Noah's accident became a turning point—not just for him, but for Ella too.
In the days following his release from the hospital, she practically moved into his house, helping him with everything from carrying his books to making sure he actually took his meds.
"I can walk, you know," Noah grumbled as she hovered over him.
"Not fast enough," Ella shot back, adjusting his pillows.
Noah smirked. "You love bossing me around, don't you?"
Ella paused, then grinned. "Obviously."
Their banter was back, but something had shifted. Their fights from before seemed so small now. Every moment felt more precious, more real.
One evening, as they sat on Noah's porch watching the sunset, Ella spoke softly. "You scared me."
Noah turned to her. "I know."
"I kept thinking… what if I never got to tell you how much you mean to me?" She swallowed. "What if we had stayed mad at each other?"
Noah reached for her hand. "Then I guess fate was on our side."
She leaned her head on his shoulder, their fingers intertwined. "No more wasting time, okay?"
"Deal."
And just like that, they began rebuilding—stronger than before.
Returning to school was a whirlwind. People asked Noah about the accident nonstop, but he shrugged it off. What mattered to him was that Ella was by his side.
Maya noticed the change immediately. "You two are gross now."
Ella rolled her eyes. "We almost broke up, Maya."
"Yeah, yeah, near-tragedy, whatever. The point is, you're like a rom-com couple now."
Noah smirked. "I'll take that as a compliment."
They had been given a second chance, and they weren't going to waste it.
One night, as they walked home together, Noah stopped and pulled something from his pocket—a small silver ring.
Ella blinked. "Is that—"
"Not a proposal," he cut in quickly. "Just… a promise."
She raised an eyebrow.
"I don't know what the future holds," he admitted. "But I do know I want you in it. So… this is my way of saying I'm not going anywhere."
Ella stared at the ring, then at Noah, her heart swelling.
"You're such a dork," she whispered, slipping it onto her finger.
"Your dork," he corrected.
And as she kissed him under the streetlights, she knew one thing for sure—no matter what happened next, they would face it together.