Awake by Natasha Preston Read Free Book Online Page A

Noah.
    “He’ll be back soon. He popped home for a change of clothes,” Mum replied.
    “When do I get to leave?”
    She smiled and took my hand. “As soon as you’re feeling better and the doctors are happy.”
    That meant forever. I didn’t like to be still for long, especially not in the same place. Never had in any situation. I was even feeling bored of staying in one house for the three years we’d been there. We’d always travelled and moved around.
    “I feel fine.”
    Mum laughed. “Oh, do you really? Relax, Scarlett, you need to give your body time to heal. You were lucky, sweetheart, we almost lost you.”
    “I’m sorry.”
    “Don’t apologise! Just rest and get better.”
    “Okay,” I conceded.
    When the pain meds kicked in, I fell asleep, waking up every now and then. I’d had hours and hours of sleep but felt like I’d had none at all. Dad was fine and it was good to see him. He exchanged his room for mine, refusing to go home until they were kicked out at night.
    At two o’clock in the afternoon, it was visiting time and I sat up in bed waiting for Noah. My parents and Jeremy had gone to the café to get some lunch and to give me and Noah some time alone.
    “Scarlett, you’re awake!” He rushed over, sitting on the bed and wrapping his arms around me. “You okay? I was so scared.”
    “I’m fine,” I replied, burying my head against his neck.
    He pulled back, looking me over to make sure I wasn’t lying. He checked everywhere with his eyes and fingertips. I closed my eyes as his fingers trailed over my cheek, jaw, chin, neck. His touch made me feel more alive and more awake than ever.
    “You’re really okay,” he said once he’d finished his examination.
    “Yep, I’m really okay. I had some weird dreams when I was coming round, though. I don’t know what they mean.”
    He raised his eyebrow. “They probably don’t mean anything. They’re dreams.”
    “But it was so weird and so real.”
    Smiling, he said, “Alright. Tell me what happened?”
    “I don’t remember all of them, just pieces. Mum – but she looked different – brushing my hair. Jeremy chasing a girl. Candles everywhere. Being in some old building with lots of red then there was some sort of fire. I’m not sure. Wow, okay, maybe that does mean nothing.” What I could remember sounded stupid when I said it aloud.
    He took my hand, squeezing a little harder than usual. “Don’t worry about it. Perhaps they are memories or nothing at all but right now we should focus on you healing. I thought you would want something ‘decent’ to eat,” he said, handing me a packet of Oreos.
    I took them and stroked the pack. “Thank you! Do you have any idea how much hospital food sucks?”
    He turned his nose up. “I can imagine. Do you know when you will be discharged yet?”
    “No, but it’ll probably be a day or two. Bet I’m all better right for the start of the school term,” I said, turning my nose up. “Evelyn!”
    Noah looked at me like I was crazy. “Pardon?”
    “Evelyn. That’s what the girl in my dream was called. The one Jeremy was chasing.”
    “Are you sure you feel alright?”
    “Yeah. That has to mean something, right?”
    “Not really, Scarlett.”
    “You don’t know that.”
    “Alright, you’ve just been knocked out for a day, I don’t think it’s a good idea to be stressing yourself out over a dream.”
    “Dream s . There were a few and apart from the one where Mum was brushing my hair, Jeremy was in most. Who’s Evelyn, though?”
    He shrugged.
    “She was younger than Jeremy, probably younger than me, too.”
    “They were dreams.”
    But where they? They seemed like more. I wasn’t fully asleep when I had them but not fully awake either. Something wasn’t right.
    “They seemed more like memories.” His eyebrow rose subtly. “Look, I know you think I’m crazy right now but what if I’m not?”
    “About what, Scarlett? About Jeremy chasing a girl? He probably did.