Noah's Quest - 8. All Panic and no disco

Nathan’s sudden appearance rattled me. Sensing my tension, Chase immediately wrapped a protective arm around my shoulders, drawing me closer.

“Nathan, what are you doing here?” Grandma asked, breaking the heavy silence.

“I heard about what happened,” Nathan said, his voice barely above a whisper.

“You heard?” Uncle Matt said harshly. Nathan flinched at the tone.

“I wanted to make sure Noah was okay,” Nathan stammered, shuffling his feet and taking a sudden, intense interest in the floorboards.

“You could have called, Nathan,” Grandma said sharply.

“I know,” he responded, looking exactly like a scolded puppy. “Mom... I really need to talk to you.”

There it was. His actual reason for coming down: he needed Grandma. She shot me a look, and I wanted nothing more than to melt straight into the fabric of the couch.

Uncle Ted stood up, his expression grim. “Nathan, you definitely should have called first.”

“I know! But I have information.”

“If it’s about Damian and Dominic, save it,” Uncle Matt said icily.

Nathan looked back at Grandma, tears welling in his eyes. “Mom.”

Grandma folded in an instant. She moved across the room to embrace Uncle Nathan, who immediately began to weep against her shoulder. Without another word, Grandma and Uncle Ted guided Nathan down the hall, likely heading to the office for a private discussion.

I glanced around the living room and noticed that Little B was completely knocked out, snoring softly while sprawled across Uncle Matt and Brody.

“Maybe we should all get some sleep,” Uncle Matt suggested quietly.

“Sounds like a good idea,” Asher replied, casting a wary glance toward the hallway where the others had disappeared.

“He must have learned something pretty intense,” Chase noted, breaking his silence.

Uncle Matt rolled his eyes. “You never know with Nathan. He can be so dramatic.”

“Must run in the family,” Uncle Brody chided, which managed to crack the tension and get a laugh out of everyone.

I was incredibly comfortable right where I was, snuggling deeply against Chase's side. Then, I noticed my uncles were all staring directly at me.

“What?” I asked, looking between them.

They all broke into sudden amusement.

“Someone here is clearly enjoying themselves,” Asher said with a wicked smirk.

I looked down in absolute horror and realized I had popped a massive boner right there on the couch.

“Grow up,” I grumbled, my face burning.

They only laughed harder. “Looks like someone already grew up,” Uncle Matt wheezed between chuckles.

Desperate for an escape, I shoved myself up from the couch and headed upstairs, with Chase trailing closely behind me.

“You know they’re just messing with you, right?” Chase said softly as we entered our suite.

“Yeah, I know,” I sighed. “Let’s just shower.”

Chase nodded and followed me into the bathroom. He took his time peeling my clothes off, pausing intentionally before gripping the waistband of my underwear.

“Is this okay?” he asked, giving me total puppy-dog eyes. I nodded in breathless agreement.

I gasped aloud when he initially took me into his mouth. He was slow, agonizingly methodical, and incredibly talented. I genuinely thought my knees were going to buckle before I finally came.

When I caught my breath, I leaned down. “My turn.”

“Tonight is all about you,” Chase whispered, pulling me up into a deep kiss. I moaned as he drew me tighter against his body.

“I love you, Noah,” he said softly.

“I love you too, Chase.”

We finished our shower and finally climbed into bed. I tucked myself against him as the little spoon, drifting off to sleep within minutes.

I’d love to say it was a peaceful sleep, but it wasn't. I woke up multiple times throughout the night, trapped in suffocating nightmares, but Chase was always right there, anchoring me just by holding me tight.

When I finally woke up for good, the rich scent of breakfast was wafting through the air. It was odd, considering I could feel Chase’s warm weight still fast asleep behind me. Remembering the chaos of yesterday, I figured Grandma must be downstairs cooking.

I shifted to sit up, only to freeze when I saw a pair of wide eyes peering at me over the edge of the mattress.

“Little B!” I gasped.

He popped up with a grin and hopped right into bed with me. “Hi, Noah!”

“Good morning to you, too,” I said, leaning over to kiss the top of his head.

“Daddy said to tell you breakfast is almost ready,” Little B announced gleefully.

“Okay,” I replied, leaning back to snuggle against a stirring Chase.

Little B instantly frowned, slapping the mattress. “No sexy time!”

Chase’s eyes flew wide open at the scolding. “Little B...” he muttered, half-awake and completely bewildered.

“Uncle Chase,” Little B said, sounding thoroughly annoyed. “Did you keep Noah up all night?”

Why is my eight-year-old cousin interrogating my boyfriend? I wondered, rubbing my temples.

“No,” Chase replied honestly. “He had nightmares.”

Little B stared at Chase intently, his head tilting as if he were reading the pages of a book.

“Little B? Where are you, bud?” Uncle Brody’s voice called out from the hallway.

“Breakfast now!” Little B ordered, sliding off the bed and scamperring out of the room.

Chase let out a low chuckle. “He is such a strange kid.”

“He definitely is, but I love him anyway,” I smiled, rolling over to face him.

“So, you want kids. Duly noted.”

“Marine, when the time comes...” I teased, wiggling my eyebrows.

A firm knock rattled the bedroom door. “Come in,” I called out.

The door swung open, and Grandma walked in, her expression serious. “Breakfast is ready, boys. And we need to chat.”

“Is it about Uncle Nathan?” I asked, immediately dreading the answer.

“Yes. He brought some information that I want to share with you.” I nodded slowly. Grandma’s gaze softened as she looked at me. “I know about the rough night, Noah. It took every bone in my body not to come in here last night, but I knew you were in good hands.”

“We’ll get dressed and come right down,” I said reluctantly.

Grandma left, and Chase and I threw on our clothes at record speed. When we reached the kitchen, everyone was already gathered at the table. Chase and I took our seats and began digging in. Nathan was seated right next to Grandma, and he kept casting nervous, fleeting glances at me.

I also noticed Grandma watching me with a deeply puzzled expression. I tried to shrug it off, focusing on eating like my life depended on it.

Across from me, Little B was completely tuned out, staring at his tablet with headphones on while inhaling a plate of pancakes. His face was entirely covered in syrup. I honestly wondered if a single bite had actually made it into his mouth.

Suddenly, the heavy thud of the front door opening echoed through the house, and my heart started to pound violently against my ribs—

“Noah.”

My eyes snapped open.

“Noah, breathe.”

I wasn't in the kitchen. I was lying on the living room couch, gasping for air, with Uncle Matt standing over me, a hand firmly on my shoulder.

“You had a panic attack,” Matt said, his voice calm and clinical.

“What...?” I whispered, my chest still tight.

“When you heard the front door open, the sound sent you straight into a panic,” he explained gently.

“I’ve... I’ve never had one of those before,” I stammered, pulling myself inward.

“They are incredibly common after you experience a traumatic event,” he replied.

“So... yesterday,” I said softly, the memory of the blood-slicked trailer rushing back.

“Yes. But you’re going to get through it. Do you want to sit up?”

I nodded, and he carefully helped me shift into a sitting position. Looking around, I noticed the living room table was completely cleared. The house was quiet. A fresh spike of anxiety hit me when I didn't see Chase.

“Everyone is still here,” Uncle Matt assured me, picking up on my immediate panic. “Chase is just outside on the porch talking with Brody, and Little B is out back in the pool.”

Grandma walked into the living room, carrying a glass of water. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”

I nodded weakly as she handed me the glass, with deep concern etched on her face.

“It was just your grandfather coming in through the front door earlier,” she added gently. “He stopped by to check on you and to let us know that the fire at the site has finally been brought under control. The office trailer is a total loss.”

I just nodded, the weight of the exhaustion pulling at me, and leaned my head back against the cushions. Outside, I could hear the distant, comforting sound of Little B splashing around in the water.

Then, the wooden armchair across from the couch gave a low creak. I looked up, and my breath caught.

Sitting right there, watching me intently, was Uncle Nathan.

So, we learned absolutely nothing 
Any thoughts on what Nathan knows? 
Chase is the sweetest person 
Little B is 
So to recap... 
Noah panicked, but wasn't at a disco.
Uncle Nathan is there because he knows something.
The fire is out.
Thank you for reading.
 
Comments and reactions are always welcome.