Chapter 8 I'll Always Mean Nothing In Your Eyes

Madelyn was about to pull her sleeve out of Sadie's grasp.

Seeing this, Noah jumped to conclusions and thought she might lash out at Sadie. Without a second thought, he rushed over, pulling Madelyn away and drawing Sadie protectively to his side.

Noah's pull caught Madelyn off balance, and she stumbled, falling hard to the floor.

As she fell, her side slammed against the table's edge, knocking over an empty bowl on the table.

Pieces of the shattered bowl spread across the floor. For a few moments, nobody spoke, and the tension in the room thickened.

Noah stood frozen, startled by how easily Madelyn had gone down. He stared at her sprawled on the floor, his hold on Sadie faltering.

A sharp ache shot through Madelyn, so intense that everything else seemed to fade away. She tried to push herself up using the edge of the bed, but as her fingers closed on the bed sheet, her strength gave out and she dropped again.

Still dazed, she barely registered what had happened. She switched to her other hand, clutching the table, and managed to pull herself upright, slow and shaky.

Blood seeped down her arm. Glancing at it, she wiped at the trail of red, only for it to keep coming.

She chose not to fuss over it, bending to brush dirt from her skirt, but the blood only stained the fabric even more.

With a few careless wipes at the marks on her clothes, Madelyn gave her nose a quick, indifferent swipe before turning around and walking out of the room.

She never once looked at Noah or Sadie, ignoring their presence completely.

While Madelyn left with no trace of emotion, Sadie watched her go, a sly hint of victory flickering in her eyes. Still, she clung to Noah, pretending to be scared.

Unexpectedly, Noah pulled away from Sadie and followed Madelyn's path.

Madelyn wandered aimlessly, desperate to escape the sight of the two of them together, to find anywhere she would not have to watch those tender scenes that cut her so deeply.

Her head pulsed with pain, so sharp it left her dizzy. She grabbed onto the stair railing, lips drained of color, body shaking.

Behind her, Noah's voice broke the silence. His tone was soft and low. "Madelyn, what's going on with you?"

Noah had seen the blank, lifeless look on her face. Something felt off. Even though Sadie needed him, he felt drawn to Madelyn and followed her out.

She did not look back. With her chin tilted downward, Madelyn breathed in slowly. "Even if I'm hurting, do you really think it would matter to you? No matter what happens to me, I'll always mean nothing in your eyes."

Noah offered no reply.

Madelyn had not expected anything from him. She shook her head, said nothing, and kept her gaze ahead.

She bit back her pain, forcing herself to walk even as her legs threatened to give out. Tears burned in her eyes when she finally blinked.

What was going on with her? She was dying. After all those years by his side, if she told Noah the truth, would he even care at all?