They thanked the kind taxi driver and got out without looking back. She quickened her pace to match Noah's only to pull him back when he got too close to a passing car. Alice waved her hand up in apology, not wanting to start a commotion in the middle of the parking lot. Her arm was still pressed to his stomach as she went before him.
Noah was alternating from being a zombie to being extremely action-forward, and she had to keep a close eye on him since they hadn't even made it to his grandfather yet. He couldn't lose his cool just yet. There was too much to lose at this moment. His family were big profile people, living under a spotlight.
The automatic glass doors of the hospital slid open, and Alice was smacked in the face with the scent of disinfectant that most people would notice. The lights overhead were bright and illuminated every single curve and bump on a face whether that be unflattering or not.
Alice had no idea where his grandfather's room was, but she followed after Noah closely since it was clear that he visited this place often. It was a sad thought to have because when she glanced over at him again, nothing about his situation was fair.
It was rude to think that some people had it easier or harder because every single life was different. Guilt was a feeling that she would have to get familiar with since he was proving that every single fact that she had held on to for disliking him was turning out to be false. Well, what do you know, Noah Park was a likable guy.
She snickered despite their situation, and it didn't fail to get a rouse out of the man of the day. The nurses waved at Noah as he came closer to the desk. He leaned over the tall desk while keeping his expression schooled.
Maybe she should take some notes from him on that since it was truly impressive how calm he was despite the shocking news. She didn't even know what was up, and she forgot to ask him for the details. It didn't matter anyway since she wanted to visit his grandfather on happy terms rather than not.
"You're getting more handsome by the day, Noah," one of the hospital receptionists gushed.
Alice fought the want to laugh at the comment due to the fact that if anyone had eyes, they would be able to figure out that Noah was undeniably good-looking.
Noah didn't bother to smile as she expected but ducked his head before saying, "I'm here to see my grandfather."
The other woman pushed a few buttons before nodding over at him. "You can go up."
Noah tapped his knuckles on the white counter. "Thank you."
He took a turn to turn over to the elevators, and Alice walked slowly after him making him turn back in irritation. "What are you doing?"
"Are you sure I can just go up with you?" Alice asked.
"It's fine," Noah answered. "Come on."
She blew out a raspberry while Noah strode over to her and grabbed her by the shoulders to shuffle them into the elevator like a penguin guiding their little one.
Inside, he pressed the top button and leaned back on the gold rails. She crossed her arms while standing next to him, trying not to do any nervous movements such as tapping her feet.
"He's located in a VIP room," Noah said slowly. "I work because I need to pay for it."
Alice hummed out a sad tune. "I remember you telling me. It's unfortunate that your parents don't help you."
"I have used most of my savings, and I need an extra buffer. Working away with the time I have was an easy sacrifice."
She pinched his arm. "Still, I don't think that your grandfather will be happy to hear that you are skipping school to work."
"I don't do that anymore."
"I'm glad to hear it," Alice said, knowing that digging deeper wasn't in the cards when he turned his body away from her.
She got the gist of his family dynamics after realizing that his parents never came to the school despite Noah not attending his classes. It wasn't like a warning was sent out obviously, but most parents would be there as a disciplining factor.
But of course, nothing was set in concrete. All that she had for pickings was the little that she was able to pick up from the vast faces that Noah showed her.
Alice wasn't happy to admit that she did do some stalking online to find out the information on the internet as they were a public family as most powerful families were. He had a sister who was a lot older than him and married, so it was likely that she wasn't in touch with Noah as often as the media portrayed.