Chapter 26
My sister’s house felt too damn quiet without everyone here, and I didn’t know how to feel about it.
True to his word, Ron had proposed to my sister and moved her into their new house a few miles away from the one I had bought her.
They’d been slowly moving since the proposal, but they’d officially moved out over the weekend.
I grabbed the bag I had prepared off the counter and trekked to the front door.
I was half-expecting Zy to crack a joke about me going to Noa’s, but the only sound I heard was the alarm setting as I walked out.
This was definitely going to take some getting used to.
I made my way down the stairs to my car. I’d stopped by the house after the studio to drop off some clothes before heading to Noa’s. I was tired, but I’d promised her I was coming by, even if it was just to crawl into bed next to her and fall asleep.
I slid behind the wheel, started the engine, and let it idle for a second while I rubbed the back of my neck and prepared for this drive.
“Let’s go see our sunshine,” I said to myself as I pulled out of the driveway and headed toward Noa’s. I thanked God that the streets were dead at this time of night because I didn’t have to focus too hard.
When I turned onto her block, smoke was the first thing I saw.
“The hell?” I rubbed my eyes, thinking they were playing tricks on me, but as I got closer to her house, the flames flying up the side of her house came into view. My chest locked.
“Noa!” I hit the brakes hard, threw the car in park, and jumped out.
This couldn’t be happening right now. I grabbed my phone and dialed Noa’s number.
Maybe she wasn’t in there; maybe she’d gone out with Teagan or something.
It rang once, twice, then three times before going to voicemail.
I hung up and tried again, already running toward her house. There was still no answer.
“Pick up, Noa,” I muttered, jamming my key into the lock and opening the door. Heat poured out the second the door cracked open. Thick smoke filled the air, burning my throat.
“Noa!” I yelled her name, but she didn’t answer. Covering my mouth with my sleeve, I ran through the haze. The kitchen was the worst. Flames were crawling up the cabinets and popping from the stove area. My heart sank at the possibility that the house might explode.
“Shit.” I pushed my face further into my sleeve and moved fast down the hall. The sound of wood groaning filled the air, just as something snapped above me. I looked up just in time to see a burning piece of drywall fall from the ceiling, crashing at my feet and spreading fire across the floor.
“Noa!” I yelled again, louder this time. Still, no response. I pushed forward, reaching for her door. I wasted no time kicking it open. The bang echoed through the smoke.
“Noa, baby!” I ran to her. She was curled up in her bed under the blanket. She was asleep. Her pill bottle sat open on the nightstand next to her. I yanked the comforter off the bed, wrapped her in it, and lifted her. She coughed once against my chest as her eyes fluttered open.
“Hey, hey, I got you,” I said as I searched the room for a way out without getting burned. The flames in the hallway had already spread up the wall, blocking the path.
“Quade? What—” She stared up at me, confused.
“The house is on fire, baby. I gotta get you out of here.”
She lifted her head a little, and her body stiffened as she noticed the flames.
“Oh my God! My house—”
“I know. Hold on.”
I looked toward her window. That was going to be our safest way out. It wasn’t a big drop to the ground, maybe six feet, but I couldn’t climb out while holding her.
“Shit,” I muttered, setting her down on the bed for half a second to yank the window open.
The frame was hot, and the paint bubbled under my fingers, but I had to get it open.
I shoved it up with all my strength until it flew open.
I glanced around for help. A small crowd had gathered outside.
Red lights flashed, and sirens rang out as the fire trucks pulled up. I leaned halfway out the window.
“Aye! I need help over here!” I yelled. A flashlight shined as two firefighters came running across the grass.
“You got someone with you?” one firefighter shouted.
“Yes, she’s right here! She can’t walk! She’s sick. She’s got lupus! She uses a wheelchair. I can hop out, but I’m not leaving her.”
“All right, stay put! We’re going to get y’all out!” Two more men ran toward the window, one dragging a short ladder, another pulling a hose.
“The fire department is here, baby.” I glanced over at Noa, coughing hard, my eyes burning from the smoke.
“Send her down first, and you can climb out,” the firefighter instructed, and I turned around and grabbed her.
“Hang on, Noa,” I said, wrapping the blanket tighter around her as she coughed into my chest.
“Quade…” She was dazed. “You can’t—”
“Don’t worry about me.”
“Hand her down slow!” the firefighters shouted up, and I nodded as I lowered her toward the opening. “Everything is going to be okay.”
The firefighters reached up and took her from my hands.
“Quade…” She gasped, clenching my shirt, like she didn’t want to let go. I had to pry them loose. “It’s okay.”
They eased her down onto the grass where the paramedics were waiting to receive her. I stared at her, a sense of relief washing over me. Even coughing, her eyes never left me.
“It’s okay!” I yelled, voice hoarse.
“Your turn! Come on!” one of the firemen shouted back.
I took one last look at Noa’s bedroom before climbing down the ladder.
I didn’t even remember hitting the ground.
All I could remember was the firefighters rushing past me toward the house with the water hose before I stumbled over to Noa in the back of the ambulance.
She was sitting on the stretcher with an oxygen mask on, her eyes wide and wet from crying.
“I’m so sorry, baby…” I cried, wrapping my arms around her and dropping beside her. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s gone,” she whispered, voice cracking between coughs.
“I know. I know.”
“We’ve got her.” A paramedic touched my shoulder and pushed me aside.
They lifted the stretcher and loaded her into the ambulance.
Someone started asking me questions and tried to put a damn mask on my face, but I wasn’t worried about myself.
I just kept watching her breathing through that mask, thanking God that I had made it in time.
I couldn’t sit still. I kept moving from the plastic chair outside of Noa’s room to the waiting room window.
No matter what I did, I couldn’t slow my thoughts.
Every time I blinked, I saw flames. I saw her lying there with an oxygen mask on her face.
This shit was unreal. She’d lost nearly everything, and I nearly lost her.
If I hadn’t gotten there in time, she’d be gone.
I stood from the plastic chair and made my way back to her doorway, peeping through the window.
The doctor was currently in the room, checking her oxygen.
Teagan sat near her bed, head in her hands.
Just like me, she’d been retracing every step, probably wondering what she could have done differently.
Watching from the hall, I felt so useless. She was awake, breathing, talking, but the tubes and monitors made her look defeated. I’d pulled her out of a burning house and still couldn’t shake the feeling I hadn’t done enough.
“How you holding up?” My sister’s hand landed on my back. Jess, Ron, Zy, and baby Nyla showed up not long after the ambulance. I appreciated them being here. Noa needed the support.
“I’m straight. Just ready to get her out of here.”
“You did good, baby brother. You got her out in time.”
“House gone, though.”
“We can replace things,” she said quietly. “People, we can’t replace.”
I heard her. I did, but it didn’t stop the feelings that were swirling through me.
“Ron’s over there talking to the police and the fire chief. I thought you might want to hear what they said.”
I nodded as I turned toward the hallway. Ron stood near the door, whispering with the firefighters and the cops.
“Go,” Jess insisted. I nodded and made my way into the hallway. They all looked up when I got close. I could hear the last part of the chief’s sentence as I joined them.
“We’ll have investigators look at it, but it doesn’t look accidental.”
I frowned. Doesn’t look accidental? “Excuse me, chief. What does that mean exactly?”
He exhaled, placing his eyes on me like he’d already explained this. “The burn pattern and where it started don’t quite match a kitchen fire or wiring. Looks like somebody set it.”
For a second, I couldn’t breathe. The idea of somebody doing this on purpose while she was inside hit me like a damn gunshot to the chest. Somebody had tried to kill Noa?
“Somebody?” I finally replied. “You saying somebody did this on purpose?”
“Fire seems to have started near the back door.” One cop nodded. “We’ll confirm once the lab tests come back.”
“That’s crazy.” Ron let out a low whistle. “Like I said, officers, we have cameras all around the property. We’re more than willing to provide the footage.”
“Perfect. We’ll be in touch to get the footage, and we’ll keep you all posted once the investigators have more.” They turned to walk away.
“Her ex was here earlier today or yesterday. He threatened her.” Teagan’s voice came out of nowhere. Everything stopped, and everyone turned to look at her. No one had even noticed her leave Noa’s room.
“Her ex? Tell us more.” The cops froze mid-step.
“Yeah. He showed up at her house when we got back from the airport. He was mad that she’s in a new relationship now.
He was yelling, talking crazy. I never thought he’d try to hurt—” She stopped herself as her voice cracked.
I stared at her. That was news to me. No one ever mentioned Noa’s ex stopping by.
“You didn’t think I needed to know that?”
“I didn’t know this was gonna happen, Quade. Noa and I handled it. He left… I…” Her eyes darted between the cops and me. The air suddenly felt heavy. I had never caught a body before, but that was about to change. I glanced at the officers and the fire chief as they exchanged a look.
“We’ll make note of that,” he said carefully. “If you have a name or address you can give us, that will be helpful.”
“Shawn Davison.” Teagan didn’t hesitate to answer.
“Thank you.” They jotted it down on their pad and then walked off toward the nurses’ station. “We’ll be in touch.”
The second the officer walked away, I turned to Teagan.
“What was he saying to her?” My voice was low but tight as hell. I was holding on by a damn thread.
“Nothing worth repeating. Bullshit, trying to manipulate her, the usual Shawn shenanigans. If he did this—” Her voice cracked, and my hands balled into fists. Before I could push for more, Noa’s nurse appeared in the hallway.
“We need you all back in the room,” she called out, and we headed back without a word.
My eyes went to her as soon as I made it through the door.
She was sitting up on the bed now. The oxygen mask was gone, but her face was still flushed, and her hair was frizzy.
She looked like she was trying to be strong, but her eyes told the truth.
“Is this everyone?” the ER doctor asked when everyone piled into the room behind me.
“I’m the last person,” Marci said as she closed the door.
“She’s stable,” he said. “Her oxygen levels are back up, no burns or internal damage. Bloodwork shows no signs of a lupus flare, though we’ll want her to follow up with her rheumatologist in the next week.”
I felt my shoulders relax with relief.
“She’ll likely feel some fatigue, headaches, and dizziness.
That’s typical after smoke inhalation. More than that, this was a traumatic event, so don’t be surprised if she experiences some emotional aftereffects.
Things like anxiety, difficulty sleeping, flashbacks.
Make sure she’s surrounded by support. And rest. Lots of it.
We’ll bring the discharge papers in shortly.
” The doctor signed something on his chart, looked up at all of us, and gave a small nod before turning and walking out.
We all sat in silence for a second. Then Teagan stepped in, pulling down Noa’s blanket.
“Let’s get you home,” she said.
“What home?” Noa asked, barely above a whisper. She didn’t look at any of us, just stared at the wall.
“My home. My doors are always open.”
“Or my place. I’ve got space.” Marci raised her hand.
Noa shook her head. “You both have apartments, and I’m not about to intrude.”
“You’re coming with me,” I said. All eyes turned to me. “My house is empty now. My sister and Ron moved out.”
Teagan’s head snapped toward me. “Hold up. You want her to stay at your place?” She didn’t look pleased.
“That’s exactly what I said.”
“Quade, this isn’t just some overnight thing. Her house burned down. She’s vulnerable. This is a big step, and y’all just got together.”
“And I’m ready for it.” I stepped closer to Noa. I understood her sister’s concerns, but Noa coming to my place was the only option I was entertaining.
“T,… I want to go with him.” Noa spoke softly, shocking me and making Teagan stare at her like she’d lost her mind. Her eyes darted between Noa and me, holding my gaze for a second.
“Okay, but you know I’m her caregiver, right? I got to check on her daily. Vitals, meds, follow-ups, I need full access,” Teagan added.
“I get that,” I said. “You can come every day if you need to. I’ll get you a key if you want it. I just want her comfortable.”
Teagan’s lips parted like she wanted to argue, but she didn’t. Instead, she nodded. “Okay.”
“We good?” Noa looked at us.
“We’re great,” I said as I moved toward her. “Let’s get you home.” I didn’t care that we’d only been together for two months. I didn’t care that I’d just gotten the house to myself. Noa didn’t have a house. She lost nearly everything. But she had me, and that was enough.