Chapter Sixty-Two Noah

As Faith slipped from the room, his heart ached. Since she had returned from her two-day stint at the Bellator Hospital, she had been a little distant. Shock, his ma told him, could take a while to get over. Grief, he knew, would stay with her far longer.

Noah had been trying to give her space. But her face, as she left, had been haunted.

He followed her, but when he reached the hallway, it was empty.

"Faith?" His voice echoed back to him. "Faith!"

He stopped for a moment. Where would she go? Would she even want his company?

At the end of the hallway, a door stood open, the stairs beyond leading upwards. And then he knew.

When he reached the library, a faint sunlight was shining in through the windows. He walked through the empty space, the shelves of books solid as ever, a fortress of words offering shelter and protection. Of course, she would come here.

He rounded the corner into the records section. The table where Faith had sat to write her speech was empty. There was no sign of a figure standing at the shelves, browsing the books.

"Looking for me?"

The familiar voice came from the sofa beneath the window. Following the sound, he found Faith curled up in a ball.

"You okay?" He stayed where he was, not wanting to crowd her.

Faith sighed. "I just needed to get away." She sat up abruptly, gesturing to the empty square below. "It's hard to believe that things out there are actually going to change."

Noah waited, sensing there was more.

"I mean," her voice hitched slightly, "It's obviously great that Danforth's gone. That we can begin to rebuild… create the kind of Bellator I've always wanted…" she trailed off. "I guess we won, in the end. But it feels too soon. With Sophia gone… Flynn and Robyn," she turned to him, "and now… Diane."

"I know." He shook his head. "It's hard."

She stood up and walked to the window, pressing her fingertips against the glass. "Some days I think it's too hard."

A silence fell between them, as it had so many times since Danforth's demise. Noah took a deep breath, willing himself to find the strength to give her space, if that was what she needed.

"I'm sorry. Do you…" he paused, his eyes never straying from her, "do you want me to leave you alone?"

For a moment she was still. But then, as he was bracing himself for rejection, she turned.

"Actually, no." She took a tentative step towards him. "Listening to what Madeleine was saying in there… seeing how happy Ella and Helen are… it made me think." She dropped her gaze for a second, took a breath, then lifted her eyes to meet his. "They're right. We've suffered so many losses, but we've also achieved so much."

He held his breath.

"We have every chance now. Every chance to be together." She shifted from one foot to the other, as though she were nervous. "So, no. I don't want to be left alone." She gave him a shy smile. "I'd like you to stay. Will you stay, Noah?"

No more hesitation. He closed the gap between them. I'll stay forever, he wanted to say.

It was too soon for that. But with Danforth's reign over, they did stand a chance. With time, who knew what they might become?

He pulled her close, circling her with his arms. As she returned the embrace, he buried his head in her hair.

"Of course, I'll stay," he whispered.

It was where he was meant to be.