Fighting for her (Novak series #1) {Completed}

14. What the hell just happened?

Hope’s POV

“Are you sure you can take care of her tomorrow?” Mrs. Novak asks. “I can take out some more vacation time and take her if you need to rest more.”

A few days have passed since the incident, and even though I’m still sore in some places, my body is working better than before. I can move on my own and hold Camilla when I stand up without overexerting my muscles. Darby has been like a hovering mother all along, ready to take down glasses for me and open doors.

Practically the whole family has helped me without me asking for it, Caleb included, even though we didn’t directly talk to each other. Darby hasn’t done that right away either, but Noah has done it all the more, which even their parents encourage, as he has apparently been going through a heavy depression since a few years back.

“Yes, it’s all right,” I answer and stir around in the saucepan. “I’m grateful for all the help, but now is the time for me to return to helping you.”

Mrs. Novak looks at me uncertainly but finally sighs while nodding her head. She’s been home all week to help me and take care of Camilla because I wasn’t capable of doing it. Darby initially wanted to be home too, but Mrs. Novak forbade it since he just got a permanent job after a probation week at a nearby workshop.

“I’m going to miss being with two of my favorite girls in the days,” she says, sticking out her lower lip, which makes me laugh.

“We’ll see each other anyway. Especially since Mr. Novak won’t allow me and Jessie to go back to the house as it is now.”

Mr. Novak has offered to talk to acquaintances to see if there are any apartments or smaller houses near their house. Given that I don’t have much money, I can’t afford to buy anything either, but I’ll probably manage to pay rent every month. At least, I hope so; it all depends on how nice it is there.

After all, it’s in this way that the more refined the area your home’s location is in, the more expensive it is. If we also add that the interior is renovated and fresh, the prices can multiply quite a few times. This is how landlords can always be sure of making money because as long as there are vacant apartments, there’ll be all the more people interested.

The lack of housing is no secret. Or, well, affordable housing more accurately. Residents don’t earn enough to be able to offer their families to grow up in a safe area. That’s why society is forcing many to live on the “wrong” side of the community, where crime increases every year because the kids dreams of a better life than their parents had.

“It’ll feel strange when you no longer live here,” Mrs. Novak sighs. “I’ve become accustomed to having you here and seeing you as my children. Even if you come here to work, it won’t be the same. We’ll miss you.”

My heart breaks to hear Mrs. Novak describe this emotionally that we’re essential to her family, or at least to her. I’m not used to someone showing that I’m making a difference with my presence. But for her, it’s apparent that she would be one of the few who cares if I live or die tomorrow, which warms my soul.

“We’ll see each other all the time anyway,” I say, hugging her.

“I know,” she laughs, wiping her tears. “I’m the ridiculous one. My boys are grown up, and Fiona will soon be too. Fransiscus will soon be fourteen, and, as you know, the twins are seven. All of them are getting big, and it feels empty.”

I understand her feeling. Noah has told me about how Mrs. Novak grew up, and I know about her story with Mr. Novak, no details but the general journey they made together to get where they are today. Our stories are very similar to each other significantly, except that at least all this time, I’ve had Jessie by my side while she had no one.

“It’ll be fine, Mrs. Novak,” I say, putting my arm over her shoulders.

“Yes, you’re right,” she replies, sighing loudly. “How about a girl’s night?”

“A girl’s night?”

“Yes, booze and male strippers!” she exclaims happily, and I giggle.

“I’m not exactly in shape for a night out and about,” I reply.

“Oh! I can pick up the drinks, and you just need to sit on a chair with a living six-pack gliding over you!”

The picture she paints in my head makes me giggle hysterically and shake my head. Even though Mrs. Novak is almost forty years old, she, like a teenager, is now ready to have fun for one evening. She takes my hand, and together we hurry upstairs to change. One requirement I have for us doing this is to cover as much of the bruises as possible.

Mrs. Novak takes out a burgundy bodycon dress from her youth that will push up my breasts a little and end at the middle of my thighs. I’m not sure if it’s really appropriate, but then she picks out a similar one to herself but in a different color. It doesn’t take me long to realize that Mrs. Novak doesn’t seem to have any girlfriends.

Despite my uncertainty about the dress, I put it on, and the result is impressive. The dress hugs my body gracefully, and even though I’m not looking to pick someone up, I’m going to feel like a queen tonight. I put on a pair of black high-heeled shoes and then sit down on the chair to let Mrs. Novak curl my hair.

She doesn’t spend much time on her own but puts it up in a stylish bun on her head before returning to helping me with the next step, the make-up. Unlike hair, our make-ups are similar with dark eyelids and thick false eyelashes that give our faces more graceful features.

When I see the end outcome, I hardly recognize myself. My skin glows, and my lips are glossy while looking naturally pink. The woman in the mirror seems powerful and controlled, someone who can take over the world with a swipe of her hand. And I love the feeling that comes with it!

“Good work, Mrs. Novak!” I exclaim and smile big.

“Okay, the first rule of operation girls’ night, no More Mrs. Novak. I’m ‘Eleonora’ for those who know me, but I’m’ El’ for my family,” she says, and I feel my eyes fill with tears that I’m quick to try to air dry away with the help of my hand.

“Okay, let’s go, El,” I say, and she squeals happily once more.

Arm in arm, we walk down the stairs to the living room, and she immediately starts playing bartender. I have no idea what she’s making, but I trust her and immediately start sipping the drink that tastes sweet. While I’m doing it, she’s preparing some shots that I guess we’ll down before leaving.

“For the best girls’ night in the world!” she says, lifting a shot glass.

“For the best girls’ night in the world!” I answer and clink the glasses together before we both swallow the liquid.

“What on Earth is going on here!?” a voice exclaims from the door, and we both quickly turn around.

“Hope?” Darby asks with wide-open eyes, and I look down at my shot glass. “Damn, you’re beautiful.”

Noah and Jessie laugh loudly at Darby while Mr. Novak looks at the situation in confusion. The rest of the Novak family comes into the house, and with them are three men I don’t recognize. They don’t seem to understand much more than Mrs. Novak’s husband does, which we find even funnier and laugh even more than before.

“Where are you going?” one of the unknown men asks.

“Hope and I are having a girl’s night!” Mrs. Novak exclaims, and I begin to giggle hysterically again, not used to drinking alcohol and am already under the influence.

“No wife of mine goes anywhere looking like that!” Mr. Novak exclaims and gets an annoyed stare from his wife.

“Don’t start, Damien,” she says, looking at him with a look that can make a grown man cry.

“El, Hope is still injured and-,” he begins, and Mrs. Novak interrupts him.

“For that very reason we're going out! She needs to think about other things, and that’s why we’re going out. The taxi will arrive at any time now, and I don’t want to know that anyone is following us, spying, reporting what we’re doing or telling us when it’s time to go home,” Mrs. Novak replies, interrupting her husband once more before he has time to protest. “Don’t test my patience. We’re not going out to pick up guys, or well, not me anyway. But Hope is a beautiful woman, so who knows, we might find her the lover of her life tonight.”

I feel my cheeks heat up and can bet they’re red. Mrs. Novak talks so casually about how I can find someone to have s*x with, and I’m not really used to someone who speaks in such an open-minded way. I have nothing against it, and that’s not what I mean either. On the contrary, I find her relaxed and confident personality refreshing.

She says what she thinks and feels without filters, without caring the least about what others think about it. It’s the kind of person I dream of becoming someday because it’s women like Mrs. Novak who will take over the world.

“Oh, stop now, boys,” Mrs. Novak says to her husband and Darby, who, for some reason, also seems bothered by us going on an adventure. “We’re going to ‘Jiggling banana,’ not to a third-world country.”

They all react to the name and look bothered, except for two of the unknown men in the back. Fiona just giggles at the name when she realizes what place we’re going to, and considering the twins aren’t visible, I guess they ran in while we were talking without me noticing. Darby’s eyes twitch for some reason, and I don’t understand what’s up with him.

“You’re bringing Hope to a strip club!?” Darby finally exclaims, and Fiona falls over on the couch by laughing too hard.

“You’ll never understand the joy of an oiled, fit, half-naked man with his package very close to your-,” Mrs. Novak begins but gets interrupted by her son’s hand over her mouth.

“Please don’t traumatize me any more than you’ve already done,” Noah whines, and I giggle again when I realize Mrs. Novak won the argument.

“Promise me to be careful,” Darby whispers as he comes up to me, and I look questioningly into his eyes.

“What do you mean?” I ask, and he sighs loudly before putting his arms around me in a hug, which isn’t strange given that we’re closer now than when I started here.

“You mean more to me than I dare to admit, Hope,” he whispers, and I feel at home in his arms, with the familiar scent of him. “Promise me that you’ll call if you need my help. I’ll always come when you call me.”

With those words, he kisses my forehead before walking up the stairs while I stare after him with wide-open eyes and a hanging mouth. What the hell happened there? I look at the others in the room who look as surprised as I at what their family member just did. Even so, I quickly notice myself missing his warmth and scent.

“Well, that was unexpected,” Fiona suddenly says, staring intently at me as if trying to investigate a hypothesis.

I meet the eyes of the others, and everyone looks at me the same as Fiona, everyone except Mrs. Novak, who smiles big. In the end, the taxi honks outside, and the embarrassing mood is interrupted. Mrs. Novak grabs my hand and pulls me out to the waiting car. My gaze meets Darby’s through the window, and just like that, I know that I’d rather stay in his arms.

A/N:

Hello everyone!

To begin with, I would like to say that I appreciate that you care about how I am, but I’m not strong enough to respond to that question over again and again. Hence I’ll give you the answer here; “when I know, I’ll give you the answer.”

---

Hope is on the mend, and El is feeling sentimental. They care about Hope, and we hope it’ll continue.

~ Will Darby finally tell her about her feelings and ask her out on a date or wait?

~ Are they in love or just attracted to each other?

~ Is it strange that Eleonora feels strong ties to both Jessie and Hope?

I’d appreciate some comments with your thoughts, it’s you who keep me afloat right now, and I love you. Thank you for always being there for me and showing the way when I no longer know where to go. <3