to mess up their normal dynamics. I need to talk to Noah about it.

Kennedy and I have plans to go shopping and then we’re going to buy several bottles of wine and order tons of Chinese food for dinner. I want to get a new outfit for the party next week, and I’m in dire need of a mani/pedi.
Maybe I can convince her to fit that in.
I finish my cup of coffee and rush through a shower, knowing I have tons to do before I meet up with her at noon. I run a comb through my wet hair and twist it up into a knot on top of my head, using some bobby pins to clip down the short pieces that won’t stay up. Throwing on a maxi dress, I head into the living room, grab my Mac off the coffee table, and open it to iTunes. My mom wanted me to transfer all my music to a flash drive for her so she could make a huge playlist for the party, so I copy my entire country folder and save it. My parents are huge country music buffs, and luckily I have a ton of their old stuff saved to my computer.

I throw the flash drive into my purse, and then head out the door. As I’m getting into my car, my phone chimes with a text. It’s from Noah.

Noah: Hey, beautiful. Have a good night with Kennedy. I miss you.

Aubrey: Miss you too. Have a good time with Grayson. Don’t get into too much trouble.

Noah: Can’t promise anything, baby.

Laughing, I plug my phone in and put it in the cup holder, then roll my windows down and open my sunroof. I have the latest Dierks Bentley album playing and I’m loudly singing along to it, enjoying the drive. Kennedy told me to meet her at the mall’s main entrance, so I find a spot and pull in. I unplug my phone and call her, telling her I’m here and to meet me at Bath & Body Works. I head inside, looking forward to this night. Noah and Grayson are going out to some bar tonight. I pray we don’t have to deal with their stupid asses. Grayson drunk is hilarious, but I have yet to see a drunk Noah. Hopefully neither happens.

I’ve only been in the store a few minutes when Kenni comes walking in. “I’m here! Let’s shop, biatch!”

We each pick out a couple new fragrance lotions and over the next couple hours make our way through our favorite stores. By the time we’re done, we’re each loaded down with bags of clothes and some new shoes. We drive back to our apartment separately. Heading straight for my bedroom, I throw all my bags onto my bed just as Kenni walks in.

“Girl, I think I have enough clothes to last me the next three summers!” I shout to her. Maybe I did go a little overboard, but it was worth it. Besides, I did need some new clothes. Reaching into one of the bags, I pull out a new pair of black and teal leggings and a teal tank top with a razorback. I throw them on and head into Kenni’s room, where’s she’s changing into a new pair of shorts and a sweatshirt. Kennedy heads into the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water and tossing me one. We plop down on the couch and relax.

“So, honestly, Kenni. What is going on with you and Grayson? You can’t tell me it’s nothing, because you guys hang out way too much for it to be nothing.”

“Seriously, Aubs. Nothing is going on. We hang out. He’s never tried for anything more, and neither have I. Hell, he’s flirted girls while we’re out together. It’s no big deal. He’s more like the goofy older brother I never had.” She smiles at me, but I can see the pain in her eyes. Ever since I met her freshman year, she has always been very tight-lipped about her family. I know she has an older sister she doesn’t speak to, and her parents are divorced and remarried. She only speaks to her dad, but even then it’s limited. I’ve always thought she’ll eventually tell me, but it’s almost eight years later and she still hasn’t. She’s always just thought of my family as her own, and they feel the same about her.

Kenni is the best friend I could ask for, so I’ll always respect her privacy. But I can’t help thinking that maybe if she told me what was going on, she’d feel more open to being with Grayson. She can deny it all she wants, but I know she likes him.

We end up deciding to wait on dinner and put on the new
Jurassic World
movie.
Hello, Chris Pratt
. Once the movie is over, it’s about five, so we decide to get dinner ordered. We have this tradition that whenever we have a girls’ day we order Chinese and get way too much. And it’s always the most fun ever.

My stomach has been growling for the last thirty minutes and I’m starved. Luckily, the Chinese place we order from doesn’t take too long. We place all the containers on the kitchen island and dig in. We don’t ever use plates, and even though we try to use the chopsticks, we’re usually using plastic forks by the end.

“So, what should we do for the rest of the night?” Kenni asks as she stuffs a dumpling in her mouth. She starts digging through the boxes, looking for a fortune cookie.

“I don’t care. Do you want to go out? I know we wanted to stay in, but it’s so nice out. And we have all those new clothes. We could always meet up with the guys tonight.”

“Yeah, sounds good. Did Noah say which bar they were going to?”

I shrug as I finish the food in my mouth. “Nope, but I’ll text him. I won’t tell him we’re coming though.” I pull my cell out and quickly text Noah.

Aubrey: Hey, where are you and Grayson going tonight?

Noah: This bar called Prime. It’s over on Market St. Why?

Aubrey: No reason. I just wanted to know where you’d be. You’re going to be out drinking, Noah. It’s just for my peace of mind.

Noah: Baby, we’re going to be fine. Please don’t worry about us. I’ll text ya later.

I tell Kennedy where they’re going and then we clean up the food. Stuffing it all into the fridge, we sit back down in front of the TV to watch something until it’s time to get ready. I know Noah had said before they were going out around eight, so I know we still have a little time. Pulling up the browser on my phone, I Google this bar. It’s a small country bar that does karaoke on Friday nights. It actually looks like a pretty neat little place, and I love me some country music. Kennedy seems pretty excited too. I can’t wait to see the looks on their faces when we show up. I just hope they don’t mind us crashing their boys’ night.

At about nine o’clock, we decide to start getting ready; Kennedy already ordered a cab for nine thirty, so we don’t have long. I untwist my hair from the bun and, because it was wet, it’s now wavy. Grabbing my curling iron, I add a few more curls. I ask Kenni to do my makeup since I suck at it, so I have a smoky eye with thick liner and lashes. I’m also sporting my fire-engine-red lipstick.

Now for what to wear.

Going through my bags, I finally decide on a new pair of jean shorts that are almost obscenely short, as well as a new red halter tank top with a low-cut back, but not too low that I have to go braless. I pair them with my favorite nude wedges and I’m all set. Kennedy comes bouncing in, wearing the yellow dress she bought today. It has spaghetti straps and the back is open all the way to her waist. She has her hair curled and hanging down her back, and Kenni’s sporting heeled sandals. I stare at our reflection in my mirror. We look hot.

Noah and Grayson have no idea what they’re in for.

We head out to the cab when it arrives and tell them where to go. We’re only a short drive away, so we make small talk until we get there. The cab pulls up in front of Prime a few minutes later, and it is packed. It doesn’t seem to be a very big place, but the line is out the door and around the corner. We have the cab drop us in front of the entrance, then walk over to the bouncer, intending to ask him how long the wait will be, but he lifts the rope and waves us in.

“Damn, we must look hot tonight! I’ve never gotten right in!” Kenni has a huge smile on her face as we head inside. There’s a huge dance floor off to one side, with tables around it and a stage in the corner, which has a DJ booth set up with a screen and microphone. Guess that’s where they do the karaoke the website talked about. On the other side is the bar, with several more tables next to it. We head over to grab some drinks, making our way through the crowds of people. I order two vodka cranberries for us and then turn to lean against the bar while we wait.

“Shit, Kenni. I hope we can find them in here. This place is nuts!” The bartender hands us our drinks and I throw a twenty on the bar. “Keep the change,” I tell him. As we sip our drinks, the loud music  cuts out and we hear someone announce the first people who will be doing karaoke tonight.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to Davis and Michaels!”

My eyes practically bug out of my head as I look over at Kennedy. She spits her drink out and starts coughing.
No fucking way.
Pushing our way through the crowd, we stand towards the side of the dance floor as Noah and Grayson bounce up to the stage. They are definitely drunk; Grayson is leaning on Noah, and they’re both slurring their words when they grab microphones.

“Hey, ya’ll. I’m Noah, and this is my buddy Gray. Let’s get this party started!” I can’t help but laugh when I see how seriously they’re taking this. And then I hear their song choice come on and I’m doubled over laughing hysterically while Kennedy has tears in her eyes.

Seeing my boyfriend drunkenly sing “Dibs” by Kelsea Ballerini with his drunk best friend is the greatest thing ever. They’re clearly under the impression that this is a concert hall. I pull out my cell phone and record it, blackmail for a later time. When they’re finished they hold hands and bow, then jump off the stage. As terrible as it was, people clearly liked it based on the amount of cheers they got.

Grabbing Kennedy’s hand, I pull her over to where they’re standing. We stand behind them and I reach out and tap Noah on the shoulder.

“Great job, guys. That was awesome.”

Noah turns around and his mouth drops open.