Chapter 30

The next day, Claire was scheduled to be taken off the machines later that evening. Nova sat down next to her and started brushing her hair and singing her favorite song. Ace was sitting by her bedside holding her hand as he always did. As Ace leaned in to kiss her lips, a tear trickled down Claire's cheek.

Becket stopped Nova from brushing. "Babe? Is she crying?"

Nova's singing fell to a whisper and she looked up finding Claire's eyes move under her eyelids. "Get the doctor!"

Ace sat up looking her over. "Claire. Baby, wake up. Please wake up."

Becket rushed out calling for someone to come to the room and a nurse walked in nonchalantly, ignoring their comments. "It's normal. Her eyes moving like that is just a reflex."

"No. It's not the same as before. Look. She's crying."

Claire started to wiggle around and her eyes slowly opened. In a panic, she realized something was down her throat and she struggled to pull the tube free.

The nurse rushed over trying to calm her. "Claire, you need to relax. You're in the hospital. We'll get that tube out as soon as the doctor gets in here."

A doctor and a couple of nurses rushed in the room pushing Nova and Becket out of the way. Ace was pushed out as well and he went frantic over the commotion around the room. He tried his best to look inside as Becket tried to keep him calm, pulling him to the hallway.

"What's going on? Is she going to be okay? Claire, I'm here."

Nova grabbed his hand holding it to her heart. "She woke up, Ace. She really woke up."

"Will they let me see her?" Ace stretched his neck to get a glimpse of his girlfriend.

"They are trying to get the breathing tube out. I think they're going to take her off the ventilator and then you can go in." Becket moved them from the doorway. "Buddy, just stay calm. She's probably going to be really scared, so you need to relax."

Ace nodded. "I have to go tell her mom."

Becket stopped him. "Nova and I will go. You stay with Claire. We'll be right back. You take some time to be with her."

As Becket pulled Nova away, she kept looking back hoping this was a good sign her friend would be okay. After informing her family of the change, Becket took Nova to the cafeteria insisting on her to get some food.

"I'm not hungry. I just want to be with Claire. She needs me."

"Nova. We are not having this conversation again. Claire is going to be fine. Eat. You can't be there for Claire if you're sick too."

Nova huffed. "Fine. Why do you have to always be right and so dang pushy all the time?"

Becket tried to not laugh. "It's a gift, I guess."

"You are seriously annoying sometimes." Nova sat down grabbing her sandwich with a pout.

"You know, once this thing with Claire is cleared, we need to address the situation with Liam. If he's behind this, I am not going to take the chance of you and Claire being in danger again."

"So what do we do?"

"Ace will most likely have Claire move in with him sooner than they planned. He has some time off so he can be with her until she's feeling better. Holt said he will allow her internship to be on the road with us. You are a different matter. You're my responsibility."

"Beck, you're not my father. You're my boyfriend."

"Right. One who loves you very much and I don't want to go through all that Ace has been this past week. I can't spend time wondering if I am going to lose you every minute of the day. It's been running through my mind every second since Claire's attack. I want you to stay with me in Michigan."

Nova tilted her head to look at him. "You want me to move in with you?"

Becket leaned up to put onto his elbows on the table. He crossed his hands together looking more serious than she had ever seen him. "Yes. Leave Manhattan and start living your life again, with me."

"You really want me to live with you?"

"Yes. I think it's the safest option right now."

Nova shook her head in disappointment. "Oh."

"Oh, what?"

"Is that the only reason?"

"No. I was thinking. After everything with Claire, and finding out what happened to you in the past, I realized life is short. I don't want to live a second without you."

"So you want to start a life with me, or just shack up? You don't seem that type to just want a live-in girlfriend with no commitment. I always thought of you as the guy who marries the girl and has a big happy family, with the white picket fence, and a puppy running in the yard."

Becket sat back with a smug smile "So, you've been thinking about it too."

"I didn't say that... I..."

"No take-backs. You said it. You've been thinking about having a family with me."

"Well... yes. Don't you?"

"Every day."

"As your wife? Maybe children and a few chickens and an alpaca?"

"A what?"

"An alpaca. You know those fuzzy things that look like..."

"I know what an alpaca is. Why do we need one of those?"

"Because they're funny and I want animals."

"Can't we just have a dog like normal people?"

"I knew you would see it my way." Nova grinned, popping a grape in her mouth.

"Wait? Did I just get tricked into getting a dog?"

Nova wiggled her brows at him. "No take-backs, remember?"

"So that means you will move in with me?"

"Sure. I get the top bunk."

"Top bunk?"

"Yep. We can't very well sleep in the same bunk bed. It would make it top-heavy."

Becket looked at her like she was crazy at the idea of bunk beds. Or maybe she was serious? At this point, it wouldn't surprise him. No crazy idea she ever came up with ever did.

"You really need to get some sleep."

Nova thought. "Humm? I think I do. Let's go see Claire and then take me to the hotel so I can rest."

"Good. I think you're starting to hallucinate. Oh, and I'm not getting an Alpaca."

"A mini goat then? We can buy him pajamas to wear to keep warm."

"Pajamas? What? No."

"Right. No goats. Pig named Bacon?"

"No."

"Poodle named Noodle?"

"You have got to get some sleep."

Nova giggled, pointing a carrot stick at him. "Alpaca it is."

Becket just chuckled and shook his head. At least she was being the old Nova again. A little silly and playful. Just the way he remembered.