Chapter 223: Chapter 238

Chapter 0238 Hannah The stars twinkled over our heads as Noah and I lay on the roof of mine and my sister’s rental house. The air was warm with a slight breeze, just cool enough to be comfortable inside of Noah’s oversized hoodie.

At fifteen, I felt both young and old, caught between childhood and adulthood. Noah, at seventeen, seemed so much more mature, so much more certain of his place in the world. We had only just met a week prior, and already I looked up to him.

And maybe more than that. I found him to be quite handsome, although I was too shy to say it just yet.

Either way, we had practically spent every minute with each other since that day at the lake. He had showed me and my sister around Nightcrest pack, taking us to all of his favorite spots. While my sister eventually grew tired of the company and went off to do her own thing, Noah and I were inseparable.

“Look!” I whispered, pointing up at a streak of light flashing across the sky. “A shooting star!”

Noah smiled, although I couldn’t help but notice that the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Make a wish,” he said softly.

I turned to look at him, immediately able to sense that something was off. The moonlight cast shadows across his face, highlighting the worry lines that seemed out of place on someone so young.

“What’s wrong, Noah? You’ve been quiet all night.”

Noah shot me a perturbed look. “Nothing. Why?”

I shrugged and rolled to face him fully. Even though we had only just met, we had clicked so easily that I felt as if I had known him for a long time already. “You just seem sad, that’s all,” I said.

He stared at me for a long moment, clearly trying to decide whether to tell me the truth or not. Finally, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “You got me,” he admitted with a tiny smile. “It’s... it’s my mom.”

“Is she okay?” I asked, propping myself up on an elbow. The rough shingles of the roof dug into my skin, even through his hoodie, but I barely noticed.

Noah shook his head, his green eyes fixed on the stars above us. “She’s... sick. Really sick. And my dad... he put her in a facility a couple weeks ago.”

My heart sank. “Oh, Noah, I’m so sorry,” I said, sitting up fully now. “What kind of facility? Can you visit her?”

“No,” he said, his voice cracking ever so slightly. “My dad won’t let me. Says it’s for the best, but... she might die soon, Hannah.

And I won’t even get to say goodbye.”

I reached out and gave his hand a squeeze. His skin was cool in the night air. He stiffened slightly, casting me a sidelong glance, but didn’t pull away. “You should visit her anyway,” I said.

“I can’t. I just said that.”

“There has to be a way. Can’t you sneak in or something?”

Noah let out a humorless laugh. “It’s not that simple. The place is locked down tight. Security everywhere.”

1/2 Chapter 02 +25 BONUS “But surely they would understand if you explained-”

“Look, I appreciate the thought, but you don’t understand,” Noah cut me off, sitting up abruptly. “My dad... he’s not just my dad.

He’s important. Powerful. When he says no, it means no. End of story.”

I sighed, wrapping my arms around my knees. “That’s not fair. She’s your mom. You have a right to see her.”

Noah’s shoulders slumped. “Try telling him that.”

We sat in silence for a moment, watching as more meteors streaked across the sky. Finally, I spoke up again. “What if... what if I helped you see her?”

Noah turned to look at me with confusion written across his face. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, what if we snuck in together? Two heads are better than one, right?”

“Hannah, no. It’s too dangerous. If we got caught-”

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