Never Going Back/NOT EDITED

Chapter 16

     After my whole freakout Nathan showed up. Don't get me wrong I love his company and he's a good guy, but it's awkward right now. I can tell he feels tension coming from me and I hope he doesn't think it's about him. All this planning to get out of the gang has me stressed.

     "Good news", Will walked in. "Since you haven't experienced any severe symptoms we are discharging you. You'll need to still rest though, and come back in a couple days for a check up."

     "Ok sounds good", I half-smiled. I was happy to leave the hospital, but then again the hard stuff was about to start.

     "I'm gonna go warm the car up and pull up closer. It's freezing out there", Nathan flashed that smile of his and let go of my hand.

     "That check up by the way is a meeting with the Intelligence Unit", Will said after Nathan left.

     "Ok...", that's all that came out. I wanted to thank Will for everything or even explain why I freaked out during my head CT, but the words just wouldn't come out.

      "Hey, I actually had to help the feds awhile back. I was about to marry the love of my life and the added stress of having to lie to her was awful. I can tell you care for Nathan, so if you ever need to vent you have me and the whole intelligent unit. Just...don't let the stress eat at you. It'll all work out in the end", Will assured me.

     "So...did you marry her?", I asked intrigued.

     "Let's just say I let the stress eat at me. I'm still working at it though", he winked at me as he walked out, allowing me to change.

     After I changed into leggings, a ribbed long sleeve shirt, and a flannel jacket I thrifted, I sat on my bed to take one last moment to myself. One more moment of calm before the storm. I kept thinking about the story Will told me. I didn't want to drive Nathan away, but this whole process was gonna be hard.

    I eventually gathered enough courage to head out. I gave Will a slight nod before I headed to the car. Nathan had pulled up to the front and the warm air and heated seat of the SUV was waiting for me.

      Once I got back, I was patted down. They weren't wrong to search me though because soon I would be snitching. I quickly hugged Micheal, Isa, and Hunter who were waiting for me before the boss called me into his office.

     When I walked in I saw him in his natural habitat. Leaning back with his legs on his desk, smoking a cigar. 

     "Sit", he waved me into the room. "How'd it go?"

     "Surprisingly good. I told them it was a skateboarding accident and they bought it. One bad thing though...", I cleared my throat. "I have to go back in a couple of days for a check up."

     "No", he put his cigar in his ash tray. "You seem fine and one hospital visit is one too many."

     "But sir I-"

     "Enough!", he cut me off. "I've made my decision. Dismissed."

     I stormed into my room and plopped onto my bed. I knew the boss was gonna make this hard,   but I expected to at least meet with Jay and Hailey. What was I supposed to do now?

     All the thinking gave me a headache, so I decided to go grab some Advil from the kitchen. I walked in to Micheal and Isa having a full-on make-out session.

     "Wow...unexpected PDA there", I laughed once Micheal and Isa noticed I was there. 

     "Sorry...Cleo", Isa's faced turned red.

     "It's fine, but next time go to your room. I eat off this counter and I don't need y'all 'playing scrabble' in here", we all started laughing. Micheal and Isa have been dating for two years, so everyone was pretty much used to it. 

     "Shut up", Micheal playfully punched me in the arm. I looked at them and thought that they were perfect for each other. That their relationship was the good that came out of all of this. Then I remembered, soon I'd be breaking them up. The feeling made me sick.

     I grabbed some water and Advil as Micheal and Isa watched concerned.

     "They discharged you early", Micheal raised an eyebrow as Isa started making Queso. She knew it was my favorite.

     "Yeah well I begged them for early discharge and they said it was fine as long as I came back for a check up. Boss shut that down pretty fast", I had grabbed the tortilla chips and started munching on them.

     "You're okay though, right", Isa didn't look up from her creation. She took cooking very seriously.

     "Yeah, I'm fine. I'll just have some pain in the ass headaches for a while though", Micheal and I were like brother and sister, so Isa always saw me as the disapproving sibling. I learned to accept their relationship because in the end Isa made him happy. Slowly, but surely me and Isa were becoming better friends.

     "Well I'm glad you're okay", she finished up her cooking and we all sat down and ate. 

     Once the Queso and chips had been devoured, I went and took a shower. My wardrobe recently has just been sweatpants and hoodies, so I decided to put on a tennis skirt, a crewneck, and my nike sneakers.

     I knew the boss wasn't gonna let me go to that check-up but I had to get in contact with Jay and Hailey. I went to the only place that had ever felt like home. 

     Lila's cafe.