"Of course I came back... You know it's an impossibility for me to stay angry at you for long," Evanne said. She fussed with his bandage, even getting him a new one, but Noah couldn't take his eyes off her face as she continued. "I'm glad you're not in the mood for yelling. I think I've had just about enough of people yelling at me."
He shook his head vehemently. "Why would I be in the mood for yelling? I feel great. But I really am sorry. I shouldn't have said those things."
Her answering smile was blinding. "You don't have to be sorry for what you said, but thank you."
"I do," he countered. "I don't really remember what I said, but I know it upset you, so it must have been bad, and I don't want you to be upset, and I don't like it when you leave, and I'm really happy you came back, and I'm so excited that Evelyn's my daughter." He kept babbling as she carded her fingers through his hair, even though it was probably soaked in sweat and probably had a little blood.
"I should have told you the moment I got back... It's no excuse, but I just couldn't make the words come out. It never seemed to be the right time to drop the 'congratulations it's a girl' drama on you."
"I didn't want you to think that I had just used you or something... because I do love you, Noah. I was never going to keep you out of her life." Noah beamed, and Evanne continued, "She knows who you are and all about you... Most of the time, she falls asleep to stories about you." She flushed bright red, and he couldn't help staring at Evelyn, fast asleep and oblivious to her parents' conversation.
But her demeanor changed suddenly, confusing his impaired mind. "I wish I had just stayed... I'm so sorry... I swear I'm never leaving again... I'll never take Evelyn away from you..." When Evanne started crying, Noah started panicking, trying to pinpoint what he had said or done to upset her again. "I don't deserve your forgiveness or love and I understand if you can't trust but I hope one day you can. I'll do whatever it takes to make this up to you..."
A long look, and Evanne's lips were on his. His eyes were already closed somehow, and he had melted into the kiss. Before long, though, a feeling of guilt started nagging him.
"I should tell you something, too," he said, pulling back and scrunching his face. "I fudged the numbers. On the vote. I knew someone might see the paper I brought up there, so I switched the tallies to make it seem like your friends won. But they didn't win. They lost. By quite a bit. But they're staying. As long as that Rob guy doesn't do anything shifty." Once again, he kept going, wishing someone would stop him before he poured his guts out.