The Miracle of You

Michael fell silent, and his expression became pensive.

Had Joanna really felt the same way?

He had never really thought about it before. After all, the Joanna that he knew was always cold and merciless. He hardly ever saw her show emotion.

He couldn’t even remember seeing her cry or laugh. Maybe once, or maybe a few times, and that was it.

He didn’t know if he wanted to dwell on the subject. It felt too strange at the moment.

“I’ll keep trying,” he finally said. “I don’t want to keep being like this forever, either.”

She smiled at him. “That’s good to hear. How about the rest of your family? Your parents and Will? I remember you used to tell me about your brother and how kind he was to you.”

“Yeah. Will was great, and he still is.” He nodded. “But as for my parents… I’m still not on good terms with them, unfortunately.”

“Oh…” Camille’s expression turned awkward, and she didn’t know what to say. “I’m sorry.”

He shook his head. “There’s no reason for you to apologize for bringing it up. It was a harmless question.” He smiled at her reassuringly. “What about yours?”

“Mine…?” It took her a moment to process his words. “Ah. I haven’t gotten in contact with them yet. Frankly, I don’t know if I ever will.”

“Why not?”

“I was the one who walked out on the family back then, remember?” She sighed, and a wistful look flashed in her eyes. “I don’t know if I still have the right to return here after everything that I did to them.”

“Camille, they could never hate you. They loved you,” he said gently. “Especially your brothers. I could see it in the past and even now.”

She looked at him in surprise. “Even now?” she repeated.

Michael nodded. “It might just be my imagination, but they looked lonely sometimes even when they were together. I noticed it in the video clips and photographs.”

She let out a hollow laugh. “I’m afraid that is indeed just your imagination. Don’t think too much about it and try to see something that isn’t there. They’re pretty happy together right now.” Her voice turned quieter. “Me being in the mix will only make things complicated, and I don’t want that right now.”Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“I see,” Michael said. He asked no further questions. He could tell that the subject was a little sensitive for her at the moment. “Then can you tell me what happened to you after you left the city? Were you safe in any way?”

She looked away. “I was… okay. I managed.”

Michael felt his heart sink a little. It seemed that she wasn’t ready to talk about that, either.

It made him a little jealous of Christian. Christian probably already knew everything that had happened in Camille’s life during that time. After all, according to what Grady had told him, she met the Callahans at that time when she was on her own, which had led to her closeness to the family.

Camille seemed to sense his thoughts because she quickly said, “I’m sorry, Noah. I know I’ve been secretive with you since we reunited, but…” She struggled to find the right words. “Please give me more time. I want to tell you everything, I swear.”

“Camille,” Michael said gently. “Take your time. I’m not going anywhere. In fact, I’m only a message away. A phone call away, too. Whatever you need, I’ll be there.”

She laughed, but there were tears in her eyes. She quickly wiped them away with the back of her hand. “You talk like a superhero,” she said teasingly. “Nobody’s like that in real life.”

Michael shook his head. “Well, you definitely don’t realize the extent of my loyalty,” he teased back. “But seriously, don’t hesitate to reach out to me whenever you need my help, okay? As long as it’s you, I’ll-”

“Okay, okay, stop right there,” Camille said, laughing as she held up a hand to interrupt him. “Why are you so serious all of a sudden? I’m fine. I’m living my life. I can take care of myself, just like back then. You sound like an overprotective older brother.”

Older brother.

Michael suppressed a wry smile as he felt a dull pain in his chest.

Was that really how she felt about him?

Like a brother?

This was getting to be too much, honestly.

“Just in case,” he said lightly. “If you ever find yourself in a tough situation, just call for me, okay? I want you to promise me that.”

She looked torn. “Noah…”

“Hey,” Michael said quietly. “I’m not trying to control you or anything. It’s just that you’re all alone now, except for Christian by your side. You haven’t contacted your family yet, so if you need help but you’re on your own, you can count on me as a friend.” He smiled. “I’m aware that your fiance comes from a family of billionaires, but like I said, I’m just putting my offer out there in case you want it.”

Camille stared at him for a long time, and Michael couldn’t quite put his finger on the emotion in her eyes. Perhaps it was a mixture of several emotions, so many that there was no solid structure.

But his words seemed to strike a chord in her, and that was enough for him.

“I understand,” she finally said, and a small, genuine smile curved her lips. “Thank you, Noah. I can never thank you enough, you know? You’ve always… I mean, you’ve done a lot for me. When you first reached out to me, I was very happy. I just don’t want to be a burden to you, that’s all.”

“You are never a burden,” he assured her, taking her hand in his and squeezing it gently. “When I was lonely and rebellious in high school, you stood by me despite the relentless rumors. You hung out with me and whipped me into shape. You helped me with my grades and listened to me when I had something to say. You made my high school years bearable. It may seem like I’m dwelling too much on the past, but you’re a big part of the reason I’ve gotten this far. So thank you, Camille.”

Camille lowered her head and rubbed her eyes. After wiping away the tears with her handkerchief, she raised her head to look at him and smiled gratefully.

“I’m glad, Noah,” she said in a sweet voice. “I’m so proud of you.”

They stared at each other for a while, lost in their own world. Michael could see that she was feeling much better now, and he was relieved.

If he could cheer her up like this, then the heartache was worth it, he thought.