Page 16 of Crowe
“Okay, you just take your time and relax. I’ll let you know when the food’s ready.”
I turned to go, but he quietly said my name, stopping me in my tracks. “Jackson.” No one called me Jackson but my brother, and I loved hearing him say it.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.” He motioned towards the bath. “For this, for coming to get me, for everything.”
I could have told him it was just my job, that I would’ve done it for anyone, but I wouldn’t have brought just anyone here. I would’ve taken them to a hotel or somewhere to hole up until help arrived, and I wouldn’t have run just anyone a bath. Noah was special. I’d known that from the first moment I’d seen him.
“Always,” I said simply and left to go fix him something to eat. I put the wood in the stove to get it hot and then went to the fridge to see what our options were. I’d mostly planned on grilling while I was here, but I’d told Noah to call out if he needed me, so I didn’t really want to go outside where I couldn’t hear him.
Choices were slim, but I did have bread, cheese, and a can of tomato soup. I pulled out our cast-iron skillet and set it on the stove to get hot. I was just finishing up when the bathroom door opened, and Noah came out. His hair was still damp, but he’d put on a clean pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt.
“It smells good in here.”
“It isn’t much. Just some grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, but my dad always made this for us when we had a bad day.” I shrugged.
“It’s perfect. You can never go wrong with a grilled cheese.”
“Good. What do you want to drink? I haveDr. Pepper, water, and beer.”
“Water would be good for now.”
It was still early when we finished eating, so I suggested we find a movie to watch. Anything to keep his mind off of what happened. My brother and I had a pretty extensive DVD movie collection, and thanks to satellite internet, we could stream just about anything.
“Anything sound good to you?” I asked.
“Let’s pick something funny. I’m not really in the mood for car chases and things blowing up tonight.”
“That makes sense to me.” I walked over to the shelf with all the movies. “How about this one?” I held up a movie. “It’s an old one, but it’s a classic.”
“I haven’t seen it, but I’m game.”
While I got the movie going, he pulled one of the throws off the back of the couch and curled up on the far end. He didn’t even make it all the way through the movie before he fell asleep. I wasn’t surprised at all. When I’d shown up at the wedding venue, he’d been going pretty hard trying to get everything all set up. Then he’d found out his past had come back to haunt him, and we’d had to make a run for it. It was no wonder he was out like a light.
I should’ve woken him and suggested he go straight to bed, but instead, I took advantage of the moment to really look at him. His hair had been shorter when we’d met, and he’d been thinner.Since then, he’d grown his hair out, and the new style suited him. He looked so peaceful and worry-free as he slept. He deserved to feel that way when he was awake, and if I had anything to say about it, he would be able to.
When the movie ended, I nudged his foot gently to wake him up. “Hey, Noah, we need to get you to bed.”
He lifted his head and looked at me, all sleepy-eyed and confused. “What?” He looked at the television. “I missed the movie.”
“You did, but you needed the rest.”
“I guess so. Still, I was looking forward to watching it.”
“You go on to bed now, and we’ll watch it again tomorrow.”
He let out a sigh but got up and moved to the bed. I got up and turned off all the lights except the small lamp at the end of the couch and settled in with a book. I was only half reading it, though. Instead, my attention was on Noah as he shifted around trying to get comfortable. It took him a few minutes, but eventually he fell back to sleep.
I’d made it a few chapters into my book when the whimpers started. Little sounds that I would’ve missed if the cabin hadn’t been so quiet. He turned to his side and pulled his legs up to his chest so he was in a little ball. I dropped my book down to my chest and waited to see if he would settle back to sleep on his own.
“No, don’t tie my hands, please,” he whimpered. “Let me go.”
He moved his head from side to side as his pleas grew more desperate. There was no way I could lie there and let him be tortured, even if it was just in his nightmares. I got up from the couch and went over to the bed.
I reached down and gently brushed the hair off his forehead. “Shh, Noah, it’s just a dream, you’re safe here. Shh.”
He stilled, and for a second, I thought he would stay asleep, but his eyes slowly blinked open. “Jackson?”
