I shake my head, indicating that they should go without me. Charlotte gives me a tight hug, then goes outside with Chase.
“There’s no way I can sit around and wait for Mason to call,” a now slightly calmer Annalisa says.
“There’s no point in us all going to the hospital; you need some sleep. We all need some sleep. Mason said he’d call the second they know anything about Noah,” Julian says, trying to reason with her.
“There’s no way in hell I’ll be able to sleep. If I can’t be useful and help Noah at the hospital, I’ll at least make myself useful and start cleaning his house.”
Before anyone can protest, Annalisa disappears into the kitchen. Julian sighs and follows her, and we hear them picking up bottles.
This leaves just me and Aiden in the room, and I still haven’t moved from the spot where Noah was on the floor.
Aiden sighs and walks over to me. “Come on, I’m driving you home.”
I hesitate, and he stiffens. “I think my saving your ass tonight shows that I’m not going to hurt you. And I haven’t had anything to drink, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Sav—saving my ass?! I was handling it just fine before you jumped in and caused the whole damn football team to get involved.”
“Handling it just fine?! You were being strangled. A simple ‘Thanks, Aiden’ would suffice. Now let’s go.”
He hoists me to my feet and leads me toward his car.
“Did you not see me take out Dave the first time? I could’ve handled it!”
The guilt and worry over Noah sit in the pit of my stomach. I know Aiden probably did save my ass, but I can’t accept that. If I can’t even handle some high school boys without Aiden’s help, how am I going to handle it when he comes for me?
Aiden doesn’t reply and instead guides me into the passenger seat. When he sits in the driver’s seat and turns the car on, he looks at me. “Address?”
I recite it, then realize something and get mad. “Why don’t you take me to the hospital instead of home? I can’t go home—I need to see if Noah is okay.”
Where’s my phone? I need to—I don’t know—find out if someone knows something already. I pat my pockets and search my purse. Damn it. I usually keep my phone in my hand instead of in my purse and I must’ve lost it without realizing during the fight.
Aiden’s grip on the steering wheel tightens, and he continues to drive toward my house; the opposite direction of the hospital.
“Aiden! Take me to the hospital! I want to see Noah!”
“Did it ever occur to you that maybe he won’t want to see you?” he explodes.
“Wha—”
“Seriously, you’ve done enough tonight.”
“But I don’t—”
“It’s your fault he’s in the hospital! The whole fight started because you got
mixed up with the Silvers. We didn’t think there would be a problem tonight since Ryan wasn’t even here, but a fight started anyway! Because of you! I mean, do you go looking for trouble? Because ever since we’ve met you, you’ve done nothing but attract it. After this, you’ll be lucky if Noah ever hears your name without flinching, never mind wanting to see you.”
I start crying, never thinking to ask about this Ryan. Aiden’s right; of course he’s right. That whole fight wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t gone to that stupid party. And Noah would be at home, partying it up with everyone right now instead of at the hospital.
“They all probably hate you now, since it’s your fault we might never see Noah again,” he says calmly, his words shooting the second bullet of the night straight through my heart.
5
The tears that started in Aiden’s car didn’t stop all night. I couldn’t get his words out of my head.
It’s now two o’clock on Saturday afternoon, and I have no idea what’s going on with Noah. I don’t have my phone, and even if I did, I’m too much of a coward to call anyone, and I’m too scared to tell my mom I lost it. Then I’d have to explain what happened and she definitely would not be happy about that.
Every time someone gets close to me, they get hurt. This is why I’m supposed to keep my head down, but no, instead I gave into the need for friends.