When Noah finally got the courage to go back to the room Jossy was staying in, he knocked softly. He could hear a shuffle on the other side, then the click of the lock turning. The door opened just enough for him to see her face. Her eyes were still swollen from crying, but she tried to give him a faint smile.
"Hey, Jossy," Noah said quietly, careful not to sound too heavy. "You look… well."
She managed a small smile. "Thank you." Her voice trembled, but then she added, "I never got to thank you properly. Thank you for being there."
Before Noah could respond, she reached forward and wrapped her arms around him. The suddenness of it caught him off guard. Her body trembled against his chest as she whispered, "And thank you for helping me go after him. I don't know how things will go from here, but at least I tried."
She didn't seem to notice how long she held onto him, her face pressed into his shoulder. Noah stood stiff at first, fighting the pull of emotions he had long kept buried. He cleared his throat, a soft cough, and she jerked back, cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
"Sorry," she muttered, brushing at her hair.
"It's ok, don't worry about it," Noah said quickly, his tone softer than he intended.
Her eyes looked away, and in the awkwardness, she blurted, "How's Aurora Serum doing? I miss work so bad."
That drew the smallest chuckle from Noah. He leaned against the door, folding his arms. "Funny you mention that. It's actually what I came to talk about. What do you think about going back to work? The product can use your input, and it will be good for you too. Being busy will give you something else to focus on. And you don't have to be in the office. You can work from here."
Her lips parted slightly. " It's like you read my mind." She said joyfully.
"And just to let you know," he added carefully, "my parents will be back the day after tomorrow. Are you okay staying here with them? We can always make other arrangements. Somewhere safe"
For a moment she said nothing, then she nodded slowly. "I don't mind, I think I'll be okay."