Chapter 238: Hannah

The stars twinkled above as Noah and I lay on the roof of my sister's and my rental house. The air was warm, a gentle breeze cooling us beneath Noah's oversized hoodie. At fifteen, I felt both young and old, straddling childhood and adulthood. Seventeen-year-old Noah seemed so much more mature, so certain of his place in the world. We'd only met a week ago, and already I looked up to him. And perhaps more than that; I found him handsome, though too shy to admit it. We'd been inseparable since that day at the lake. He'd shown my sister and me around the Nightcrest pack, taking us to his favorite spots. My sister, however, eventually tired of our constant companionship and went her own way, leaving Noah and me alone together.

“Look!” I whispered, pointing at a streak of light. “A shooting star!”

Noah smiled, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. “Make a wish,” he said softly.

I turned to him, sensing something was wrong. Moonlight cast shadows on his face, highlighting worry lines incongruous with his youth.

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

He gave me a perturbed look. “Nothing. Why?”

I shrugged and rolled to face him completely. Despite our recent acquaintance, we'd connected so easily that I felt as if I'd known him forever. “You just seem sad,” I said.

He stared at me, clearly debating whether to tell me the truth. Finally, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “You got me,” he admitted with a faint smile. “It’s… it’s my mom.”

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

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

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

“No,” he said, his voice cracking 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 squeezed his hand. His skin was cool in the night air. He stiffened, glancing at me, 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?”

Noah chuckled humorlessly. “It’s not that simple. The place is locked down tight. Security everywhere.”

“But surely they would understand if you explained—”

“Look, I appreciate the thought, but you don’t understand,” Noah interrupted, 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, hugging 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, watching more meteors streak across the sky. Finally, I spoke. “What if… what if I helped you see her?”

Noah looked at me, confused. “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—”